Inspirational Songs - Music With Inspiring Lyrics

The first inspirational song on our list is The Road Less Traveled Song, which as the name suggests is inspired by Robert Frost’s famous poem The Road Less Traveled.

It’s a song about living life. The song is narrated by a modern protagonist who faces decisions that don’t pan out exaclty as he had hoped. He is left to process the results of those decisions internally, which is where all the drama and tension happens in this songs.

Here is the song and below are the inspirational quotes from this song and their analysis:

Here are some of the inspirational quotes of lyrics from this song:

The first interesting lyrics are:

Bracing for the glistening sword, another blow cut my battle short.

This is a metaphor for something that usually happens in life. Usually, we brace ourselves for certain challenges or dangers, but then we get hit my a whole set of unexpected challenges or dangers that we now have to deal with.

Sometimes, when you are hit with unexpected challenges and don’t quite perform to your best, it can be haunting as you think back to that moment. You keep judging yourself for a long time. Songs with metaphors make music much more interesting and we have an interesting metaphor right from the start. That is what the next line is about:

This moment echoed in my mind and didn’t budge as dignity became my judge.

That concludes the song’s first verse after which we have the chorus with the following lyrics:

Awareness wants to look away.

But her imagination likes to play.

Regret and pride fought as my mind unraveled.

Looking back at my road less traveled.

This alludes to the difficulty of controlling one’s own mind as it plays and does whatever it wants. But in the end, the mind can easily unravel when it looks back at the decisions we made on our road less traveled.

The second verse of the song discusses the experience on being on the wrong path and knowing that you are on the wrong path. The challenge is getting off it because we’ve invested so much into our current wrong path that we just keep going forward on it.

Time heals unless self-pity’s your romance.

Wrong decisions kept me in a trance.

My baggage heavier, still I forged on.

Can’t veer off my road….too much time gone.

After that, the song gets into the bridge, which is usually a part of the song where something unusual or different happens. In the case of this song’s bridge, the protagonist has a confession that much of his life’s effort was spent on fighting with himself and trying to overcome his shortcomings and not be his own worst enemy. Of course, the inspirational moment comes at the end of the bridge where he also realizes with a sense of pride that even though things didn’t go as planned, he fought hard and gave it a strong effort.

I fought myself right from the start, keeping me from fully following my heart.

Don’t wish my road on anyone – it pained and left me stunned.

But you know what I faced it, fought, wavered, but didn’t run.

This leads us to the last verse of the song where it seems like the hero of the song might get another chance to make better decisions and not be his own enemy. But deep down, he knows himself and that he can’t change so easily. Instead, he focuses to embrace his turmoil, which is where the song leaves it. It’s inspirational in that it’s real and relatable. Despite the challenges, this does not become a sob song, but rather a song that deals with things in the best way the hero of the song can.

I thought I’d give another chance my all.

Deep down I knew I’d cause myself to fall.

And though I’ve often longed for days without strife,

What can I do? This turmoil made my life.

Here is the full page about my Road Less Traveled song.

Inspirational Song Using Shakespeare’s Quotes

This is an original uplifting love song of mine in which I put four of the best Shakespeare’s quotes. It has a pretty melody. I thought it was a fun thing to try and after its debut, the song has gotten positive reviews noting its unique approach.

This uplifting tune features interesting use of two guitars that play off each other. The ultimate message of love is inspirational and heartwarming, especially in the last verse where the song sings the famous balcony lines from Romeo And Juliet in a warm and soulful tone.

Listen to the song here with the lyric analysis below:

The lyrics of the song begin by asking a question about what would happen to Romeo and Juliet if they didn’t die. They were just teens in their famous love story. But what if they had to live together fifty more years? Would things remain as romantic for them?

What-if Shakespeare tricked us all,

With Romeo and Juliet’s rise and fall.

Would these teens share joy or tears,

Unsaved by death together fifty more years?

This sets the stage for the song which is destroyed rather quickly because the chorus starts right after that first verse with tow devastating and devastatingly creative Shakespeare quotes:

I’m shaken by what Shakespeare once realized “Love is a smoke made with fume of sighs.”

But if I were to describe you with a line from his scripts I’d say,

You have witchcraft on your lips.”

Ooooh sweet “witchcraft on your lips.”

When I first came across these lines from Shakespeare, I was absolutely floored. “Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.” How incredible real and sad and inspiring and insane is that, all at the same time? But that’s not it – “witchcraft on your lips” – imagine kissing someone whose lips put a spell on you in a way that feels like witchcraft.

After the chorus, the song moves into verse two where the protagonist of the song imagines a love between him and his romantic partner. He falls asleep dreaming of his love and in his dream, Shakespeare comes to him, whispering a new sonnet just for him and his love. In the next verse, their love has another high with the following lyrics:

It was us in his new tale of love.

Fifty years we’ll dance with stars above.

On Romeo and Juliet’s balcony.

In each other’s hearts of hearts we’ll be.

This verse uses another Shakespeare quote, which is “heart of hearts.” And it has pretty imagery with the lines “Fifty years we’ll dance with stars above on Romeo and Juliet’s balcony.” That references that very same balcony where Romeo spoke so romantically to Juliet. By the way, this balcony comes back later in the song. But imagine dancing with your love on Romeo and Juliet’s balcony with stars above. Isn’t that that just a magical image?

After that beautiful image, the song segues into the bridge for a little bit of a change of pace. Here are the bridge lyrics:

Without Shakespeare, our love would be a clock that races to loss imprinted on our faces.

Grasping for faint traces of passion slipped and wasted through hands that held embraces desperate for love’s graces,

Never to replace it.

But you and i will never have to face this.

This bridge is meant to resonate with anyone who has ever lost a love and wants to have it back but can’t. It’s quite sad. But the hero of the song ends these lines saying that he and his romantic partner will never face this. After that, the son moves on to the last verse. Here are the lyrics from the last verse:

Each night falling asleep under star glow,

I’ll whisper like Romeo long ago.

Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow,

That I shall say good night till it be morrow.

These are the lines that Romeo actually said during that famous balcony scene, which is a sweet way to end the song and complete it. This gives the song quite an inspirational feel by portraying a level of love that could be possible. Plus, using actual Shakespeare quotes gives this song a whole new level of deep song lyrics.

This song was released in two versions. The above version is the acoustic Shakespeare song. Here is a slightly more upbeat version of the Shakespeare song with more and different instruments.

Another Inspirational Rock Song – The One Who Didn’t

Just like the previous song referenced Shakespeare, this Beethoven remix references Beethoven and the 5th Symphony which has the famous and widely recognizable 4-note DA-DA-DA-DA motif. This motif is a metaphor for a knock on the door. In fact, it’s your life urgently knocking on your door and asking what you are doing with your life.

This song is deeply inspiring and motivational because despite all the doubts, the hero of the song keeps pushing forward with great persistence and perseverance.

Here is the song and below is the lyric and quote analysis from this uplifting tune:

This powerful song starts with the protagonist sharing his origin story of how he chose his own path while hearing Beethoven’s famous 4-note motif as a metaphor for a knock on the door.

There wasn’t a road to the vision I had.

But I hopped on my horse and galloped like mad.

The sound of fate had knocked on my door.

It was Beethoven’s fifth from centuries before.

Of course, when you do anything original or unique, people first mock you despite themselves being miserable and unhappy. That’s what the second verse of the song is about. We can of course disregard those people, but some of their negativity can stay with us, which is also referenced in the second verse.

The crowds mocked me – said I aim too high.

They viewed their fate through smaller eyes.

But they planted doubt that rooted in me.

And I saw a future I couldn’t unsee.

This protagonist suffers from having negativity planted in his mind and imagines himself as a failure, or “the one who didn’t” accomplish anything. That can be quite a haunting and harrowing image, which he obsesses over in the chorus:

What if I become the one who didn’t?

The one who didn’t. The one who didn’t.

Didn’t feel my strength. Didn’t sing my song. And didn’t inspire – didn’t inspire.

Didn’t find my love.

Didn’t kiss the girl who is waiting alone – waiting alone – waiting alone waiting alone.

The intensity of the chorus grows just as the intensity of the protagonist’s fear and madness grows. After the chorus ends, we get back to the story of the protagonist.

This ghost in my mind chased me for years.

As I raged forward running from fears.

Did I run away or chase some make-belief crown?

I got so crazed – even the critics quieted down.

The last line hits home with live audiences and I often hear audible “ooohs” while playing. But it’s not all about just trying hard. Real life doesn’t have a medal for hard work. Real life, it seems, has a medal for achievement. But even that isn’t true as shown in the next verse.

Soul not sold, I became a lion who roared.

But my heart didn’t soar – what was it all for?

Is Beethoven’s fifth to thank or blame,

For that lightning strike that kindled my flame?

That’s a little bone-chilling. Imagine working all your life towards something only to achieve it and find that it lacks any fulfillment and you’ve chased the wrong thing your whole life. You thought you were on your way to being the one who did something with their life, but really didn’t. That’s a devastating situation. But the protagonist doesn’t lose hope or resilience. In the next verse he sets out to start another journey with his head high and unafraid.

Journey completed – fulfillment omitted.

But To Ludwig’s 5th – I’m forever committed.

My soul still bursting from every pore.

Laughing madly, I charged gale winds once more.

That’s real courage and real inspiration – the kind required by life.

Uplifting Songs For A Bad Day – Everything By The Beatles

The Beatles had a very unique way of making any song sound positive, pleasant, and inspirational – even if it was a sad song or a song about a negative topic. I could pick just about anything from their catalog, but I chose this simple yet pleasant song with a powerful message and great poetry that’s quiet yet energy, and sure to lift your spirit.

Hero by Mariah Carey – With Inspirational Lyrics

This song has a profound and uplifting message that the hero to help you is actually you, and you already have everything you need inside you. When people are down, they tend to feel that the opposite is true, that they are not good enough. So the positive message here is quite inspirational and motivating.

It’s one of the most emotional songs through its positive message, and a great vocal performance with Mariah Carey’s soaring voice that feels like the very essence of inspiration.

Bittersweet Mirage – Song About Chasing Dreams And Failing

This meaningful song has a lyric inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche, and has a philosophical message:

You’ll go through great suffering if you see meaning in it.

Here is the link to the page about this song.

What Makes Inspirational Songs So Motivating And Inspiring

There is a lot of science behind music. Sometimes the imagery in song lyrics evokes emotions in our minds that lift us up. Music can be so uplifting and motivational when we connect with either the melody or the tones of the singer, or the overall feel of the music.

The magic of inspirational music is that it can offer hope, contain a positive message of encouragement, empowering us to believe in ourselves.

Here is a longer post on what makes music so emotional, and how music triggers emotion.

What Makes Emotional Song Lyrics

Song lyrics must contain imagery that the listener can visualize and see. Instead of saying things literally, songs with great lyrics use similes and metaphors to create imagery. Strong metaphors can help the listener feel for the song’s hero.