How to Write Early Hardcore [Fr] Lyrics

You want lyrics that hit like a Molotov and stick like a chant at the back of a sweaty venue. You want lines that are raw, immediate, and singable by a crowd that only owns black shirts and knows three chords. This guide teaches you how to write early French hardcore lyrics. That means short brutal verses, slogans that become chants, French slang and verlan used with taste, and prosody that sits right on the beat. Expect history, technique, examples in French with translations, troubleshooting, and micro exercises you can do in the next coffee break.

Everything is written for artists who want to make music that feels urgent and honest. You will learn the cultural roots so your words do not read like cosplay. You will get tools to write faster and cleaner. You will leave with templates and a rehearsal checklist that make your band sound like you meant it from day one.

What Is Early Hardcore

Early hardcore refers to the hardcore punk movement that accelerated in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is punk turned faster and meaner. Songs are short. Tempos are fast. Emotion is compressed into slogans and imagery. In France this movement took local color from street life, political tensions, and a tradition of poetic rage. Bands used stark language, sometimes raw profanity, and a refusal to soothe. The point was not to sound pretty. The point was to make the listener act or at least feel like acting.

The French scene includes bands who mixed international hardcore influences with French identity. That produced a style that could be sardonic, poetic, violent, tender, political, and absurd all at once. Learning the style means learning the tone. You want honesty not caricature. You want grit not cliché.

Why French Matters Here

French is a beautiful language for short, hard statements. The vowels sit differently than English. The rhythm of French syllables creates opportunities for chantable hooks. French also carries cultural baggage. Words like liberté, bordel, or colère are loaded in the language because of history. Use those words like spices. Know their weight. If you throw them around without meaning, your lyrics will read like a tourist banner.

Core Themes of Early French Hardcore

• Anti establishment There is a rejection of institutions and often a critique of state power.
• Social anger Class, unemployment, housing, police violence, and alienation are common subjects.
• Personal revolt Identity, heartbreak, betrayal, and resilience appear as interpersonal fights.
• Urban imagery Concrete objects, trains, stairwells, closed shutters. These create cinematic scenes.
• Dark humor Irony and gallows humor are a safety valve. You can be furious and funny at the same time.

Pick one main idea for a song. Hardcore thrives on a single focused emotion. Multiple competing themes dilute the punch. The song is a fist thrown at one target not a manifesto of everything wrong in the world.

Key Technical Terms You Should Know

We will use a few acronyms and slang. If you already know them great. If not, no worries. Here is the quick list.

• DIY Do It Yourself. The core ethic of punk where bands self release records, book shows, and print zines without relying on big companies.
• EP Extended Play. A short record that is longer than a single but shorter than an LP. Think four to six songs.
• LP Long Play. A full length album.
• Verlan A French form of back slang where syllables are inverted. Example: femme becomes meuf. It is common in urban French and can make lyrics sound local and lived in.
• Mosh pit A space of active physical dancing where the crowd intentionally bumps, pushes, and moves. Hardcore songs often craft moments aimed at this energy.
• Breakdown A slow heavy section where the beat and riff create room for a chant or a staged crowd reaction.

Decide Your Voice

Before you write a single line, decide who is talking. Hardcore lyrics usually come from one of these points of view.

• First person I. Immediate and personal. Works well for rage and confession.
• Second person You. Accusatory and theatrical. Great for calling out an enemy or confronting an inner self.
• Collective We. Useful for anthems or chants that the whole crowd will shout back.

Pick one and stay consistent. Switching mid song can work if you do it intentionally. If the switch is accidental the listener will lose the target.

Structure That Fits the Genre

Song structures in early hardcore are lean. The classic approach is short verses, a chantable chorus or hook, and maybe a short breakdown. Keep it simple. The energy must transmit in seconds not in paragraphs.

Simple Hardcore Form

• Intro riff 4 to 8 bars
• Verse 8 to 12 bars with short lines
• Chantable chorus 4 to 8 bars repeated
• Verse 8 to 12 bars
• Breakdown or bridge 4 to 8 bars
• Final chorus repeated until end

Many classic songs are under two minutes. Shortness is a feature. Deliver the idea fast and stop before boredom. If your chorus needs three repeats to land, that is fine. But aim for economy.

Language Choices: French Registers, Slang, and Verlan

French offers different registers. High register is poetic or formal. Low register is street, angry, or intimate. Early hardcore usually sits in the low register but with occasional poetic shots. The contrast gives the song texture.

Use slang to sound authentic. Do not use it to mask emptiness. If your lyric would not be said by a real person in a real argument, rewrite it. Two linguistic tools are especially helpful.

Verlan

Verlan reverses syllables. It is common in French cities and youth culture. Use it sparingly. It gives lines local color and can condense phrasing. Example: banlieue becomes lieuban in extreme cases. The trick is to pick verlan words that feel organic to the narrator.

Argot

Argot is French slang. Use single words like flic for cop, ta gueule for shut up, fleuve for river when you mean something bigger. Again use with purpose. Every slang word adds weight. If your chorus is a list of slang you will have no emotional climb left.

Prosody in French Hardcore

Prosody means how the words fit the rhythm and melody. In French each syllable matters. The natural stress in French falls at the end of a phrase usually. That changes how you land lines on beats. Test every line out loud. If a strong word lands on a weak beat, change the line.

Here are prosody rules you can use right now.

• Prefer short declarative sentences. They cut through noise.
• Put one strong consonant word on the downbeat. Consonants puncture the mix and are easier to hear in a loud band context.
• Use open vowels for sustained shouts. Vowels like ah oh and eh carry better when you want the crowd to sing along.
• End lines with stressed words. In French these often come naturally because stress is phrase final. Use that to your advantage in choruses.

Rhyme, Repetition, and Slogans

Hardcore does not need clever multi syllable rhymes. Rhyme is a memory tool. Use it to make a slogan stick. Family rhymes and assonance work well. Rhyme can be direct but it can also be a repeat of a word or a small phrase.

Choruses are often a single line repeated with a slight shift. That shift can be a verb tense change or an added image. Think of the chorus as a street banner. It must be readable from a distance and short enough to wave.

Examples of Effective Hooks

• Nous sommes la rage. Nous sommes la page. Simple, repeats, and the ending change keeps ears engaged.
• Crève la peur. Crève la peur. The verb crève is violent and immediate. Repetition makes it chantable.
• Tourne la clé. Brûle la clé. Small change reveals action and consequence.

Examples: Before and After Lines in French

We will take bland lines and make them sound like early French hardcore. Read them loud to test attack and rhythm.

Before: Je suis en colère contre tout le système.

After: J’crache sur leurs lois. J’sors sans permis.

Why the change works. The after version uses plumbing images and direct action. It uses elisions that match spoken French and puts hard consonants on the beat.

Before: Les rues sont tristes et vides.

After: Les trottoirs vomissent mes pas.

Why the change works. Concrete verb vomir gives a violent visual. The subject is the city objectified. The line becomes memorable.

Before: Je ne veux plus être blessé.

After: Casse mon coeur. Mais pas à nouveau.

Why the change works. The after version splits into imperatives. It creates a call and response tension. It also uses short cadence lines which are easy to shout.

Writing Exercises That Produce Real Lines

Do these drills to generate usable hardcore lyrics in under 30 minutes.

Object Attack

Pick a small object you see. Write three lines where the object is violent. Make each line shorter than the last. Example with cigarette.

• La clope seurt mes doigts.
• Elle crache ton nom.
• Je l’éteins sur ton portrait.

The object becomes a weapon of memory. The piano here is the image not the music.

One Word Chorus

Pick one strong verb. Make it into a chorus by repeating it three times with one change on the last repeat. Example: Casser. Casser. Casser tout. Short is loud.

Time Stamp Punch

Write a two line verse that includes a specific time or place. Make it intimate. Ten minutes max. Example.

Deux heures du matin. Le métro dort avec les lumières allumées.

Now strip it to the hard core. Example revision.

Deux heures. Le métro claque comme un cercueil.

How to Use Verlan and Argot Without Looking Like a Tourist

Verlan is not a costume. If you grew up speaking it, great. If you did not, study local usage and only use one or two bits. Ask a friend from the street culture if a phrase lands naturally. Avoid mixing eras of slang. Old school argot next to modern verlan looks contrived.

Real life example. If you sing about a friend you call meuf in the chorus and then use a seventies argot word in the verse it will jar. Keep the register consistent. If you want older flavor, sprinkle in one classic expression that has historical weight such as bordel or foutre. Use them as punctuation not as the whole grammar.

Vocal Delivery and Performance Tips

Hardcore vocals are not raw for the sake of being raw. Technique matters. You must be loud but not hoarse on every show. Here are usable tips.

• Warm up your voice with short vowels. Hum for five minutes before you scream. This warms the throat without draining energy.
• Use the diaphragm for power. If you shout from your throat you will lose shows. Push from the belly and let the throat shape the final consonants.
• Keep articulation sharp. Consonants make words audible in the mix. Emphasize t k p and d on the downbeats.
• Use phrasing to create room for the crowd. Pause one beat before the chorus so the first shout lands with the band and the pit.
• Double up your chorus vox if possible. A second take layered low in the mix gives the chorus weight and lets the crowd feel safer to sing.

How to Arrange Lyrics With the Band

Hardcore songs live and die in arrangement. The lyric must sit in a pocket. Use these rules when rehearsing.

• Play the verse simpler. Let the drums and guitar drive. The vocalist speaks or shouts on top.
• Make the chorus rhythmic and repetitive. A chantable phrase over a power chord sequence lands in a crowd.
• Put space for crowd response. Leave one bar where only the drummer plays and the crowd fills the gap with a shout.
• Use a breakdown for a call and response. The vocalist says a line and the audience repeats it back. Practicing this makes it tight live.

Recording Tips for Hardcore Vocals in French

Studio time is precious. Capture the rawness but keep clarity.

• Compress with taste. Use gentle compression to bring the shout forward but avoid squashing dynamics completely.
• Use a dynamic microphone for main tracks. It handles loud levels well. A condenser for backing screams can add air if you have the mic technique.
• Record multiple takes of short lines. Comp the best consonant attacks from different takes to maximize clarity.
• Leave some room reverb but keep early reflections tight. The vocal should be in the room not in the cathedral.

Examples of Full Short Lyrics With Translation

Here are two compact songs. These are finished examples that show structure, prosody, and slang use. Sing them loud into a bathroom mirror then bring them to rehearsal.

Song One

Verse
La ville a les yeux fermés
Tes pas résonnent comme une clôture
On crie pour réveiller les trottoirs

Chorus
Tous debout
Tous debout
Faut pas finir à genoux

Translation

Verse
The city keeps its eyes closed
Your steps echo like a fence
We shout to wake the sidewalks

Chorus
All stand up
All stand up
Do not end on your knees

Notes. The chorus uses repetition and an imperative. The last line is short and ends on a hard consonant to land on the downbeat.

Song Two

Verse
Deux heures. Le métro respire froid
Ton portrait brûle dans mon sac
La clé ne tourne plus

Chorus
On casse tout
On n’attend plus

Breakdown
On crie ton nom
On crie ton nom

Translation

Verse
Two hours. The subway breathes cold
Your portrait burns in my bag
The key no longer turns

Chorus
We break everything
We wait no more

Breakdown
We shout your name
We shout your name

Notes. The breakdown repeats the name for a call and response. The chorus is short and direct. The verse includes time stamp and concrete image.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Trying to be poetic all the time Fix. Mix direct street language with one or two poetic images. Keep the rest raw.
• Too many ideas Fix. Choose one central emotion and make every line orbit that feeling.
• Lyrics that do not fit the beat Fix. Clap the rhythm while speaking the lyric. Move strong words to strong beats or rewrite the line.
• Slang overload Fix. Cut the slang to the necessary two or three words. Replace the rest with plain French.
• Singing everything at full scream volume Fix. Reserve screams for chorus or breakdown. Use lower intensity for verses to create contrast.

Getting the Crowd to Chant Your Lyrics

Write short repeatable hooks. Teach the line through the first chorus by singing it with the band and leaving a bar of space after the phrase. Repeat the phrase twice before letting the crowd try it. Using call and response in rehearsals ensures that the line will feel natural when the room is full.

Social proof helps. If your first show is small practice the chant with friends and film it. Post a clip. The shared memory will make the crowd more likely to join at the next gig.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Hardcore often attacks institutions and social issues. That is part of the point. Be mindful of lines that directly threaten real people. Insulting public institutions is different than threatening individuals. Also be aware of slurs. Some words are weapons even in the name of art. You can be violent in image without dehumanizing a protected group.

Promotion and DIY Culture

Hardcore thrives in the DIY world. Write lyrics with performance in mind and then use DIY channels to spread them.

• Print lyric sheets or zines to hand out after shows. People love physical artifacts.
• Record a raw live demo and post it. Authenticity sells.
• Collaborate with local artists for flyers and cover art. A strong visual ties to your lyrical message.
• Play house shows and squat venues. The lyrics land better when the audience is close enough to spit on you.

Templates You Can Steal Right Now

Use these skeletons to write a first draft in 20 minutes. Fill in with your local details. Keep lines short.

Template A

Verse 1 three lines with a time or place

Chorus one line repeated three times with a final twist

Verse 2 adds a new object

Breakdown one shouted phrase repeated

Final chorus repeat until fade

Template B

Intro instrumental 4 bars

Verse one line repeated alternate with a short punch line

Chorus two lines call and response style

Outro single line mantra repeated

Action Plan You Can Use Today

1. Choose one emotion and write a single sentence that states it in plain French.
2. Pick a time and place to ground the song. Write one image that fits that place.
3. Write a one line chorus that is short enough to shout. Repeat it and change one word on the last repeat.
4. Do the object attack exercise for ten minutes. Pick the best two lines and place them in your verse.
5. Rehearse with the band at the tempo you want. Clap the rhythm and speak the lines. Adjust prosody until words sit naturally on the beat.
6. Record a rough demo with your phone. Listen for lines that are unclear. Rework consonant attacks if needed.
7. Play the song live in a small room and test the chorus. If the crowd does not respond, simplify the hook further.

Write often. Hardcore is muscle memory. The more you practice short violent truth the better your sentences will become. Keep one notebook for lines that survive rehearsal. Those are the ones that matter.

Get Contact Details of Music Industry Gatekeepers

Looking for an A&R, Manager or Record Label to skyrocket your music career?

Don’t wait to be discovered, take full control of your music career. Get access to the contact details of the gatekeepers of the music industry. We're talking email addresses, contact numbers, social media...

Packed with contact details for over 3,000 of the top Music Managers, A&Rs, Booking Agents & Record Label Executives.

Get exclusive access today, take control of your music journey and skyrocket your music career.

Unlock Instant Access