Does Total Originality Exist in Songwriting?

Look at the music industry at the moment.

There are genres, sub-genres and sub-sub-genres all trying to find some originality in the music, and while there is interesting stuff coming out at the moment what makes it interesting are the different layers and textures on offer not the sounds themselves.

All I’m trying to point out is that the chances of doing something completely original are very small, but not impossible. If you do come up with something completely original then congratulations to you. But if not, don’t worry.

Always remember that even though a song may not be totally original in its sound it’s uniqueness comes from you and you alone.

You are the originality behind the song not the song itself.

I remember a mate of mine played a song to me once and all of a sudden I was singing another song to it because it sounded similar. He got very upset and was going to throw the song away and abandon it because of that fact.

“I am never going to write a song that is totally me, totally original” he lamented, to which I replied “does it really matter? What matters is that you wrote it not someone else”.

He thought about it and decided to work on it a bit more. I told him he should at least change the key of the song. Only then would he be half way to completing it. Once he changed the key his whole perspective was altered to the point that the song took a whole new life.

It’s amazing to think that the smallest of changes can make a difference.

Once you realise its you that makes your song unique not the song itself then you will finally get off of the ‘It must be totally original’ trip that stops so many writers from writing.

It’s right up there with ‘My songs must be perfect’ and ‘ I wont write until I am ready to write’ as the main arguments that songwriters have with their critical inner voices.

All it does is stops you, the songwriter from doing what you absolutely love to do – writing songs.

Why would you want to stop yourself from writing songs?

You, as an individual, are a one of a kind in this world. With that in mind, would that mean that your songs are also a one of a kind if they are written from your point of view?

The originality you seek exists inside of you.

Think about it…