Everyone loves Mister Rogers.
If you don’t, maybe just leave right now.
But many people don’t realize he was a very good songwriter.
He shared his songs through a kids’ TV show, so songwriters may not have picked up on his musical skills.
So in this post, I want to point out what songwriters can learn from Mr. Rogers’ songs.
There are five things I’ve noticed…
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Rhyming
You don’t have to rhyme in your songs. Music is subjective so you can do whatever you want.
But it can be a very effective way to drill home a lyric. It makes the words more memorable.
Let’s look at the song that opened every episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, “It’s Such A Good Feeling.”
I’ve color-coded the words that rhyme:
It’s such a good feeling
To know you’re alive
It’s such a happy feeling
You’re growing inside
And when you wake up ready to say
“I’ll make a snappy new day.”
It’s such a good feeling
A very good feeling
The feeling you know
That I’ll be back when the day is new
And I’ll have more ideas for you
And you’ll have things you’ll want to talk about
I will, too
These are simple rhyming schemes.
But my suggestion is this: rhyme whenever you can as long as it doesn’t feel forced.
Repetition
Repeating lyrics, melodies, and melody formations is a great way to give a song cohesiveness. It can also make the song much more memorable.
Listen to any pop song and you’ll hear tons of repetition.
You see this a lot in Mr. Rogers’ songs, but let’s look at “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” as an example.
Notice the reapeting phrases and words:
It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood
A beautiful day for a neighbor
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
It’s a neighborly day in this beautywood
A neighborly day for a beauty
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you
I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you
So let’s make the most of this beautiful day
Since we’re together, we might as well say
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbor?
Won’t you please
Won’t you please
Please won’t you be my neighbor?
Repetition is especially useful during the hook/chorus. If that’s the main part of the song, you want it to stand out.
Catchy But Creative Melodies
Mister Rogers had a knack for writing creative by catchy melodies that were easy enough for kids to learn.
Every once in a while, there’s a pop song that does this well.
It has a melody with not too many notes, but those notes are arranged in a creative way, quickly becoming an earworm.
Many of Mr. Rogers’ songs have great melodies. But the one I want to point out is “There Are Many Ways.”
Sylvan Esso did a nice cover of it…
It’s not a complex melody, but it’s creative.
And it’s catchy. It’s memorable.
Lyrics That Sound Like Speech
Writing lyrics like you speak them is another helpful songwriting tactic.
It’s also called “writing real.”
If you’ve heard any of Taylor Swift’s songs, you can tell she writes lyrics this way.
And Mister Rogers, being the host of a children’s’ show, had to do this. And he did it well.
Let’s look at “It’s You I Like”:
It’s you I like
It’s not the things you wear
It’s not the way you do your hair
But it’s you I like
The way you are right now
The way down deep inside you
Not the things that hide you
Not your toys
They’re just beside you
But it’s you I like
Every part of you
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new
I hope that you’ll remember
Even when you’re feeling blue
That it’s you I like
It’s you yourself
It’s you
It’s you I like
As a songwriter, it’s easy for me to try to wax poetic with every lyric. But many times, it comes across as forced or just cheesy.
If you find yourself writing complicated or super vague lyrics that you’re not happy with, try writing real.
You can even try using the speech-to-text feature on your smartphone.
Writing words as if you were speaking them can be so honest it’s powerful.
Authenticity
One element of Mr. Rogers’ songs is authenticity.
He often sang about liking and loving, learning and hurting. But he also backed it up with how he lived.
He freakin’ started and ran a kids’ TV show for 31 seasons. No scandals. No coverups.
He was just a good dude.
And his songs fit his good-guy “brand.”
So make sure you’re songs are actually you. Don’t try to be someone you’re not.
Don’t write songs that don’t move you.
I’d argue that the most influential factor in getting attention and growing your audience is authenticity.
People resonate with realness.
So be yourself in your songs.
Follow Mr. Rogers’ advice and be yourself.
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