How to Write Lyrics About Magic

You want to write a song about magic that does not sound like a middle school Dungeons and Dragons fanfic read aloud by a fortune cookie. You want spells that feel human. You want rituals that smell like late night coffee and perfume. You want charm that lands like a text message from someone you still want to answer. This guide is for writers who want enchantment but refuse to be vague.

We will cover how to invent a magic system that serves the lyric. We will talk about metaphors and sensory detail. We will cover structure and prosody so every line sings as well as it reads. We will give you exercises that let you draft a chorus in ten minutes and a verse in twenty. We will explain every songwriting term along the way so you never feel like you are in a field of arcane abbreviations.

Why songs about magic work

Magic is shorthand for wish, guilt, change, and power. It lets you say heavy things without being literal. A love affair becomes an enchanted object. Regret becomes a curse that can be undone. The reason magic hooks listeners is that it maps emotional complexity onto physical acts. Rituals are attention magnets. When you write about someone lighting a candle you trigger smell memory, not just a scene.

Real life example

• Think of a breakup text you hid because you were afraid to hit send. A lyric about a spell to make someone forget you can capture that half action and make it cinematic.
• Think of lying awake at two a.m. making up a ritual in your head to force closure. Put that ritual in a song and you let the listener join the private club where everyone has insomnia and too much feeling.

Decide what kind of magic your song needs

Not all magic is witches and cauldrons. Pick a tone first. Tone tells the rest of the song how serious or ridiculous to be.

Types of magic and when to use them

• Domestic magic — small household rituals like candles, notes, locks, and keys. Use this when you want intimacy and relatability. Example scenario. You put your phone in the freezer to resist calling an ex.
• Ritual magic — formal actions with meaning such as circles, sigils, and oaths. Use this when the song needs stakes and ceremony. Example scenario. You meet at midnight to swear something in front of a river.
• Folk magic — charms, spells, and remedies passed down through families. Use this for songs about heritage, advice, and secrets from elders. Example scenario. Your grandmother leaves you a tin of herbs with instructions you pretend not to read.
• Techno magic — modern rituals using screens and code. Use this when you want contemporary irony. Example scenario. You write a promise into a calendar event labeled forever and then delete it when you cheat on yourself.
• Cosmic magic — astrology, fate, and stars. Use this when you want grandeur and inevitability. Example scenario. Two people blaming Mercury in retrograde for everything except their choices.

Pick one style and lean into it. Mixing styles is allowed if you do it on purpose. A song that starts domestic and ends cosmic can feel like an emotional escalation. A song that tosses fantasy terms without showing concrete action will sound like someone quoting a Tumblr mood board.

Magic system basics for lyricists

A magic system is just the set of rules that define what magic can and cannot do. You do not need an academic treatise. You need three clear rules that your lyric will obey. Clarity prevents contradiction in the narrative. Contradiction makes your song feel lazy.

1. Rule one — what is required for the magic to work. Example. A necklace soaked in promises.
2. Rule two — what magic can change. Example. Memory, weather, a small object, a mood.
3. Rule three — the price. Magic always costs something. It may cost time, truth, a memory, or the possibility of closure.

Real life scenario

Imagine a chorus where you sing about a spell that erases one person from your memory. If your verses show that you must burn a photograph and whisper their name three times, that ritual gives the chorus weight. If the bridge reveals it also erases your happy memories, the cost becomes tragic. Rules create meaningful tradeoffs and prevent easy fixes that would otherwise deflate the emotion.

Choose your perspective and voice

Who is speaking and how do they speak? Decide. A first person narrator invites intimacy. Second person makes a command or accusation feel like a spell. Third person gives mythic distance. Choose the voice that amplifies the song theme.

• First person example. I learned your name from a bottle at the thrift store.
• Second person example. You keep your promises in the cuffs of your coat.
• Third person example. She keeps the matchbox like a map to her past.

Brand voice reminder

Be as outrageous as you like but stay real. If your narrator claims to turn nights into gold, show how that looks in the messy way of real life. Gold on the floor, not just in the sky. Show the scuffed shoes and coffee stains. Listeners want to be dazzled and grounded at once.

Imagery and sensory detail that read like a spell

Magic feels believable when it is sensory. Use smell, texture, and action. Avoid abstract statements alone. Replace them with objects that act. If you name a spell, give it a physical verb. Spells should be things you can do with your hands.

Sensory checklist

• Smell. Smoke, incense, damp paper, bleach, gasoline. Smell triggers memory hard.
• Texture. That velvet robe, the grit of a coin, the sticky wax of a candle.
• Sound. The scrape of a wooden spoon, the whisper of pages, the click of a lighter.
• Sight. A sigil drawn in lipstick, a moon like a coin, hands trembling.
• Taste. Bitter tea, sugar dust, the metallic of a coin held on the tongue.

Example line rewrite

Abstract: I cast a spell to forget you.

Concrete: I burn your photograph on the stove and cup the ash in my hand like birthday confetti.

Metaphors and similes that do the heavy lifting

A metaphor is a statement that says one thing is another. A simile compares using like or as. These are your fastest tools to link emotion with magic. Use them to make a lyric feel smart and immediate.

Good magical metaphors point to a single emotional truth. Do not stack too many images in one line. Keep the brain from scrolling past you.

Examples

• Your laughter was a faulty fuse and the lights kept blowing in my chest.
• We were a cheap spell that worked on payday and failed on rent day.
• I wrapped your name in a ribbon and fed it to the cat so the house would not remember you.

Explain the term metaphor

A metaphor is when you describe something by saying it is something else to create a vivid comparison. Example. Calling a broken heart a cracked mirror tells the listener about fragility and reflection without saying fragile or sad.

Lyric devices that feel magical

Use these devices to make your lines play as ritual.

• Motif — a recurring image or phrase. Explain. A motif is a small idea repeated across the song to tie sections together. Example. The word ember appears in verse one and again in the bridge to create unity.
• Incantation — repeated phrase with slight variation. Explain. An incantation is a chant like repetition used to build intensity. Example. Say my name. Say my name like a city street sign. Say my name and mean it.
• Callback — reuse a line from earlier with a new context. Explain. Callbacks reward listeners who pay attention. Example. A line about a match in verse one becomes the way the narrator lights the last candle in the final chorus.
• Alliteration — repeated consonant sounds. Explain. Alliteration makes phrases sticky. Example. Candlelight counts the crooked corners of our promises.
• Enjambment — when a line runs into the next without pause. Explain. Enjambment controls breath and creates urgency. Example. I whisper your address into the dark and the night answers with traffic lights.

Prosody and singability

Prosody is how words fit the music. Explain. Prosody means matching stressed syllables to strong beats and making sure vowel sounds are comfortable to sing. A lyric that looks good on paper but jams in the mouth will ruin a chorus. Test each line by speaking it as you would sing it and by singing it on open vowels.

Practical prosody checklist

• Mark natural stresses in the sentence. Make sure those syllables land on the beat.
• Prefer open vowels for long notes such as ah oh ee. They help the singer hold notes without strain.
• Avoid consonant heavy words on long melismas where the singer will need to hold a vowel.
• Test for mouth comfort. If a line requires two awkward consonant clusters in a row, rewrite it.

Rhyme and rhythm for spell like hooks

Rhyme can help a chorus feel like a spell. Use repetition and internal rhyme to create a sense of ritual. Do not force rhymes. If a rhyme sounds clever but blocks emotion, drop it.

Rhyme strategies

• Ring phrase — repeat the title phrase at the start and end of the chorus so the hook wraps like an incantation.
• Internal rhyme — rhymes inside a line to increase momentum. Example. I trace your face in coffee stains like maps of better days.
• Slant rhyme — near rhyme for freshness. Explain. Slant rhyme uses similar sounds but not exact matches. Example. Memory and miracle share vowel colors without perfect rhyme.

Structure: how to place your magic in the song

Placement matters. Your chorus can be the spell. Your verses can be the ritual that makes the spell credible. The bridge can reveal the price. Here are reliable options.

Option one chorus as the spell

Verses set the scene. The pre chorus builds urgency. The chorus names the spell and the desire behind it. This is classic and works for songs about wanting change now.

Option two chorus as a confession

Verses describe the ritual and the history. The chorus reveals the narrator has been lying to themselves. This works for songs that slowly reveal the cost of magic.

Bridge as reveal

Use the bridge to reveal the price or the unexpected consequence. The bridge can be where the narrator pays for magic and then chooses to live with the outcome. Keep the bridge short and decisive.

Write a chorus about a spell in ten minutes

1. Pick the emotional core in one line. Example. I want you to forget me so I can forget myself.
2. Choose one concrete action for the ritual. Example. Burn your picture, bury a ring, whisper their name to a raven.
3. Write one repeating phrase that sounds like a chant. Example. Forget me like a song you skip.
4. Make the last line of the chorus a cost. Example. I trade our songs for a quiet that smells like rain.
5. Sing it on vowels. Tweak the words so the singable parts fall on long vowels.

Example chorus drafts and edits

Draft: Make you forget me. Burn the photo. Say your name.

Edited: Burn the photo on the stove like it is a confession. Say your name until the smoke tastes like mercy. Forget me like a song you skip and never find again.

What changed

• Added sensory detail. Stove, smoke, taste.
• Added a concrete simile. Forget me like a song you skip gives everyday relatability.
• Added a cost. The removal of memory may remove something else.

Verses that sell the world

Verses are where you show the life behind the ritual. Use a small camera. Show hands, objects, small rules. Each verse should reveal one new fact that complicates the chorus.

Verse writing checklist

• Start in media res. Begin with an action. Example. The kettle clicks and I count to three before I strike the match.
• Include a time or place crumb. Example. East side studio, Tuesday at dawn, after a shift.
• Introduce the motif early. Example. A coin, an ember, a ribbon keeps reappearing across verses.
• End each verse with a line that pushes toward the chorus emotionally. A small cliff that wants release.

Bridge that reveals cost without being melodramatic

Keep the bridge short and tell the listener what the magic actually took. Make it human. The price should be specific and maybe a little petty. Pay attention to irony. Maybe the spell worked but you lost something small and precious.

Example bridge

I traded your laugh for silence and the silence moved like furniture into the rooms where we used to argue about nothing. I keep the shell of you on the mantel and it does not warm the house.

Pitfalls to avoid when writing about magic

• Too much fantasy language. If every line contains arcane nouns the listener will tune out. Use a few strong terms and then ground the rest in life.
• Undefined rules. If the magic can do anything then tension evaporates. Set rules early.
• Abstract verbs. Saying I bind you with a vow is weaker than I thread your name into the hem of my coat and stitch it closed. Show the act.
• Forgetting consequences. If the narrator gains something, show what they lost. Trade adds emotional gravity.
• Over explanation. Avoid long expository lines that tell the listener how to feel. Let the images do that work.

Collaboration tips for co writes

If you are co writing a magic song, agree on the magic system first. Spend five minutes listing the three rules. Then pick who writes which world details. One writer can handle domestic ritual lines while the other writes the chorus hook. Swap drafts fast and do one shared read aloud to test prosody.

Real life note

If your co writer leans heavy into medieval jargon, ask them to recast two lines in a modern setting before you accept them. If they resist, demand a demo where they sing both versions. The demo will answer the argument faster than a tweet.

Production ideas to make lyrics feel magical

Production is how sound paints the magic. You do not need a huge budget. Small choices can transform a lyric into an atmosphere.

• Use ambient field recordings such as traffic, rain, a kettle. These make domestic magic feel lived in.
• Add a choral pad to the chorus so the lyric feels like it is being spoken by a crowd of memories.
• Use reversed reverb on certain words to suggest unspooling memory. Reversed reverb is when you reverse a vocal, add reverb, then reverse it back so the reverb swells into the word.
• Include a single found sound as motif. A match strike, a ring in a pocket, a car door. Use it like punctuation across sections.

Explain reversed reverb

Reversed reverb is an audio effect where you record a sound, reverse the audio, add reverb to that reversed audio, and then reverse it back. The result is a swell of sound that leads into the original word and gives an uncanny pre echo. It is effective for magical reveal moments.

Exercises to write lyrics about magic

Exercise one quick ritual

1. Pick an ordinary object on your desk.
2. Write three lines where that object performs a ritual act each time. Ten minutes.
3. Make the third line the emotional punchline.

Exercise two phone spell

1. Write a chorus that uses a phone as the magical object. Five minutes.
2. Rules. The phone must either hold a memory or be a gateway. Do not use words like spell or magic in the chorus unless you mean it literally.

Exercise three grandmother charm

1. Write a verse where a family heirloom teaches the narrator how to be brave. Ten minutes.
2. Include a line that names the price.

Examples you can steal and twist

These are quick seeds. Do not copy them. Use them as practice prompts.

• Title seed. Candle for rent. Chorus idea. I light a candle for rent again and again until the landlord forgets your name.
• Title seed. Sticky note spells. Verses show the narrator leaving notes in drawers with tiny instructions like forget me before coffee and the chorus lists the notes like a litany.
• Title seed. Blackout rapture. A bridge reveals the spell worked at the cost of the narrator's ability to feel anything but quiet joy.

How to revise magical lyrics

Revision is where magic becomes craft. Do these passes.

1. Rule check. Read the whole lyric and list the magic system rules. Remove any line that contradicts them.
2. Concrete pass. Circle abstract words and replace them with tangible images.
3. Prosody pass. Speak and sing each line. Move stressed syllables to beats.
4. Price pass. Ensure the cost of magic is present and meaningful by the bridge.
5. Hook pass. Make the chorus repeatable. If you cannot hear friends singing it in a car, rewrite.

Common questions about writing lyrics about magic

Can I write a magic song without fantasy words

Yes. Magic can be domestic and quiet. You can avoid words like spell and witch entirely. Describe actions and sensations instead. A lyric about sealing a memory in a jar is magical without any fantasy terms.

How do I keep a magic lyric from sounding pretentious

Use plain speech alongside your imagery. Mix everyday phrases with the ritual language. Self aware lines can diffuse pretension. Example. I light a candle and then google how to make a witch aesthetic. That small joke keeps the song human.

Should I use real folklore terms

Only if you understand them and respect their origin. If you borrow from a tradition, do it with specificity and accuracy. If you cannot verify, invent your own term that feels grounded. Explain any unusual term in the verse with an action so the listener understands how it functions.

Action plan you can use today

1. Pick one type of magic from earlier in the article. Stick to it for the draft.
2. Write one sentence that states the emotional core of your song in plain speech. Turn it into your title or a ring phrase.
3. Draft a chorus using the ten minute method. Make the last line the cost.
4. Write verse one with a single camera shot and one sensory detail. End with a line that leads toward the chorus.
5. Run the rule check. Define three rules and remove any contradicting lines.
6. Record a quick demo. Sing the chorus on vowels and test for singability.
7. Ask two friends what line they remember. Use their answers to polish the hook.

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