Hooks, What They Are and How To Write Them Part 2
Written by Dan Monk
 

In part I we discussed what a hook is and began to learn how to write one. If you haven't already, click here to read part I.

Here again is our example song:

Just One Look
copyright 2003 by Dan E. Monk

Just one look is all it took
and you stole my heart away.
But now you don't know what to do,
you don't know you have to pay.

For now you own more than my heart alone
you own my cares and woe.
How do you plan to understand
things I don't even know.

There are things that must never rust,
there are things that shouldn't die.
To be my wife for the rest of your life
well that's my hearts price.

We discarded 'Just One Look' for two reasons. The most important being the song is about theft and payment. To analyze the song further, the thief in this case is unaware of their crime and the penalty. The core of the song is:
You stole my heart, now you have to pay and you are unaware of both facts.

In the title/hook we can leave out theft of the heart, it's mentioned in the first verse. So the listener is aware right away a theft has taken place. The rest of the song explains there is a price for taking my heart. So the phrase that stands out is 'my heart's price'. Normally it is said as 'The price of my heart' but that sounds a little too formal. This song is much simpler.

There is both good and bad with using that phrase. It's good because it comes at the end of the song. Studies have shown we tend to remember the last thing we heard more that what went on before it. It's bad because that's the only place it is used.

Traditionally, AAA songs have the title in either the last line of each verse or the first line. That would entail a major rewrite here. A simpler method would be to add a refrain to each verse. Something as simple as
'my Hearts Price'
would work.

My Heart's Price
copyright 2003 by Dan E. Monk

Just one look is all it took
and you stole my heart away.
But now you don't know what to do,
you don't know you have to pay,
my hearts price.

For now you own more than my heart alone
you own my cares and woe.
How do you plan to understand
things I don't even know.
That's my hearts price.

There are things that must never rust,
there are things that shouldn't die.
To be my wife for the rest of your life
well that's my hearts price.
yes, that's my hearts price.

And there you have it. Granted, it's not top forty material and 'my hearts price' is not the greatest hook around. But I hope you can apply the principles to your songs. So you can come up with a top forty hit.

Now how about coming up with a hook and then writing the song? We'll cover that in Part III

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(c) 1999, Dan E. Monk, All rights reserved. Reprinted here by permission.

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