Diagnose lyric problems across prosody, rhyme, meaning, register, sound, and structure. Use when AI-generated or human lyrics feel flat, cliched, awkward, or mismatched.

Lyric Diagnostic: Skill You diagnose lyric problems across multiple dimensions. Your role is to identify why lyrics fail and guide writers (human or AI) toward more effective choices. Core Principle Lyrics fail in predictable, diagnosable ways. Generic is not neutral—generic is bad. AI generated lyrics cluster at statistical distribution centers: the most probable word choices, rhyme pairs, and emotional vocabulary. Probability optimization produces mediocrity. Effective lyrics require intentional deviation from defaults. The same pattern that makes "Celtic" trigger tinwhistle in music generation makes "love" trigger predictable rhyme pairs and emotional cliches in lyric generation. The Lyric States State LY1: Cliche Trap Symptoms: Predictable rhyme pairs dominate. Word choices are first associations. Nothing surprises. Lyrics could fit any song on this topic. Key Questions: What rhyme pairs are you using? Are they first associations? Would replacing the end rhyme word break the meaning? (If not, it's filler) Can you enumerate the default words for this topic and avoid them? What would a different genre use for this same emotion? Diagnostic Checklist: [ ] No Tier 1 cliche words (love, heart, baby, forever) [ ] No stock phrases (see list below) [ ] Rhyme pairs are not obvious first associations [ ] At least one surprising word choice per verse [ ] Specific details rather than generic statements Stock Phrases (phrase level cliches, not just words): Scripts can't catch these—they require semantic judgment: Phrase Category Why It's Cliche "screaming inside" unexpressed anguish Every song about hidden pain uses this "need you gone" direct desire States want instead of showing it "won't leave me alone" persistence Generic memory/thought complaint "thought I died" emotional death metaphor Overused intensity marker "used to be" + past state nostalgia setup Stock before/after framing "look in your eyes" connection Vague romantic gesture "torn apart" destruction Abstract violence metaphor "can't let go" attachment States the problem directly Lazy Rhyme Pairs (rhyme drove word choice): Pair Problem desire / fire / tired Cluster appears together constantly inside / died / alive Death interior cluster away / stay / day Motion time cluster heart / apart / start Heart destruction cluster alone / gone / on Isolation cluster Interventions: Run cliche check.ts as pre filter (surfaces candidates, doesn't diagnose) Scan for stock phrases manually—scripts miss these List the 10 most predictable rhymes for your end words—avoid them all Replace abstract emotions with concrete sensory imagery Ask: "What would someone who hates this genre never say?" Use that. State LY2: Meter Mismatch Symptoms: Lines don't fit the melody. Stresses fall on wrong syllables. Unnatural pronunciation required. Syllables crammed or stretched awkwardly. Key Questions: Can you tap the rhythm and speak the line simultaneously? Where do stresses fall? Do they match the melody's emphasis? Are any syllables swallowed or stretched unnaturally? How many syllables per phrase? Is there consistency? Diagnostic Checklist: [ ] Natural word stress aligns with musical beats [ ] Syllable counts fit the melodic phrase [ ] No awkward pronunciations required [ ] Contractions/elisions are singable Interventions: Run meter check.ts to analyze syllable counts and stress patterns Speak the lyrics while tapping the beat—mismatches become obvious Swap words with same meaning but different syllable count Use contractions to reduce syllables, or expand to add them State LY3: Shallow Surface Symptoms: Lyrics say exactly what they mean and nothing more. No subtext, no layers, no depth. Emotions are stated directly. Everything is on the surface. Key Questions: Is there a second reading? Something between the lines? Are you stating the emotion or evoking it through imagery? What specific concrete image grounds the abstraction? Could this be understood on first listen but reveal depth on repeat? Diagnostic Checklist: [ ] At least one image per verse that works on multiple levels [ ] Emotions evoked through detail, not stated directly [ ] Something for repeat listens to discover [ ] Concrete specifics anchor abstract concepts Interventions: For every abstract statement, find a concrete action/image that embodies it Instead of "I'm sad," show what sad looks like, sounds like, feels like Add a detail that doesn't quite fit—creates productive ambiguity Test: can you explain two different interpretations of the same line? State LY4: Register Mismatch Symptoms: Lyric tone contradicts the music's emotion. Casual words over dramatic instrumentation. Heavy lyrics over light music. Vocabulary doesn't match genre expectations. Key Questions: What emotion should the listener feel at this moment? Is your vocabulary elevated/casual matching the music? Does the distance (intimate/observational) match the instrumental? Would this language make sense in this genre? Diagnostic Checklist: [ ] Vocabulary matches musical intensity [ ] Distance (I/you vs. they/we) fits the sound [ ] Genre vocabulary expectations met or intentionally broken [ ] Irony (if present) is signaled clearly Interventions: Listen to the music without lyrics—what emotions does it evoke? Match lyric intensity to musical intensity section by section Check genre vocabulary norms—violate intentionally or not at all If using irony, add signal words or structural cues State LY5: Sound Neglect Symptoms: No attention to how words feel in the mouth. Harsh consonant clusters at tender moments. Monotonous vowel sounds. No alliteration, assonance, or deliberate sound texture. Key Questions: What consonant sounds dominate? What texture do they create? Do vowel sounds support the emotional content? Are there harsh clusters that disrupt flow? Is there intentional sound painting? Diagnostic Checklist: [ ] Soft consonants (l, m, n, w) at intimate moments [ ] Hard consonants (k, t, p) at impactful moments [ ] Vowel sounds support emotional content [ ] At least one sound device per verse (alliteration, assonance) Interventions: Read lyrics aloud focusing only on how they feel in the mouth Map emotional moments to appropriate sound textures Replace harsh sounding words at tender moments Add deliberate alliteration or assonance at key phrases State LY6: Structural Chaos Symptoms: No identifiable hook. Verse and chorus feel interchangeable. Repetition is annoying, not reinforcing. Bridge doesn't contrast. Song has no arc. Key Questions: Is there a clear hook? Where does it land? Does each verse add new information or repeat? Does the bridge actually contrast or just continue? Is repetition earning its place? Diagnostic Checklist: [ ] Hook is identifiable and memorable [ ] Verses differentiate (new info, different angle) [ ] Chorus delivers emotional payoff [ ] Bridge provides contrast or escalation [ ] Repetition evolves or emphasizes, doesn't bore Structural Cliches: Pattern Problem Fix Bridge = Verse Not a bridge at all—just more of the same Shift perspective, time, or speaker Chorus expands on repeat Adding lines without development Each chorus iteration should mean more Hook repeated without exploration Says the phrase but never unpacks it What does the hook mean ? Show us. No arc Emotional state same at end as beginning Something must change—realization, acceptance, escalation Verses say same thing differently Verse 2 is Verse 1 with synonyms Each verse needs new information or angle Interventions: Identify the hook—if you can't, create one Make each verse answer a different question about the topic Bridge should shift perspective, time, or intensity Cut repetition that doesn't earn its place Check: is the speaker in a different place emotionally at the end? Diagnostic Process Step 1: First Listen (Holistic) Listen without analyzing. Note: What's the overall impression? What lines feel strong or weak? Where does attention wander? What's memorable after one pass? Step 2: Identify Primary State Which of the six states best describes the main problem? LY1: Feels generic/predictable → Cliche Trap LY2: Doesn't fit the melody → Meter Mismatch LY3: Says nothing deep → Shallow Surface LY4: Tone feels wrong → Register Mismatch LY5: Sounds awkward → Sound Neglect LY6: No structure/hook → Structural Chaos Step 3: Run Diagnostics For the primary state: Answer the key questions Run relevant scripts ( cliche check.ts , meter check.ts , etc.) Complete the diagnostic checklist Step 4: Check Secondary States Often multiple states co occur: Cliche (LY1) often comes with Shallow (LY3) Meter (LY2) often comes with Sound (LY5) Register (LY4) often comes with Structure (LY6) Step 5: Prioritized Intervention Fix the most damaging issue first: Meter (LY2) before Sound (LY5)—if it's unsingable, sound texture won't help Cliche (LY1) before Shallow (LY3)—fresh words enable depth Structure (LY6) before Register (LY4)—need sections before matching tone Anti Patterns 1. Over Revision Pattern: Fixing one problem introduces new problems. Every change cascades. Signs: Draft 5 is worse than draft 2 "Fixing" rhyme breaks meaning Original spark is lost Why It Fails: Lyrics are an interconnected system. Point fixes ignore system effects. Fix: Make one change, then re read holistically. Don't chain fixes without checking the whole. 2. False Sophistication Pattern: Chasing complexity for its own sake. Obscurity mistaken for depth. Signs: Lyrics need explanation Dense metaphor without clear thread Audience confusion, not intrigue Why It Fails: Obscure isn't deep. Listeners need access point. Fix: Every obscure element needs a clear anchor. Complexity serves clarity, not replaces it. 3. Genre Cosplay Pattern: Adopting genre vocabulary without understanding function. Signs: Country lyrics with trucks but no storytelling Hip hop wordplay without flow Indie obscurity without emotional core Why It Fails: Genre vocabulary is shortcut to function. Without function, it's costume. Fix: Understand what the genre element does, then deploy it for that purpose. 4. First Draft Attachment Pattern: Refusing to revise lines that came easily. Signs: "But that's what I wrote first" Defending weak lines emotionally Unable to kill darlings Why It Fails: First drafts capture intuition but include noise. Signal needs extraction. Fix: Save first draft separately. Revise as if someone else wrote it. Integration Inbound (when to use this skill) After generating AI lyrics (Suno, etc.) When human written lyrics feel "off" Before finalizing any lyrics for production Outbound (what to do after) LY1 (Cliche) → Apply Cliche Transcendence framework LY2 (Meter) → Use meter reference.md for alternatives LY3 (Shallow) → Use Semantic Layers from lyric analysis framework.md LY4 (Register) → Check lyricist dna framework.md for register models LY5 (Sound) → Use Sound Texture section of lyric analysis framework.md LY6 (Structure) → Use Structural Architecture section Complementary prose style for sentence level craft (overlaps with sound/clarity) cliche transcendence for escaping default patterns naming for sound symbolism and word selection AI Lyric Generation Failure Modes AI generated lyrics (Suno, etc.) fail in predictable ways due to how LLMs work: The Degradation Pattern 1. Lines 1 2: Model has freedom, m

lyric-diagnostic