Indeed. Excellent points.

It's called "the hook" because that's what it does.... it hooks you. It sinks it's claws in and holds on.

When people on the street are asked to "sing a song" they know, most will head right into the chorus and nail the hook. It's the part that we remember the best because it is catchy and easy to remember.

Normally the hook is found in the chorus but not always. Often, the hook can also be the title, but again, not always.

As Bob pointed out, the hook doesn't have to be in the verbal part of the song. When I say the name of a song.... BAKER STREET for example. If you know that song, the first thing that comes to your mind is that memorable Sax riff. Most people would be very hard pressed to recall even one of the vocal lines of that song but that Sax riff is one that very few people will forget. It's the hook.

Do you want people to remember your song? If so, you need to learn the art and craft of writing a good hook. I've heard a bunch of songs without a memorable hook in them. That's really not the thing you want to be doing when writing. Some times the hooks are hard to create, as Bob mentioned, but in other cases, they just seem to come naturally and so easy.

More than once, I have done what Bob suggests in his post. Start with the title or the hook and flesh out the verses and chorus from there. Working backwards is a good idea at times. Most of the time I do start my songs with the chorus and the hook/title. That seems to be the "easy" way for me. Verses are after the fact, and for me, it's harder to create a good solid series of verse. But that's a topic for another thread.

You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.