50 Awesome Song Titles To Use As Writing Prompts
Because Writers Write is a resource for writers, we’ve put together a list of awesome song titles for you to use as writing prompts.
Writing prompts are an excellent way to exercise the writing muscle. Writing prompts are suggestions for writers. They are usually words, images, or sentences that describe an idea or a situation. They give writers a starting point.
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50 Song Titles That Ask Questions
We thought lyric titles that pose a question might be an interesting way to choose writing prompts.
If you have a writing group:
- Print these titles.
- Cut them into one-liners.
- Get everybody to pick one from a box.
- Or ask people to choose a number from 1-50.
Exercise: Answer the question by free writing for five minutes.
50 Awesome Song Titles To Use As Writing Prompts
[Download the list: 50 Song Titles To Use As Writing Prompts]
- Am I Going Crazy? – Korn
- Are You The Hypnotist? – Flaming Lips
- Baby, Can I Hold You Tonight?
– Tracy Chapman
- Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’? – Rolling Stones
- Do You Believe In Life After Love? – Cher
- Do You Believe In Rapture? – Sonic Youth
- Do You Know The Way To San Jose? – Dionne Warwick
- Do You Love Me? – The Contours
- Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? – Culture Club
- Do You Remember Rock & Roll Radio? – Ramones
- Have I Told You Lately? – Van Morrison
- Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? – Bryan Adams
- Have You Ever Seen The Rain? – Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Have You Seen Her? – Chi-Lites
- Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby? – Rolling Stones
- How Can You Mend A Broken Heart? – BeeGees
- How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Know I’ve Been A Liar All My Life – Fred Astaire
- How Much Is That Doggie In The Window? – Patti Page
- Life On Mars? – David Bowie
- Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now? – The Clash
- What Becomes Of The Broken-Hearted? Jimmy Ruffin
- What Does T.S. Eliot Know About You?
– East River Pipe
- What Happened To You? – The Offspring
- What If God Was One Of Us? – Joan Osborne
- What Time Is It? – Spin Doctors
- What You Waiting For? – Gwen Stefani
- What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? – R.E.M.
- What’s My Age Again? – Blink 182
- What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love, And Understanding? – Elvis Costello
- Where Does The Ocean Go? – Katie Mellua
- Where Have All The Cowboys Gone
– Paula Cole
- Which One Of Us Is The Fool? – Robert Palmer
- Who Are You? – The Who
- Who Do You Think You Are? – Spice Girls
- Who Makes You Feel? – Dido
- Who Wants To Live Forever? – Queen
- Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses? – U2
- Who’s Your Daddy?
– Toby Keith
- Who’s Crying Now? – Journey
- Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? – Shania Twain
- Why Can’t This Be Love? – Vanhalen
- Why Can’t We Be Friends? – War
- Why Do Fools Fall In Love? – Diana Ross
- Why Do I Keep Counting? – The Killers
- Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? – Moby
- Why Don’t We Do It In The Road? – The Beatles
- Will You Marry Me? – Paula Abdul
- Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? – The Shirelles
- Would I Lie To You? – The Eurythmics
- Wouldn’t It Be Nice?
– The Beach Boys
– Tracy Chapman
– East River Pipe
– Paula Cole
– Toby Keith
– The Beach BoysWriting every day is good for you. As we say at Writers Write: ‘A page a day keeps insanity at bay.‘ If you have any interesting lyric titles, please share them with us in the comments section below.
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© Amanda Patterson
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‘Don’t Fence Me In.” An old cowboy song from the 40s and 50s, don’t remember the writer or who sang it. Perfect title for a writer, though.
“How Soon is Now?” – The Smiths
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? — Chicago
“Why Won’t They Talk to Me?”/”Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind?” both by Tame Impala
I like ‘Climb Every Mountain’ song from ‘The Sound of Music’
How can I help you to say Goodbye? Patty Loveless
Burning Love by Elvis
“Who Can It Be Now?”
Why do you always call me when you’re high? Arctic Monkeys
Greetings from Croatia!
“Does the day for us?” Tose Proeski (Macedonia – Croatia)
Kill Your TV- Photoside Cafe
Hello from Mexico City.
“How did we get from saying I love you” (Great Big Sea, Canada)
“One of us cannot be wrong” Leonard Cohen
Don’t Fence Me In was by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. It’s been almost a motto for me for 70 years.
Me and my monkey by Robbie Williams
“Don’t Fence Me In” was written by Cole Porter and originally recorded by Will Rogers. It is also not a question, which makes it ineligible for this exercise.
Viva Las Vegas -Elvis ….. Keep My Heart Alive -Tenth Avenue North ….. Getcha’ Head in The Game -Hsm 1 ….. I could name a ton…..
Hello My Name Is -Matthew West
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go -Wham!
A Few of My Favourite Things -from The Sound of Music
I’m Unashamed of You -Chris August
Oh my so many titles, so little space! “Knock”, Imelda May, “Give That Old Fashioned Morphine” Jolie Holland, “You’re Heart is as Black as Night” Melody Gardot.
If not now, Tracy Chapman. The whole line goes, “if not now, then when”.
I often find that I use lines from my favorite songs as writing cues, not necessarily the titles.
Why Me Lord? by Kris Kristofferson, recorded by Johnny Cash
Defying Gravity -Wicked, Don’t Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet- Hayden Panettiere
I’ve Got Tears in My Ears from Lying on My Back in My Bed While I Cry Over You
~ Homer and Jethro
The Crystal Method – “Smile?”
I’d also add “Sunset Neon” by Blue Stahli although it’s not a question, because of the mood. 🙂
Isn’t it ironic?
Fifty of my own make 100. 🙂
A Room Full of Roses – Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
Annie Don’t Live Here Anymore – Eartha Kitt
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy – The Andrew Sisters
Brown Shoes Don’t Make It – Frank Zappa
By the Fields of Babylon – Boney M
Dancing in the Dark – Bruce Springsteen
Do You Think I’m Sexy – Rod Stewart
Don’t Take Your Guns to Town – Johnny Cash
Eight Mies High – The Byrds
Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac
Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis
Happy Together – The Turtles
Hello, I Love You – The Doors
How Deep is Your Love – The Bee Gees
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
I Had Too Much to Dream Last NIght – The Electric Prunes
I Ran (So Far Away) – Flock of Seagulls I’d Rather Go Blind – Etta James
I know You’re Out There Somewhere – Moody Blues
I Wish It Woud Rain – The Temptations
I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight – Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
I’m a Fool to Want you – Billie Holiday
I’m Your Man – Leonard Cohen
It’s Only Make Believe – Conway Twitty
In the Year 2525 – Zagger and Evans
Knick Knack Man – Cartoone
Lonely Girl – The Chi-lites
Look Through Any Window – The Hollies
Lovely Rita, Meter Maid – The Beatles
Mary, Did You Know? – multiple artists
One Way Or Another – Blondie
She’s Not There – The Zombies
Sir Geoffrey Saved the World – The Bee Gees
Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell
Snakes Crawl at NIght – Charlie Pride
Take Time To Know Her – Percy Sledge
The Air That I Breathe – The Hollies
The Butcher Boy – The Andrew Sisters
The House of the Rising Sun – Eric Burdon and the Animals
The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel
Those Were the Days – Mary Hopkins
Two Lovers – Mary Wells
Turning Japanese – The Vapors
Under the Bridges of Paris – Eartha Kitt
Valley of the Dolls – Dionne Warrick
We Gotta Get Outta This Place – Eric Burdon and the Animals
Where Did Our Love Go – The Supremes
Who Are the Brain Police? – Frank Zappa
Who Can It Be Now? – Men at Work
You Should Hear How She Talks About You – Melissa Manchester.
Um, shouldn’t there should be some modern songs here, too? Like…uh…maybe from the 2010’s? Not everyone is ancient.
Please add whichever ones you want in the comments section. Please remember they should be lyric titles that ask a question.