I agree with you Mav, I just wanted to say that composing without instruments isn't a big deal for people with such an education.
There are differences in making music, in writing and composing.
I guess most people write lyrics because something inspired to write them (on the other side, it could be that you already have a melody and need some lyrics that rhyme badly
).
Composing is something that I believe EVERYONE does in a different way. A person who had a classical education surely knows which chords work together, which don't etc. I, for example, just go by feel since I suck so much in theory :wink:
I know that one of my favourite bands, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, just have jam sessions and everything comes out spontaneously. So, they have loads of different pieces of music at the end of the sessions and they just look what fits together.