Do not overthink it
The most common mistake is trying to write something polished. Do not. Write like you are texting a friend and telling them about this person. Use their name. Use specific details. Be honest rather than elegant.
We are the ones who turn it into a song. Your job is just to give us the raw material — the real stuff that makes this person who they are.
Start with the basics
Tell us their name — the name you actually use, not the formal version. Tell us your relationship to them. Tell us what the song is for.
Add the specific details
This is what makes the difference between a good personalised song and an extraordinary one. The more specific you are, the more personal the result. Consider including:
- A specific memory — a holiday, a tradition, a moment that captures them
- Something they always say — a phrase, a joke, a piece of advice they give
- Something they always do — a habit, a ritual, something only people who know them well would know
- What they mean to you — not in general terms, but specifically
- Their interests, passions, the things that light them up
- Names of people who matter to them — partner, children, friends
Do not worry about length
More is more, up to a point. A few sentences gives us something to work with. A few paragraphs gives us a song. Write as much as feels natural — we will find the most powerful moments and weave them into the lyrics.
A few examples of what works
Instead of: "She is a wonderful mother who cares about her family."
Try: "Every Sunday morning she makes everyone pancakes even though nobody asked her to. She has done it for thirty years. Her name is Margaret and she would do anything for anyone without ever making a fuss about it."
The second version gives us a song. The first gives us a greeting card.
One final tip
Write about them the way you would describe them to someone who had never met them but was about to. What would you want that person to know? That is your story. That is your song.
