keys to good songwriting

deric · 03-05-2014, 09:03 PM

I'm always looking at the best songs for clues. Seems like many of the best are quite vague or not specific in the words. I find myself trying to go into too much detail and trying to make the words conform to a sequence in time as in a real life situation. I think that's a do not do. Look at the song Everybody's Talkin. A great fantastic piece of music but certainly no coherent logical line of thought and or imagery. Unless you want to say it's like subconscious imagery as in the meaning of dream messages. Also Jump into the Fire Nilsson. Another good one but he certainly kept the words disconnected for lack of a better way of putting it.

So I mean trying to get too detailed is a killer. Keep it open, loose and vague- I go by.

I started some words about the pain of endlessly wanting something you can't have. ( After watching The Name of the Rose, Sean Connery) Here's part of it. Throw it back with any additions if you want.

It goes: Have you ever loved a woman? ( I know-Clapton, Bryan Adams, Dr. Hook) Have you ever had a dream? Somethin that you wanted something out of reach. Everydays the same it just goes on and on...

Well crap there goes my theory about no connected train of thought

But I was saying about analyzing songs-In a Youtube video it was saying how Fred Neil wrote Everybodys Talkin. At the end of a long day whoever was running the show said to Neil-who just wanted to go home-one more song idea Fred and you can go home. And that's how Everybody's Talkin was born.

That ended up as the main song for Midnight Cowboy with Harry Nilsson of course but somewhere else it said how that only happened because the song was listened to so much that it grew on those (hint,clue) making the decision and they chose it. Bob Dylan was asked also to write a song for the movie and he wrote Lay Lady Lay. Friggin genius! But then I've read about Dylan where he would go non stop in the studio for 20 hours without a break-no stranger to hard work! I think Thomas Edison said genius is 90% hard work.

Kartoffelbrei · 03-08-2014, 08:23 AM

You have to stop thinking. That's the key.
No looking at other songs
No analyzing, no "what lyrics to use?"
Stop thinking.
Just write what's inside of you.

deric · 03-08-2014, 09:39 AM

I like that!

Musiclover420 · 03-17-2014, 10:37 PM

I like that too, songwriting is certainly a challenge. I find the best song's capture certain emotions and feelings. Poetic imagery also helps, I guess it is different for everyone.

03-05-2014, 09:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
deric Groupie Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 4	keys to good songwriting I'm always looking at the best songs for clues. Seems like many of the best are quite vague or not specific in the words. I find myself trying to go into too much detail and trying to make the words conform to a sequence in time as in a real life situation. I think that's a do not do. Look at the song Everybody's Talkin. A great fantastic piece of music but certainly no coherent logical line of thought and or imagery. Unless you want to say it's like subconscious imagery as in the meaning of dream messages. Also Jump into the Fire Nilsson. Another good one but he certainly kept the words disconnected for lack of a better way of putting it. So I mean trying to get too detailed is a killer. Keep it open, loose and vague- I go by. I started some words about the pain of endlessly wanting something you can't have. ( After watching The Name of the Rose, Sean Connery) Here's part of it. Throw it back with any additions if you want. It goes: Have you ever loved a woman? ( I know-Clapton, Bryan Adams, Dr. Hook) Have you ever had a dream? Somethin that you wanted something out of reach. Everydays the same it just goes on and on... Well crap there goes my theory about no connected train of thought But I was saying about analyzing songs-In a Youtube video it was saying how Fred Neil wrote Everybodys Talkin. At the end of a long day whoever was running the show said to Neil-who just wanted to go home-one more song idea Fred and you can go home. And that's how Everybody's Talkin was born. That ended up as the main song for Midnight Cowboy with Harry Nilsson of course but somewhere else it said how that only happened because the song was listened to so much that it grew on those (hint,clue) making the decision and they chose it. Bob Dylan was asked also to write a song for the movie and he wrote Lay Lady Lay. Friggin genius! But then I've read about Dylan where he would go non stop in the studio for 20 hours without a break-no stranger to hard work! I think Thomas Edison said genius is 90% hard work.

03-08-2014, 08:23 AM	#2 (permalink)
Kartoffelbrei una ola nunca viene sola Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Miesbach, Oberbayern Posts: 150	You have to stop thinking. That's the key. No looking at other songs No analyzing, no "what lyrics to use?" Stop thinking. Just write what's inside of you.

03-08-2014, 09:39 AM	#3 (permalink)
deric Groupie Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 4	I like that!

03-17-2014, 10:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
Musiclover420 Groupie Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Westcoast US Posts: 24	I like that too, songwriting is certainly a challenge. I find the best song's capture certain emotions and feelings. Poetic imagery also helps, I guess it is different for everyone.