Songwriter Confessions #6

As a  songwriter , I’ve always been interested in the way other people write songs. Over the years, my research has turned up some varied methods. Famous people first: John and Paul in their early-fame days would sit opposite each other with acoustic guitars and take turns singing one or two new lines at a time, keeping the best bits. And of course, everyone knows the back-story on Macca’s Yesterday. He had the tune but not the words, so used to wander around singing: Scrambled eggs …think I feel like scrambled eggs… until the lyrics came to him in the back of a London taxi. Who says you can’t be creative in a taxi? Even with your clothes on.

It seems that the better a musician you are, the more likely it is that you’ll get the melody first and then try to find words to fit it. I’ve tried this and it just doesn’t work for me. Maybe it’s because I’m a crap musician and also because I spent years as an ad agency copywriter, so words are my business. However, there is one song I wrote that started with a small riff and a few chords. It’s called the Sins of the Fathers and you’ll find it on the S.O.L.A.R. CD . I got the first two lines with the chords and I did the smart thing. I stopped. Then I sat down and wrote the complete lyric out , before going back to the guitar.

Apart from this song, I always get the idea for the song lyric first, often the title, but sometimes just a catchy phrase: She said: I know that you’re leaving tomorrow…but there’s still time to kill you tonight… Then I work out where these few lines go. Are they the payoff to the chorus? Or the middle of the song after I meet the girl? Where would I meet her? What does she mean by kill you tonight? In this case, I decided to make them the first two lines of the song. I would not explain who the girl was, or how she got there. And this led me to the concept of the song, which was: holding out against temptation for as long as possible, but then giving into it in a really big way. Hey, it works for me!

I’ve always been glad to know that Elton John and Bernie Taupin work exactly the same way. Right from the kick-off, Bernie wrote lyrics independently and then handed them over without comment to Elton. When they were in writing mode for an upcoming album, Elton would be in one room with a piano and Bernie would slip the completed lyrics under the door when they were ready. It’s the best way to work if you’re going to co-write. Otherwise , it’s a constant trade-off and negotiation…why is this word here…shouldn’t it go to a major 7th…this needs a turn-around chord here…how about singing across the beat?…

Havng the completed lyrics in hand, I’ve often found that the tone of the lyrics suggests a rhythm or style of music. And that the lyrics will often show you the structure of the melody. Another secret is not to be afraid of spaces. That French guy whose name escapes me, said: Music is the spaces between the notes. With lyrics it’s often the same.

And-a one…two…three…