i don't feel good about any of my songs. i believe there's something positive in all of them, but they also all have these glaring weaknesses that i can't get over. it's really infuriating. also, i feel so limited by lyrics. they're all so musically safe. i can't stretch out and really experiment when i'm doing songs with lyrics. it's always a few simple chords to set up a simple hook or chorus. boring. bleh. also, the ones that seem to have the most effect on others put me through the ringer. i feel like audiences would only be truly happy to watch me go up there and flay myself open.
p.s. i am not fishing for compliments, so if you like my stuff or want to say something like "i wish i could write" etc, thank you, but i'm actually just looking for advice.
I don't know if this would help, but you've just got to do it differently. Years ago I saw a documentary on David Bowie and he had some bizarre ways of writing songs. For instance, he would cut phrases out of newspapers and books. I mean, all sorts of random phrases. Then he would put them in a paper bag and draw them out. Then he would paste them to a piece of paper. He said he actually used this method to write some songs. He also had a unique way of writing music, he would use phone numbers. If he saw a phone number like 421-2765 (not real, so don't try it) he might pick a key like C. So the 4th of C is F, the 2nd Dm, then C, back to Dm, Bb (flat 7th), Am then G. Now, I just made that phone number up and tried the progression and it wasn't too bad. But he actually did things like this to break habits and routines.
I don't know if that helps, but just throw the rules out and see what happens. :D
I think he wrote Ashes to Ashes using the phrase method. Great song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r44OFO-MNPo
Do you remember a guy thats been
In such an early song
Ive heard a rumour from ground control
Oh no, dont say its true
They got a message from the action man
Im happy, hope youre happy too
Ive loved all Ive needed love
Sordid details following
The shrieking of nothing is killing
Just pictures of jap girls in synthesis and i
Aint got no money and I aint got no hair
But Im hoping to kick but the planet its glowing
Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know major toms a junkie
Strung out in heavens high
Hitting an all-time low
Time and again I tell myself
Ill stay clean tonight
But the little green wheels are following me
Oh no, not again
Im stuck with a valuable friend
Im happy, hope youre happy too
One flash of light but no smoking pistol
I never done good things
I never done bad things
I never did anything out of the blue, woh-o-oh
Want an axe to break the ice
Wanna come down right now
Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know major toms a junkie
Strung out in heavens high
Hitting an all-time low
My mother said to get things done
Youd better not mess with major tom
My mother said to get things done
Youd better not mess with major tom
My mother said to get things done
Youd better not mess with major tom
My mother said to get things done
Youd better not mess with major tom
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
that song is very obviously not written at random. if you know bowie at all, 'ground control to major tom', or his history with heroin, you know that song has meaning.
i've put in a lot of time in the songwriter's forums. they helped me improve my songwriting 'chops', i guess, but i am just in the doldrums about the whole lyrics/music combination, and writing songs that effect listeners in a profound way, while not becoming boring or didactic. i don't know. i seem to get into a funk from time to time about different aspects of my musical life, and i guess i'm in a writing funk these days.
i don't feel good about any of my songs. i believe there's something positive in all of them, but they also all have these glaring weaknesses that i can't get over. it's really infuriating. also, i feel so limited by lyrics. they're all so musically safe. i can't stretch out and really experiment when i'm doing songs with lyrics. it's always a few simple chords to set up a simple hook or chorus. boring. bleh.
Feeling tired and bloated?
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It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.
creativity (inspiration) is around 10%
sweat(putting pen to paper, finger to string) takes up the other 90%
nothing good is supposed to be easy.
you are experiencing normal stages in the process of growth. once you discover the problems the brain begins to work on the solutions.
it is hard, no two ways about it.
What do you have now that you are working on that is stumping you?
I've got three complete songs musically with no lyrics and a couple of lyric sheets with no music.
Dogbite's comment is pretty much on the money...
Some (for me) fall right outta my head. Others...come in pieces with hooks being a helluva thing to come up with. At other times...all's I hear are the hooks and it's the mundane "ride" that's tough to come up with. But keep chipping away at it.
I've suggested upon quite a few occasions to "get a chord cycle book". Okay, now I'm standing on my head, spitting wooden nickles, and typing this with my toes: GET A CHORD CYCLE BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope this helps! It'll DEFINITELY solve most of your enquiry and angst...
Cat
"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"
