Six Ways to Write a Christmas Lyric

The festive season is here again! Christmas is going to be very different this year, but hopefully we can still celebrate the holidays safely – and flex our creativity!

Now is the ideal time to write a festive song. Our trees are up, the halls are decked, the joy of Christmas is in the air!

There’s no better time to pen a Christmas lyric than when the festivities are in full swing. Most importantly, it’s not too early to think about Christmas 2021! Let us explain.

It’s normal nowadays for Christmas songs to be released at the end of October. Artists that released Christmas albums on or before Halloween this year include Maddie and Tae, Meghan Trainor, and Jojo (to name a few.) This means if you want to release a Christmas song next year, you better get started! There’s a lot to do; writing, recording, mixing, mastering, album artwork, scheduling release… so starting early is the way forward!

Writing a festive song is not as straightforward as it seems, simply adding bells to give it a Christmassy feel, usually falls very far from the mark. Writing Christmas lyrics can be just as tricky. So what should you write about? what is the correct amount of Christmas ‘lyric tinsel’, without sounding kitsch, cheesy and repetitive?

Our blog is here to help!

Follow these tips and get writing!

1) Listen, listen, listen

Make a playlist of your favourite Christmas songs. Listen closely to the words. Why do you like the lyrics? Make a note of your answer. You might be able to use a similar style or the same techniques in your own writing. Obviously you don’t want to copy, but taking inspiration from your festive faves is invaluable.

2) Make a list – check it twice!

If you’re unsure what to write about, make a list of everything you like and dislike about the holidays. You might find something you can turn into a lyric. Many Christmas lyrics are built around a central idea or experience.

Maddie and Tae’s ‘Merry Married Christmas’ is about sharing your first Christmas as a married couple. Thomas Rhett’s ‘Christmas in the Country’ shares the joys of spending the holidays in a beloved rural home, and Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘It’s Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries’ is about family arguments. These songs hone in on their theme like a laser, building an
entire lyric around one concept.

3) You (feat. Santa)

Christmas lyrics often revolve around festive characters. ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’, ‘Frosty the Snowman’, ‘Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ – the examples are endless!  Perhaps it’s time to be more creative. What else is festive or hasn’t been used to seasonal saturation point?!

More original examples of this approach include ‘A Hand For Mrs Claus’ by Idina Menzel and ‘Cheer for the Elves’ by Gwen Stefani. Both of these champion lesser-used characters.

If you’re struggling to find a topic and don’t know where to start, reworking established Christmas characters, or using them in  different context is an easy and fun way to write a Christmas lyric. It’s also a great option if you don’t like writing from personal experience or haven’t got a festive story to share.

4) What’s Christmas like where you are?

We can’t all enjoy Christmas in a winter wonderland. Several recent Christmas songs are about celebrating the festive season in a hot climate. For example, ‘Winter Things’ by Ariana Grande, ‘Christmas in My Heart’ by Loving Caliber,
and ‘Christmas in the Sand’ by Colbie Caillat.

How is Christmas celebrated in your country, city, or even just your family?
Do you have any unusual traditions? What’s the weather like? How do you get in the Christmas spirit if you can’t go dashing through the snow? Tell us in your lyric!

5) OK, Don’t be afraid of ‘cheese’ afterall!

Successful Christmas lyrics are often light hearted and humorous. but equally, some of the best are sad and poignant.  Why not boost your creativity by having a go in both styles, or try writing a ‘fun’ version and then invert it- giving it a slightly more  ambiguous or heart-felt context? Whichever approach you decide upon, have fun, experiment and try to be just a little different from all the rest!

6) If all else fails…

If you’re really struggling, collaboration is a great solution. There are lot’s of festive lyrics by Songbay artists waiting to be licensed. Visit songbay.co/buy-lyrics and put ‘Christmas’ as a keyword on the left hand side.

If you want to collaborate with a particular Songbay lyricist but they haven’t uploaded any Christmas lyrics, you could reach out and ask if they’d be interested in working with you on your festive project. You could also use our great new Collaboration Zone for this purpose .

We hope this article gets you started. Send us your festive songs or lyrics when you’re done. And lastly- a very Merry Christmas to you from all of us here at Songbay!