Imagery & Word Choice
📋 What it is
Imagery uses concrete, sensory words to SHOW a feeling instead of just naming it.
🗣️ Coach says
IMAGERY paints a picture with words you can see, hear or feel. Instead of "I was sad", show it: "the empty chair, the cold coffee". Concrete, sensory details let the listener FEEL the song. "Show, don't tell" is the songwriter's golden rule.
🧠 Memory hook
Imagery = concrete sensory words that SHOW, not tell. "Empty chair" beats "I was sad".
😂 Giggle
Why did the songwriter sing the words out loud?
Because a lyric has to sound good, not just look good!
😲 Whoa!
The most-loved lyrics almost always SHOW with a specific image rather than TELL with a plain feeling word — "show, don't tell" is a rule for a reason.
✅ Quick check: What does "show, don't tell" mean in lyrics?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Use concrete, sensory images to let the listener FEEL something, instead of just naming the feeling directly.
Imagery evokes emotion through specific detail rather than stating it.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Rewrite "I was happy" as an image — what would someone SEE that shows happiness?