Artificial Intelligence and the Craft of Songwriting
Question
We greatly enjoyed your ballad and wonder if AI created the whole thing or did you write the lyrics and engage AI to put it in music? Impressive either way.
Originally published in Vol. 1, Number 9, September 2026, Ask The Theologian Journal.
Answer
The piece in question was created through a combination of human direction and artificial intelligence tools. AI did not autonomously generate the entire work; rather, I used AI as an aid in both lyric shaping and musical setting under my oversight.
Typically, I begin with the lyrics. I tell the AI system what I want the song to be about, the style I am aiming for (for example, an old ballad or a country song), and key details that must be included. The AI will then propose lyrics. Those first drafts almost always need revision. Sometimes the rhymes push the content in the wrong direction, or the wording is inaccurate, or proper names are mispronounced. I then tweak the lines, redirect the emphasis, and have the system regenerate sections until the content and flow match my intent.
Meter is another area that often demands substantial hands-on work, especially for hymns. For a hymn tune, you need consistent syllable counts and stresses across all verses so that each stanza can be sung to the same melody. AI can quickly produce additional verses, but it often varies the meter in ways that do not fit a fixed hymn tune. That requires deliberate editing and iteration to get all verses into a common pattern (such as common meter).
Once the lyrics are in acceptable shape, I describe the musical style I want, and the AI generates music accordingly. Sometimes the first musical setting works well; other times it feels too formal, too “high church,” or too heavy in a particular instrument, and I send it back for adjustment. It can take multiple passes to get a musical backing that truly matches the lyrical and stylistic goals.
On AI as a creative tool and authorship
If I were a professional musician or songwriter, I would see AI as a powerful tool rather than a threat. It can speed up ideation and help generate raw material, but bringing a piece to a level where you would sign your name requires judgment, refinement, and intentional direction.
From the standpoint of authorship, the human user is the creative agent. The system does not generate works in a vacuum; it responds to instructions, constraints, corrections, and tastes that the human provides. In that sense it is comparable to using any sophisticated tool: a machinist with advanced equipment or an artisan using automated cutting devices still rightly claims authorship over the finished product. Likewise, when someone directs an AI system with specific prompts, revises its output, and shapes the final form, that person bears responsibility for and ownership of the work.