How to Memorize Lyrics of a Song

Use the start lines to help remember the verse.

The verses are often the trickiest parts to memorize. The start lines are the first lines of a section of lyrics. Most songs are broken down into sections such as verse, chorus, and bridge. The verses are usually the toughest to remember because they’re only repeated once (as opposed to a chorus which is often repeated throughout the song). Focus on remembering how each verse starts and it can help you remember the rest of the words that follow. This is especially helpful for longer songs with lots of verses. Use the first lines to help trigger your memory.

Try to form an emotional connection.

Think about how the lyrics make you feel to help remember them. We often tend to remember things that affect us emotionally, and music is no exception. When you’re memorizing the lyrics to a song, think about how the words make you react and what kind of emotions you’re feeling. It may make it easier for you to remember the words. For instance, if you’re trying to remember the lyrics to a song like Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” think about the melancholy and sad emotion the song conveys to help you remember the words.

Create a short movie in your mind with the lyrics.

Visualize the words and it’ll help you remember them. Many songs follow a narrative structure or tell a story (love, loss, a happy memory, etc.). Try visualizing the story that the song is telling as you memorize the words and practice singing it. Picturing a movie with the lyrics may help you better remember them.

Sing the song as you’re falling asleep and when you wake up.

It can help drive the words into your subconcious. Make the lyrics the last thing you think about before you go to sleep and the first thing you think about when you wake up. Sing them in your head or out loud. Drive the lyrics deep into your subconscious and it’ll make it much easier for you to remember (maybe even impossible to forget).

Focus on the rhyme if there is any.

Use the sounds to help you remember the words. If the lyrics use a lot of rhyme, listen to the way the words sound. Remember the rhyming sound as you memorize and repeat the lyrics to help your mind absorb them. Think of the rhyming sounds as signposts that can help guide you through the lyrics.

Print out the lyrics and sing them out loud.

Repeat the words over and over to help remember them. It may seem obvious, but one of the best ways you can help drive the lyrics of a song into your memory is through repetition. Print or write out the lyrics and sing them over and over. Sing them to the music or sing them to yourself. The more you practice, the better you’ll remember them. It’s also helpful to have a printout of the exact lyrics so you aren’t accidentally saying something incorrectly.

Pronounce and articulate each word and phrase.

Go slowly and divide the words by their syllables. As you’re singing a new song or a song you want to memorize, take your time and sound out each word slowly. Break the lyrics down into syllables and really enunciate each of them. It can help your mind absorb them more effectively.

Repeat the words one line at a time.

Memorize the first line and sing it out loud, then learn the second line. Move through the lyrics slowly and sequentially. Focus on memorizing the words in the first line, singing them out loud until you feel like you’ve got it. Then, memorize the lyrics of the second line and sing the first and second line together. Continue through the song until you’re singing every line. This strategy can help you build momentum and get used to the progression of the lyrics, which can help them stick in your mind.

Write the lyrics down over and over.

It can help make the lyrics stick in your mind. Just like writing out classroom notes can help you retain the information, writing out lyrics can help you remember the words. Grab a notebook or a sheet of paper and write out the lyrics over and over until you feel like you’ll remember them. Repeat the practice a few times a day to really drive the words deep into your memory.

Play the song on repeat.

Listen to it as often as you can so it’s present in your mind. If you’re trying to memorize the lyrics to a song that’s already been recorded, take advantage of the recording! Play it in the car, while you’re making lunch, or when you’re running on the treadmill. Surround yourself with the song and it’ll be impossible for you to forget the words.