Personally I write lyrics and music seperately. Really I start with poems I wrote that don’t necessarily have set rhythm or rhyme, then find a song that matches it a rework the poem to make it into lyrics.
My bro JP writes the music first then puts lyrics to the song, but he is a brilliant lyricist. Really I would suggest just trying out a bunch of things and see what works for you.
Oh, and don’t worry about being too personal, people will relate to what you say as long as your songs are real.
My lyrics suck compared to JP’s so I will give one of his songs as an example:
Over Me
All the fire that she had in her eyes
Burned down the forest that she saw from the skies
She started crying, just to put out the flames
But she had altered this rugged terrain
And the very thing that was once alive
Is the very thing looking for that spark inside
Under the ashes and the cinders still smoldering
I have the time to try and get ahold of me
Hold of me, like I was holding you
Your over me, cause I am over you
x2
At the center of my collapsing light
There is a figment that comes in the night
It leaves me crying and turns me to be
Caught up in all these things as they seem
And the truth of it is not a lie
The truth is I’m ready to live my life
Now I am certain and this hurt is letting go of me
I found the time to try and get ahold of me
(repeat chorus)