SONGWRITING: Which came first, the lyric or the tune?

I write songs.  I've had some success at this, but not near what I would like to have!  My goal is for my entire living to be earned from songwriting and photography.  I'm not there yet.  I say this because I don't want to mislead you into thinking I am industry leader in songwriting or that I am a master of the craft.  I'm NOT!  I'm just someone not unlike yourself who wants to learn from other songwriters to try and gather as much information as possible in order to be better at my craft.

That being said, I can't tell you HOW many times I have been asked, "Do you write lyrics or melodies first?"  My answer is always, "YES!"  People want to know formulas.  We want a sure thing.  We want a guaranteed way to secure the outcome we seek.  But in art, as in MANY other forms of life and leadership, there are no formulas in uncharted territory.  I can tell you how I wrote my song, ONE.  I can go back retrace the things that surrounded me writing ON THE BOULEVARD.  But neither of those equations or circumstances were good enough for any of the other songs I've ever written!

A song isn't a formula.  It's a conversation.  It's 3-5 minutes that your listeners have afforded you to speak something into their lives that when combined with melody, evokes emotion and response.  This time that is given to you is earned based on your past track record.

In the songwriting world, part of our lingo involves the word "hook."  It is used to describe that part of a song that "hooks" the listener and makes them want to engage with the song either lyrically, melodically, or both.  Therefore there are two different "hooks" in every song.  There is a lyrical hook, which more often than not is the title of the song.  It is the lyric that you can't forget.  Then there is a melodic hook.  It may be the part you hum or whistle even though you've only heard the song once.  If you combine a lyrical hook with a melodic hook, then you really have something

The key to songwriting is to always be receptive.  ALWAYS have your antennae up!  Have something you can write on or sing into to record your hooks that are going to come to you.  And no, you're not good enough to remember that hook that was just "too good to forget."  It'll be forgotten in 10 minutes and your hit is history!  I use my iPhone for these purposes.  The Voice Recorder app and Notes app are both full of simple hooks that I have put down while driving, working, eating, using the bathroom (I know, TMI, but true), etc.  I revisit these hooks often to see if there's anything from which to build a new song.

In summary, throw formulas out the window!  Just be ready for whatever, whenever you get it!