Ways to use this list
- Ten-minute song sprint: draw a card, set a timer and write without stopping. Do not judge what you wrote until tomorrow.
- Co-writing session: two writers draw one card each and fit both into the same song, a good way to stop either person taking over.
- Music class for teens: groups draw a Music challenge and present a 30-second idea with lyrics, chords and a beat by the end of the lesson.
- Primary music: draw a For kids card and write new words to a tune the class already knows, like a nursery rhyme, then perform it with actions.
- Songwriting journal: one card a day for a month. Most ideas stay as sketches, but a few will grow into finished songs.
Press Draw a card, tap the game or press the Space bar. Change the list in the box as you
like: add your own, delete what doesn't suit you, or write *2 after an entry to give it double the
chance. The game buttons switch the same list to a wheel, duck race, hat and more.
The full list (40 entries)
- Write about the last thing you lost
- A song to your future self, ten years from now
- The weather outside, written as a feeling
- A thank-you song to someone who will never hear it
- A song from the point of view of an old tree
- Start with the title "Almost Home"
- A goodbye song to a house you moved out of
- The best day of a summer holiday
- Something you would say if you were braver
- Two people who see the same moment differently
- A song made only of questions
- A list song: ten small things that make you happy
- A lullaby for someone who can't sleep
- Use the word "window" in every chorus
- A smell that takes you straight back somewhere
- A journey told in three verses
- Every line starts with "I remember"
- Use only three chords for the whole song
- Write a melody using just five notes
- A song in 3/4 time, like a waltz
- Start with a drum beat, then hum a melody over it
- Change key for the last chorus
- Write the bridge first
- Keep the verse low and make the chorus leap up
- A one-minute song with no chorus
- Write a riff and build everything around it
- Put a happy lyric in a minor key
- Put the title on the highest note of the chorus
- Write the chorus first, then build the verses towards it
- A song about your pet's secret life
- A tidy-up song for your bedroom
- A song that teaches the days of the week
- A dance song with actions for every line
- A song about the funniest thing at school
- A rainy-day song with sound effects
- A brand-new birthday song for a friend
- A song from a dinosaur who missed the bus
- A song about what the moon does all day
- A marching song for walking to school
- A song where every verse is a different animal
Questions people ask
How do I start writing a song as a beginner?
Pick a prompt, write one line you like and sing it over two or three chords. Repeat that line as the chorus and write two verses that explain it. A finished simple song teaches you more than a perfect half-written one.
Should I write the lyrics or the music first?
Either works, and many writers switch from song to song. Lyrics first suits storytellers; music first suits players who find a riff or a chord loop. If you get stuck one way, try the other on the same song.
What chords are good for writing songs?
Four chords from one key go a long way: in C major, try C, G, Am and F in any order. The random chord generator can pick a fresh set for every new song.
Can kids write their own songs?
Yes, and they are often fearless at it. Start with new words to a tune they know, add actions or sound effects, then let them invent the tune too. Record it on a phone so they can hear it back.