How to Write Lyrics: Level 2

Once you've gotten a handle on the basics of writing lyrics, there are some trickier skills to master. If you want your listeners to remember your lyrics, it's not enough to scribble down your feelings and hope for the best. You have to give the audience a phrase they can't forget, you have to perfectly seat your lyrics in the rhythm of the song, and you have to constantly challenge yourself to improve your writing.

THE HOOK

If you want your song stuck in someone's head, you have to slather your song in glue.

This may be the most important facet of songwriting. If you want your song stuck in someone's head, you have to slather your song in glue. By that I mean, you'll pack in a lyrical hook, a melodic hook, an instrumental hook, and a bridge that's basically a different, but no less memorable chorus. That's covered in other posts, so we won't spend time and energy on it here.

When I say lyrical "hook," all I mean is a memorable phrase. Preferably, it should be UNFORGETTABLE. This is quite frequently, but not always, the chorus. It's the first phrase you think of when someone mentions a song to you.

I've noticed that the hook is often an idiom, or a phrase that you'd use in everyday speech. For example, "I won't back down" by Tom Petty in the song of the same name, "Ooh la la" in Grace Potter's "Paris," or "All hell can't stop us now" in Rage Against the Machine's "Guerilla Radio."

The human mind can only hold so much information. A listener can only remember so many lyrics, so it's up to you to craft a phrase/melody/performance/etc. that will let them easily recall your music, and draw them back to it time and time again.

You want your listeners to say (to themselves or others) "ooh, that's catchy," or "that's clever," or even "huh." If you can get them to chuckle or smile, you're got it made.

Sometimes, the hook comes first, and you build the rest of the song around it. Other times, you have to use nonsense words as placeholders, then come back and insert the unforgettable parts. It doesn't matter how you do it, as long as you DO IT.

Looking back to last week's post, I'd suggest writing down any phrases you hear in everyday conversation that seem memorable. When you're ready to write your song, you can pull from the list you've put together.

THE POCKET

This lesson came to me a little late in the game, and it's somewhat difficult for me to explain, but I'll try. Every song has a rhythm, which could come from a drum, a bass, a banjo, an acoustic guitar, a piano, finger snaps... really almost any musical instrument.

Your lyrics should never sound forced. They have to fit perfectly.

Generally speaking, whatever melody you create for a song should work with that rhythm. Beyond that, whatever lyrics you write should fit within that melody without sounding like you FORCED them in.

In the time my band has been playing out, we've been handed dozens of CDs from other musicians. Some of them have had great music, beautiful melodies, catchy hooks, and intriguing lyrical ideas, but the songs felt "off." It almost sounded like some of their phrases were rushed or squeezed.

This may seem small, but it can absolutely ruin a song. It's like when you're watching a movie, and you see the film crew in a mirror behind the actor. It breaks the "magic" of the song.

As an example, think of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." The lyrics are:

twinkle, twinkle, little star
how I wonder what you are

Now imagine the lyrics were altered to the ones below, but be sure to keep the exact same melody and timing:

twinkle, twinkle, my beautiful little star
how I wonder precisely just where you are

It doesn't "fit," right? Something feels off? You have to rush to squeeze everything in, and it just doesn't work. This is the sin a lot of lyricists commit... they're trying to fit too many of their precious lyrics into a given space, which pulls the song out of the "pocket" or "groove." This issue can sometimes can be very difficult to figure out. You have to feel it out and play with it.

This is where editing plays a critical role. Once the melody, rhythm, and basic lyrics have been worked out, you have to go back into your song and find where the lyrics feel out of place. You may have to replace words, add or remove them, or re-write entire sections in order to make sure phrases match.

One of the best tools you have to fix these issues are small words like "a," "oh," "but," "you," "yeah," or "'cus." They can help to seat the lyrics into the melody, and can be used almost anywhere. Example:

twinkle, twinkle little star
how I wonder what you are
up above the world so high
like a diamond in the sky

The "up" before "above" is a bit redundant in terms of meaning. If you say the star is "above the world," and "so high" you really don't NEED to mention that it's "up." However, that little word, "up" puts the melody and the lyrics in the pocket.

Try singing the phrase "up above the world so high" without the "up." You almost make a sound similar to "uh" or "up" if you think about the rhythm when removing the "up." Part of that is your memory of the song, and part of it is the rhythm begging to be matched with a word.

This element of writing isn't limited to Pop/Rock/Country/Metal, etc. When rappers talk about "flow," it has a lot to do with what we're discussing here. The melodic quality of Eminem's or Jay-Z's lyrics (sorry kids, I'm old, I don't know who's good these days) are so impressive because they sound like they were MEANT to be in the pocket that they're in. That's what you're looking for - the audience should never question the placement of your words.

I hope this is making some sense. It would probably be easier for me to communicate this to you in person, but it's much more challenging to translate into text. If you'd like to discuss it further, or if you can think of a better way to communicate it, shoot me a message in the comments or by email.

DIRTY LAUNDRY

In the U.S., there is a common saying (or idiom) that goes, "[don't] air out your dirty laundry in public." It means, don't say anything private in front of people who shouldn't hear it.

You may think your lyrics are obscure or discreet, but your loved ones can see right through you.

When it comes to lyrics, especially confessional lyrics, you may want to be conscious of the fact that other people in your life could be hurt or offended by some of the things you write. You may think you're being obscure or discreet when you're writing, but the people who know and love you can often see through you and your art.

This is a lesson that came to me at some cost, mostly because I was misunderstood, or because someone got into my notebook and read scratch lyrics that hadn't been edited, and weren't ready to be read or heard. If you're taking thoughts out of your head and life and putting them on paper, you are taking a risk that the other people in your life may be affected.

I'm also very conscious of using swear words in my music. It may seem very "metal" to throw a ton of f-bombs into your songs, but it's much less "metal" to have your boss tell you that your company won't be needing your services anymore because your extra-curricular activities don't represent the company's corporate values.

Music is therapeutic, a way for you to channel emotion and feeling. This process can occasionally allow you to go into areas of your mind and life that you haven't previously explored, which is usually a very good thing. Just be careful.

FUEL YOUR WRITING

If you're out of gas, fuel up by getting away from music and getting into something else.

After you've written a number of songs, you may find yourself running out of steam, or gas, energy, or your metaphorical fuel of choice. The best way to replenish this energy is to get away from music for a period of time, however long or short, and go do things. Preferably things you haven't done before. Go visit new places, talk to new people, read different books, listen to new music.

I have no scientific explanation as to why this works, but I have seen it work in myself and others many times. New experiences lead to more and better songs. Don't limit yourself, either. Some of the biggest energy boosts I've gotten have come from reading and watching science fiction, though most of the songs inspired by that stuff don't show it. If you're passionate about something, the overflow of your passion will seep into your writing.

DON'T STOP

Once you've gotten your mind around the many facets of lyric writing, it's easy to get comfortable. DON'T. Challenge yourself. Hone your work. Get feedback from new sources. Go back and study the fundamentals. Otherwise, your lazy attitude will translate into stale lyrics. Writing is a craft, which means it's not like riding a bike... your skills can slip.

We've all heard lyrics from musicians who have been out of the game a long time and are trying to make a comeback... sometimes it's clear they haven't kept up their craft. If you want to constantly improve, you have to work at it.

How to Write Lyrics: The Basics

Note: I decided to write this post after responding to a thread on Reddit/r/weAreTheMusicMakers started by a musician who froze every time he tried to write. So, this is an extension of my comments there. (Hello to any redditors who may be visiting!) Since it is about writing, there may be some crossover with my post on "Building Your Song."

HARDER THAN IT LOOKS

Writing lyrics is a unique skill that needs to be developed independently from your musical abilities. It's the art of saying everyday things in unusual or interesting ways. Perhaps because most lyrics revolve around the ordinary, many people seem to think that anyone could do it, and do it well, on their first attempt.

Writing lyrics isn't as easy as it seems. Hell, it may even take practice.

Years ago, my significant other and one of her friends decided that they wanted to write lyrics for a song they overheard me working on. I was happy to play along. After a long period of brainstorming, writing, and rewriting, they read over what they had... it was horrible. Turns out, writing is not as easy as it seems. Hell, it might even take practice.

It's been my experience that this mindset isn't limited to "civilians." Many musicians treat lyrics as an afterthought... nothing more than meaningless phrases to act as tent-poles for the music. They can be that. However, some lyricists - true artists who take their craft seriously - write lyrics that could change someone's mood, their mind, or their life.

So, how do you do it? Well, I'll give you the basics of how I do it. There are other tips and refinements that we'll talk about in a future post, but let's cover the simplest stuff first. Take what works for you, leave what doesn't, develop your own method.

MINDSET - GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD

The first step to writing lyrics is to realize that at the end of the day, they are just words... marks on a page. They mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. So take some pressure off of yourself. The world will not explode if you try and fail to write good lyrics.

True, the words you write could have an impact on another person someday, but that doesn't matter during this early phase. Words come first, meaning and impact comes later.

Another side of that point is to realize that many artists - some of them quite famous and successful - make shit up, and because of the magic of art and the way people interpret it, it SOUNDS like they're quite deep.

So, you can always choose this method if you get desperate or lazy. Read the lyrics of the songs below (you can Google them so I don't get into any re-printing/copyright issues) before you read the backstories. For example:

Ryan Adams - "Magnolia Mountains" from the "Cold Roses" album. - Read the lyrics? What do you think they mean? Well... On an episode of World Cafe Live, Ryan claimed that he wrote "Magnolia Moutains" about a porn star from the 80's. Did you have any idea that's what it was about?

New Pornographers - "Letter From An Occupant." - What do you think this song is about? Carl Newman said that he just liked the way the phrase sounded, and it fit the melody. The words are totally meaningless.

Gillian Welch - the entire "Harrow & the Harvest" album. Pretty fascinating lyrics, right? Gillian confessed to Terry Gross on NPR's "Fresh Air" that the lyrics were more about mood than literal meaning. So, the words are basically a mish-mash of things that sound cool.

RESPECT THE PROCESS

If you think you should write a hit every time you put pen to paper, you will get frustrated.

You need to realize is that writing lyrics is a process. In most cases, the first draft of your lyrics will not be your last. You start with something, you patch it up here and there, you play it through, you patch again, you play it with a band, you re-write the thing from scratch. That's totally normal. It's only when you think you should write a hit every time you pick up a pen that frustration sets in.

The situations where someone "writes a hit song in 10 minutes" are the exception, not the rule. In many cases, I would guess that such stories are probably exaggerations, publicity moves, or outright lies to make it seem like the song was out in the universe and the artist just pulled it out of thin air, fully formed.

People love inspiring stories like that, probably because it makes them feel like they'll be blessed by the universe some day, but it's not often the reality of things. Writing meaningful, cohesive, impactful lyrics takes work.

MEANING & INTERPRETATION

Lyrics are an art form. There are many styles, and many techniques for crafting them. It's important to remember, as with any art, that people will interpret your lyrics how THEY want to interpret them, and there's nothing you can do about it aside from spelling out, "THIS SONG IS ABOUT MY GIRLFRIEND. SHE'S PRETTY AND I LOVE HER."

It can be quite painful to hear what people think your songs are about.

That's certainly a route you can take, but if you don't want to be QUITE that literal, you will have to come to terms with the fact that once you put your work "out there," it is no longer just yours. It is now part of other people's worlds, and theirs to interpret. Believe me, it can be quite painful to hear what people think your songs are about. That's just an inescapable part of the world lyricists live in.

The world loves to imagine who Taylor Swift is writing about. They break down every phrase, assuming that each one refers to a specific person or literal event...

...However, it could be that she's writing to every man she's ever met. Or about her poodle. Or that she's creating a story from scratch. Or that a team of writers are crafting the perfect song for Taylor's audience based on market research. You'll never know, but as a consumer/listener, it's your privilege to interpret how you wish.

It's very strange... several of the songs that I've written about events that NEVER HAPPENED are the ones that seem to have the deepest connection with people. They often assume that I went through this painful experience to come up with the song... to the point of asking if I'm okay. I'm fine, I just made stuff up.

On the other hand, some of the songs that I poured my heart, pain, soul, and real life into are the ones that people think are meaningless or made up. Oh well. All you can do is create. The world's job is to interpret and critique.

STYLE

In my mind, there's several different stylistic categories lyrics fall into. None of them are "better" than another. They all have their place.

You don't necessarily have to decide what category your song is going to be when you're writing, but it can be helpful to have a general idea where you want to head. Once you reach the editing phase, you'll definitely want to decide which genre you're working with. The categories I came up with are:

Confessional - Whether or not the events/feelings in the song are literally true, it FEELS like they're true. If you're writing this type, it's quite possible you're holding an acoustic guitar or playing a white piano. (Dashboard Confessional - "Screaming Infidelities", Jason Isbell - "Elephant")

Abstract/Stream of consciousness - Random disconnected thoughts, basically a dream sequence. Metal and Prog love this category. (Queen - "Bohemian Rhapsody", Radiohead - "Sit Down, Stand Up")

Story - There are characters who meet and conflict or come together, and they have an ending, whether it's happy or sad. (Taylor Swift - "Mine", Harry Chapin - "Cat's in the Cradle")

Novelty - The artist and the listener know the song is silly, but fun. (Presidents of the United States of America - "Peaches", Flight of the Conchords - "Business Time")

Literal - What you say is what you mean. Contemporary Country and some branches of Hip-Hop are big on this one. (Zac Brown Band - "Toes", Jeremih - "Birthday Sex")

Feeling/Vibe - This is more about the general emotions you experienced relative to a time or place or person. It's broad, but still meaningful. Metal and Alt-Rock like this kind of thing. (Evanescence - "Going Under", Foo Fighters - "The Pretender")

VOICE

This part isn't complicated. Choose a "voice" and stick with it throughout the song. There's plenty of reading you can do about this online if you'd like to look into it further.

Choose a voice and a rhyme scheme, and stick to them.

First person: "I, we"
"I fell in love the first time I saw her"

Second person: "You, your, yours"
"You never said you belonged to someone else"

Third person: "She, he, it"
"She hit me and then it hit me that she was in love"

RHYME SCHEME

A rhyme scheme is a way to keep your rhymes consistent. If you deviate from it, your song will sound unfinished or weird. Some artists like to play with that convention by setting up an expectation and then leaving the listener hanging, but you should learn the rule before you break it.

There is no "correct" rhyme scheme to use, as long as you use one and stick to it. The first phrase sets up your scheme. We refer to each line with letters to help map things out.

"A" is the first phrase. Every phrase that rhymes with it is also "A." "B" is the first phrase that doesn't rhyme with "A." Every phrase that rhymes with "B" is also "B." Same with "C" and so on. For example:

A/A/B scheme:
I never felt so powerless (A)
Compared to this (A)
While sitting next to you (B)

A/B/A scheme:
Too tired to run (A)
Too tired to stand here and fight (B)
So I'll say you've won (A)
If it means you'll quit for tonight (B)

A/B/C scheme:
We watched Rick and Ilsa (A)
Fall in love (B)
At our favorite place (C)

There's any number of combinations or variations. Again, no right answer. Just pick one and stick to it. When I'm writing, I often put the letters in parentheses at the end of every line to be sure that I'm holding to my scheme.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

NOTES

The best way to start any song is to use a notebook or notebook app (Google Docs, Evernote). When you're walking around the mall, watching TV, having a conversation, whatever, and you have an idea, WRITE IT DOWN.

Do NOT assume that you will remember your idea. You WON'T. Inspiration comes at the most inconvenient times, so you have to be ready for it. "The dullest pencil is better than the sharpest mind."

If you're not feeling inspired when you're ready to sit down and write, just go to your notes and pick something. Think of random words that associate with that phrase. If you can't think of anything that ties in, just make up nonsense words. You can always go back later and add in words that have meaning.

Many, if not all, lyricists do this. Here's a few examples of demos/lyrics that started out rough, but were eventually refined into hit songs.

ARCHIVES

Another "tool" or best practice to use is to KEEP EVERYTHING. I can't tell you how many times I've cannibalized an old song to improve a new one. This is especially helpful if you tend to write about the same things or themes.

One particular bridge I wrote years ago went through half a dozen iterations and melodies before it finally made it into a finished song. You never know, so make sure you keep your stuff.

RHYME DICTIONARIES

The other tool that will come in very handy is a rhyme dictionary. In the old days, you actually had to pay for one of these, but in our modern age, the internet is riddled with them. Just open the site of your choice, type in the word you're playing with, and you'll be handed a large number of options that will help you generate ideas.

WRITE FIRST, EDIT LATER

"The first draft of anything is shit." - Kurt Vonnegut

WRITE

When you write, write. Do NOT edit. This is where a lot of people go wrong and freeze up. You are literally word-vomiting on the page. It's not going to be good. So what? The creative portion of your brain and the editing portion, though closely related to each other, are enemies, and should rarely be allowed to share the same space.

The writing portion of your brain and the editing portion of your brain are enemies. Don't let them share the same space.

So, you invite the writer in you to take control. There's no judgment here. You pour out nonsense, good stuff, bad stuff, and everything in between. Just let it flow.

Again, you may even use placeholder words during this phase. I have a couple of go-to phrases that end up being the bedrock for almost every song sketch. They're only there to get the song structure in place, then I come back and replace them with the real thing when I'm ready to edit.

EDIT

When it's time to edit, you're doing cleanup work. Does the song make sense? Can your 11-year-old sister read it and know what you're talking about? Are you using cliches? ("we almost had it all, you always catch me when I fall" -- Try to avoid using the word "fall" it all possible.) Did you maintain a rhyme scheme and a consistent voice?

One good editing trick (I can't remember where I heard this) is to pull out each line one at a time, and see if the song still makes sense. This is called "economy" or being concise. You want to say what you have to say with as few words as possible. That's a skill that comes with time.

It may help to have someone else look at your work and get their feedback on what can stay and what can go. You may be too close or too attached to think objectively about what's working.

Editing is an important skill, but like I keep saying, it is a skill, and takes practice. Don't be precious about your work. Be aggressive. Trim as much fat as possible. Whenever possible though, keep drafts. In Evernote and Google Docs, I have SONG 1 - REVISION 1, SONG 1 - REVISION 2, and so on. You may cut something out and realize later that you want it back. Make sure you have it stored somewhere just in case.

I'M STILL STUCK

If you've done all the prep work of coming up with an idea, a voice, a style, and you don't have much to work with, or it feels like it could be better but you don't know how or why, there are a couple of ways to grease your creative engine.

EXAGGERATE

Few songwriters have ever written about an amicable breakup where the two people stayed friends.

Sometimes, the best way to communicate with lyrics is to take a normal situation or story, and "push" the details a little bit. Audiences love drama, but they also love being able to guess at what's going on in your lyrics. Some lyricists prefer to be obscure and use a lot of subtlety, but most of us have to make things a little clearer or more interesting by adding some "flavor."

For example, let's say you had a breakup, and you decide to write a song about it. Few songwriters have ever written about an amicable breakup where the two people stay friends. That's not very interesting.

Breakup songs are about drama, so even if you managed to keep things civil with your ex in real life, when it comes to your song, there should probably be some holes in the wall from your fist (Dashboard Confessional), initials keyed into the person's car (Carrie Underwood), or drunken phone calls at 1am (Lady Antebellum).

DO THE OPPOSITE THING

Another way to add more interest to a song is to take a real-life situation and play the "alternate universe" game. What would have happened if instead of working a dead-end job for years, you quit, traveled across the country, and started a family in each state? What zany antics would ensue? If you went left, go right, if you turned around, stay the course. Songs are playgrounds, so have fun.

CHOOSE A WINNER

If there's drama or conflict, someone has to win, whether it's the narrator/hero, the opponent, or a third party. Figuring this out can help guide the theme of your song. It may even SEEM like someone's winning or losing, but then the tables turn. Tricky to do in the average 3-4 minute song, but writers do it all the time.

Take "Put a Ring on it" by Beyonce as an example. The first verse describes a breakup where it's unclear who left whom. But when we hit the chorus, the narrator makes it clear that she's not playing the victim by essentially saying, "If you didn't want to see me with other guys, you should have committed."

You have to put in the work.

PRACTICE

Like any skill, art, or craft, you have to put in the time and work. One of the simplest warm-up exercises I use is to look around the room, find an object, literally any object, and write a song about it. I see a plant that's teetering on death's door. Okay. I could write something obvious like:

You're green
You're tall
You leave me every fall (Hah! Get it? "Leave" me?)

No real insight, nothing interesting (aside from a fantastic pun), and if I kept that going, it'd probably be painfully clear that I'm talking to a fern. That's no fun. However, if I soften the edges a little bit, we could go with:

long arms shining in the sun
a country girl
who grew up in the dirt

I gave her everything
I thought she needed
but she only gave me hurt

I see her lying there
slowly giving up the ghost
does my love have any worth

It's not going to win any Grammys, but if I didn't tell you that was about a houseplant, you'd probably never guess. You can literally write a song about ANYTHING. All you have to do is study the thing/person/experience. Break it down. Tear it apart. Put it back together. Write nonsense, then shape the meaning as you edit and refine.

Take any situation or object and put it into relationship terms. Country writers use this convention all the time.

Example 1: You don't own a truck, you loved that truck for years. You went through the mud together. (This is a metaphor.) It was your best friend, more loyal than any woman, and when it died, it left a hole in your heart that can never be filled.

Example 2: You don't just have a favorite baseball bat, you have a maple good luck charm that brought you fame and fortune, and got the attention of the girl of your dreams. As you sit there in a wooden rocking chair, holding a glass of maple bourbon, you think back to that day when you and your friend hit the game-winning homerun, which took you to places you never imagined.

Do this exercise as often as possible. A song a day 6/7 days of the week would be a good place to start. If you're just starting out, your work is probably going to suck, and suck hard, for a good long while. Even if you have some experience, most of your work is going to be throwaway. I've got several books and probably more than a hundred Google Docs and Evernotes full of unused lyrics. No one starts out at the top of their game. You have to practice the fundamentals before you can play in the big leagues.

But, if you keep at it, you will improve. It won't always feel that way. Which is another reason why you should never ever throw out your old work. Keep it close by, and go read it every now and then to see how you've improved or changed.

I'd also recommend reading lyrics of songs you like instead of just listening to them. See how the pro's do it. Lyrics feel very different on the page when they're separated from their music.

ANYONE CAN DO IT (WITH PRACTICE & TIME)

Some lyricists are born, but most are made through years of failure and challenging practice. Work at it. Suck. Try again. Go back and look at your old stuff. You'll see growth, I promise. Never stop studying and practicing. All the best.

Follow-up to Building Your Song

THANKS

I had a plan for what I wanted to post this week, but I am going to put that aside for the moment and address some issues raised by last week's post, which, thanks in large part to some Redditors over at /r/WeAreTheMusicMakers and /r/Guitar, EXPLODED. I deeply appreciate anyone who read the post, let alone commented, cross-posted, retweeted, or otherwise shared it. I can't tell you how great it feels to know that someone was able to benefit from my experiences. Thank you.

Because I'm responding to some of the topics from last week, what follows may not be the most structured post. Apologies.

GENRE

I should have specifically mentioned in the article, and perhaps on the Work the MIC website in general, that the things I have to say about music are aimed at musicians who are interested in writing songs for the "mainstream." By that I mean "commercially viable" Rock, Alternative, Indie, Singer-Songwriter, Country, Pop, Folk, Metal, and even Rap, that kind of thing. So, some of the things I said and will say about structure, checklists, and hooks will not apply if you're doing, say, house music, improvisational Reggae, or experimental Acid-Rock.

VERSE/CHORUS

Some people complained about the "tired" verse/chorus structure. Look, every song has parts. Call them "A," "B," and "C," or "verse/prechorus/chorus/bridge," the names don't matter. The point is that you do not want to play one note or repeat the same 4 bars over and over for 3-4 minutes. People like change in their music, but not too much change.

You shouldn't feel limited by this structure. Remember that the Wright Brothers' Flyer and the Space Shuttle both have an engine, wings, and landing gear, but one traveled a few feet, and the other makes regular milk runs to space. There's lots of room to play within the verse/chorus structure. It's been around for a LONG time, and it's not likely to go anywhere anytime soon. I didn't make these guidelines, I just study and practice them.

A couple of commenters complained that "so and so" famous artist put out hit songs that didn't observe the traditional structure. My response to that is that:

A) In almost all of these cases, and certainly in the examples mentioned, the artist was already famous, or at least had an audience. When you are comfortable with the size of your audience, you can write whatever you want.

B) These examples are so few as to be irrelevant to this conversation. As with any art form, learn the rules before you break them.

DON'T TAKE IT PERSONAL

Quantity breeds quality.

Some people resonated with my method of brainstorming multiple songs in a single session, while others thought it was ridiculous. Someone even said, "that's a good way to write crap." You can write as little or as much as you want, but my point is this: don't get emotionally attached to your work, especially too early on. If you've seen any behind-the-scenes documentary about a band going into the studio, you will invariably see that they went in with something like 14, 16, or 20 songs, and came out with 10. That's just the way it works - quantity breeds quality.

Imagine that a major record label down in Nashville hires you to be an in-house songwriter/producer. They're bringing in their latest Pop starlet for a writing session tomorrow at 2pm, and they want you to bring your best ideas to pitch to her and her team for a new single. You will be 1 of 4 other writers in the room all vying to get that 1 track recorded. Are you only going to show up to that meeting with 1 song idea? If the starlet rejects your idea, then what? Are you going to scream "but I worked really hard on it!" then stomp out of the room, go hide in a closet, and quietly sob? OR, are you going to say "no problem, here's my next idea. What do you think?"

I treat my band writing sessions as if they were that kind of record-label pitch meeting. I show up with 2 or 3 ideas that I've put some decent time into. If 1 is rejected, or needs work, we have other things to try out. We have our eggs in many different baskets. (Don't get me wrong, I still cry in a closet if my ideas are rejected.) If the song goes in a different direction than I imagined, then so be it. There's no harm in trying something new. We can always circle back to the original idea if it doesn't work out.

ARE WE ARTISTS OR ARTISANS?

To be a good songwriter, you have to put some blood on your guitar strings.

Judging from a few of the comment threads I saw, some people seem to think the song should just fall out of your brain fully-formed and ready to be turned into a gold record, as if anyone can write a great song anytime they wish. I disagree. Real songwriting is craft. It is hard work. It is learning, trying, failing, and trying again. It is taking a huge slab of marble, and hammering and chiseling away for days and weeks to reveal the beautiful statue hidden inside.

You have to have vision, inspiration, and skill, but more importantly, you have to have persistence. You aren't going to pick up a notepad and a guitar for the first time and wow the pants off of everyone within range of your voice. If you want to write, you have to put some blood on your paper and your guitar strings.

If you do this right, you will get tired of it. You will get frustrated. You will get so angry that you'll want to push a piano off of a rooftop. When that time comes, I suggest taking a short break. If you're not drained as a result of the work you put into your music, then you're not putting enough work into your music. If you get up on stage and play something you just threw together, it will show. If you don't believe me, ask Ernest Hemingway, who said, "the first draft of anything is shit."

Rodin worked on "The Gates of Hell" for 37 years. Does that inspire you, or tire you?

I recently went to the Rodin museum in Philadelphia. Rodin is famous for his statue "The Thinker," which I discovered was actually part of Rodin's larger masterpiece, called "The Gates of Hell." It's a set of doors that includes several scenes from Dante's "Inferno," and is an unbelievably impressive piece of art. I was stunned to learn that Rodin worked on this single piece for THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS. Does that inspire you, or do you just feel tired thinking about that? Tell me again, how much time have you put into your songs?

LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE

In an ideal situation, there would be a song-editor to keep every songwriter in check. Authors, journalists, and filmmakers have editors. Why don't we? We do have Producers, but those of you who are recording at home don't typically have access to them, and even if you do, they usually don't come along until very late in the process.

In the mean time then, someone has to take the raw materials created by the original artist and find a way to translate it into a clear and cohesive story, told in the most entertaining way possible. Unless you have a Producer, we have to come up with other methods to trim the fat, which is why I suggested getting feedback from songwriting circles, pros, and friends, etc. in last week's article.

Broad-appeal songwriting is sort of like writing for Twitter in that you are forced to be as lean as possible. You can still say a lot with 140 characters, and the same goes for a 3-minute Rock song. But, you have to cut ALL the fat. When it comes to trimming, my co-writer likes to remind me of a tip he heard from [a famous musician whose name escapes me now]: "Take your finished song, and chop out every other line. Does it still make sense afterward?"

Do you really need a 1:45 intro? Do you absolutely have to have a 1:30 solo that just repeats the same part over and over? Always leave the audience wanting more. Give them an action-packed trailer instead of the movie, the deleted scenes, the cast interviews, and behind-the-scenes documentaries. I just went to see a Rock show last week, and the band (who are fairly well-known) spent a large portion of almost EVERY song just repeating the same 2-bar instrumental part over and over while the singer traipsed around the stage. That's not jamming... that's padding your set.

SUMMARY or, for Redditors: TL;DR

If you want to be an effective songwriter, you have to put in serious time and practice. You will not improve as a songwriter with a Playstation controller in your hand. You have to learn how to cut the fat, and more often than not, you gotta cut deep. Get someone to give you good feedback on what they think could be cut. Don't take cuts personally. As many famous authors have said, you have to "kill your darlings."

5 Steps to Building Your Song

There are as many different songwriting methods in the world as there are chicken dishes at your average Chinese buffet. It doesn't matter if you prefer General Tso's chicken, chicken on a stick, or black pepper chicken, you're going to reach the ultimate goal of stuffing yourself 'til you're sick no matter what.

Now, if I had marketing savvy, I would probably label this as "5 guaranteed steps to write a hit song!" but that's ridiculous. There is no formula, no matter what anyone tells you. As with Chinese chicken, don't limit yourself to one set of rules or one method when it comes to songwriting. Pick your chicken... I mean method. Pull from here and there. Find what works for you. Just get writing. Here's what works for me.

I think of songwriting in terms of building a (very simple) house:
Step 1: gather the materials, let's say it's lumber
Step 2: build the frame
Step 3: take care of the internal stuff: pipes, wires, furniture, whatever
Step 4: get it inspected
Step 5: live in it

STEP 1: GET THE LUMBER

QUANTITY THEN QUALITY

Songwriting, like any other skill, demands practice. Lots of it. If you only write 2 songs a year, you're going to get very tied to your precious little gems of creative expression. You won't want to change the parts that aren't working. You'll worry so much about making it perfect that you'll never actually finish it. You won't be very open to feedback, because you've invested so much time in it. You may spend 6 months or a year polishing a turd. To hell with that.

When I'm in songwriting mode, I might bang out 2 or 3 in a sitting. Not 2 or 3 per month. Not 2 or 3 a week. A sitting. At this stage, you are Paul Bunyan, chopping down trees indiscriminately, and piling the lumber high on your big blue ox. You're not worried about the walls of your home yet, and no one's giving a single thought to the light fixtures or the kitchen sink. You want rough sketches of music and lyrics, not finished masterpieces.

DON'T YOU DARE EDIT (YET)

Like I said, this phase is about the RAW materials. Don't worry about a little issue here or there. That chord at the end of the first verse sounds weird? Circle it, and come back to it later. Stay in the big picture. Let it all out. Editing at this phase will kill the creativity, and we don't want that. There is no judgment in brainstorming! Come up with a chorus and two verses, then move on to another song. Don't sweat the lyrics, don't freak out about where the organ solo is going to go.

SAVE THE BRIDGE FOR LATER

I almost never write my bridge during the lumber phase. I intentionally save that for another day. I want there to be enough space between me and the song that I can come back with fresh ears and make the bridge a wholly separate part. I've noticed that when I've written bridges the same day as the other sections, it ends up being too similar to the verse or chorus.

WRITE IT DOWN

It is greedy to assume the universe will send you a gift a second time.

Some people like to just fiddle around with chords or lyrics for a few minutes, and just see if it goes anywhere. Then they go about their day without writing down their idea. Then, surprise! They can't remember what their idea was. Or, they wake up in the middle of the night and think "ooh, I just dreamed the perfect melody!" and then they roll over and go back to sleep, without humming the melody into their phone's voice recorder app. The next morning... no more idea.

That is foolish. Brains aren't too good at the whole remembering thing. Remember that "the dullest pencil is better than the sharpest mind." If you get a creative idea, it is a gift from the universe, and it is greedy to assume that the universe will send you these gifts a second time. When fate hands you a present, appreciate it. Put it somewhere safe so that you can get back to it later. You can determine if the universe gave you gold or a pile of donkey crap tomorrow.

STEP 2: BUILD THE FRAME

EDIT THE CRAP OUT OF IT

Yesterday, you wrote two verses and a chorus. Today, it's time for you to go back and and play through what you have. Inspect your logs. Which ones are rotten? What logs are perfect right from the get-go? What logs are in pretty good shape, but might need some more chopping, or shaving, or whatever it is lumberjacks do? These logs are the supports for your home - you have to be brutal. Re-write the entire verse if something's the least bit out of whack. If a lyric feels rushed, deal with it now. Don't wait.

Think of the bridge as, "Oh you liked the chorus? Well, you're gonna LOVE this!

If everything is working, come up with a bridge. Try to make it a wholly unique part that could stand on its own. It should have its own hook. It is not just a pause to get back to the chorus. Think of the bridge as, "Oh, you liked the chorus? Well, you're gonna LOVE this!"

SAVE EVERYTHING

If the song just isn't working, see if there's any parts worth saving. Put them somewhere safe. Then shelve the song and move on. Don't trash it. You may decide that it's worth revisiting a few years later.

I had a song that wasn't working in 2007. We recorded it (at great expense, mind you), and the producer just wasn't feeling it. I shelved it, and we replaced it on the album with another song. The band and I revisited it circa 2009. Still wouldn't come together. Oh well. Back on the shelf. Skip ahead to 2012. The band (now with different members) and I were tinkering with stuff, and for some reason I pulled out that old non-working song. It immediately clicked. It went on our new album, and it got decent radio play. You just never know.

PLAY IT THROUGH (THE WHOLE WAY)

In terms of the song's overall arrangement or flow, the best way to see if it's working or sucking is to play the song all the way through. Is there a smooth, natural transition from the intro to the verse to the chorus to the second verse to the bridge to the outro? Or are there awkward moments where you can't quite get to the next section without stuttering? Play through from start to finish as many times as you possibly can.

STEP 3: THE PIPES AND THE WIRES

CHECK YOUR SECTIONS

Do you have a(n):

• intro
• verse
• chorus
• bridge
• outro
• lyrical hook
• melodic hook
• instrumental hook
• bonus options:
• prechorus
• post-chorus

This is a checklist of essentials for any song. If something is missing, go back and add it. You might think that having all of these parts is formulaic. Well, every house has a foundation, walls, a roof, and a way to get air and people in. That being said, there's a million different ways to construct a house, and those same fundamental components make up everything from a hermit's mountaintop shack to the palace at Versailles.

RECORD IT AND PLAY IT BACK

Make a rough recording however you can. Use your phone or a digital recorder. Hell, use an 8-track Tascam for all I care. Just get it out of you, and onto something else. Play it back. What does it sound like? Does it sound like a real song? Is there something that sounded great in your head, but sounds like crap on the recording?

STEP 4: GET IT INSPECTED

If you've done the necessary work of writing the song's various parts, editing it, re-writing, re-working, checking the structure, adding in the missing components, then you'll probably start to get a bit bleary-eyed. You will also start to develop emotional attachments to various chords, phrases, or sections, etc. You're no longer impartial. So, it's time to get your home/song inspected by a professional to make sure everything is intact.

Whether you play this song for a friend or a professional is up to you. But, you need to get it heard by someone else. Someone who can give you clear, objective, honest feedback. Write down what they tell you. If you decide to integrate some of their feedback into your writing, don't trash or write over the old version. Start a new Word document. Get out a clean piece of paper. You want options to fall back on later when you're more objective.

STEP 5: LIVE IN IT

This step is the simplest. Once you've written the parts, hacked them out and replaced them with better ones, fine-tuned the best stuff, and played it for someone that you trust, you now need to get out there and play it for the world. You need to go to open mics, or songwriters' circles, and play it live. Lots.

Do NOT get up on stage and say "I just wrote this song this afternoon"

Do people pay attention when you play? Do they mentally check out? Do they pay attention for the intro then start talking to their neighbor when you hit the verse? Does anyone compliment the song when you come off stage? If they comment on it, do they sound genuine, or are they just being kind?

In order to be able to read the audience like this, you need to know the song well enough to do it from memory. Do NOT get up there on stage and say "I just wrote this song this afternoon." You need to know that song cold. No sheet music. No crutches. You burn that song into your brain and hands until your muscles and voice could play it without your help. Say nothing about when you wrote it. You don't want to give yourself or your audience any reason to forgive the song's flaws. Either it works, or it doesn't.

The key to this phase is repetition. You should never make an expensive recording of a song before you've played it live a number of times, if you can possibly avoid it. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, will test the quality of a song like playing it live.

SERVE THE SONG

You have to remember that songwriting is about WRITING THE BEST SONG POSSIBLE. It's about serving the song. It is not about serving your ego. It is not about showing off. It is about making a song that will stick in people's heads so that they will want to hear it again. The ultimate test of the song is what I call the hum test. You play a song for your friend. When you're done playing, go and do something else for 20-30 minutes. Play ping pong, or do the dishes, eat a burrito, I don't know.

Then, without warning or preparation, stop in the middle of whatever you're doing. Point at your friend, as if to accuse them of something. Ask them to hum the song back to you. Can they? Ask them if they remember any lyrics. Any part of the melody or lyrics will do. If they can't remember ANYTHING, if they can't even get close... you've got a lot of work to do. BUT, if they've got something, anything from what you've played them... you've got something to build on.

Be a Mensch

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Follow-up

This article generated a lot of discussion, so I wrote a companion article to respond to some of the issues it raised.

Your Mom Loves Your Music... Should You Give a Flying Crap?

Last week, we talked about getting feedback on your songs from a professional. Now, let's talk about getting feedback from "unprofessionals"... your family and friends.

There's an understandable tendency (particularly among younger/newer musicians) to want to go to those closest to you and ask them what they think of your music. I think that's a dangerous proposition, after all...

...WHAT THE HELL DOES YOUR MOM KNOW ABOUT MUSIC?

I don't know what music your parents listen to. Maybe they have great taste in music, or... maybe they're like many people over a certain age who get stuck in musical ruts and can't stand any of this "new-fangled dance shenanigans the kids are listening to these days." That kind of sentiment isn't limited to parents who grew up in a certain decade.

They all feel like that, no matter what their kids listen to. My grandmother was a rebel for listening to Swing. My parents were rebels for listening to Elvis. I was a rebel for listening to Nirvana. Parents these days are freaking out about Miley Cyrus or whoever. This dynamic isn't likely to change anytime soon. Don't believe me? Here's the science to prove it: How Our Taste in Music Changes Over a Lifetime

When I was starting out as a musician, my parents were listening to a classical music "best of" compilation albums, church hymns, and African children's choirs. So, their musical framework wasn't particularly helpful in guiding my attempts to merge the Gin Blossoms, Alison Krauss, and Ryan Adams. Their response to my music was, "why can't you sing about something happy?" ...even if the song was about something happy.

...GOOD TASTE DOESN'T EQUAL HELPFUL ADVICE

But hey, maybe the music gods bestowed you with cool parents (or brothers, sisters, friends, etc.) who listen to new stuff all the time. They know who's been rolled off the Disney, American Idol, Nashville, or X-Factor conveyor belt this week, or they listen to the "new" station on Pandora or Spotify. Maybe they keep a close eye on musical blogs and new release Tuesday.

Does that mean they can articulate differences in song structures? Can they express their feelings regarding a particular melodic choice, a mix, or an instrumental tone? Do they know what a rhythmic pocket is? ...How to chop frequencies to seat a voice in a crowded mix? ...About intros, outros, channels, and bridges?

I know lots of people who have GREAT taste in music. They put me to shame with their awareness of who's hot or a has-been, and can tell me who's going to explode this time next year. Some of these people are even hobbyist musicians. However, that doesn't mean they can articulate what they like or don't like, about what's working or isn't in a given song.

It's been my experience that they often interpret my songs in terms of what they know: "It sounds like ______ artist combined with ______ artist. I like it!" or "I don't know, I'm not feeling it... it's a little ...I don't know..." This kind of information is not particularly helpful.

On occasion, I've noticed that because these people have really strong preferences for what they like and don't like, they might (unknowingly) try to skew me in a strange direction. "Have you listened to ______ dance pop band? It might help you make your songs more dance-able." All fine and good... if you want to make dance songs. Not so much if you're an acoustic singer-songwriter.

...EMOTIONS CAN BLIND THE SMARTEST PEOPLE

Your cousin may be a plaid-shirted, bowtie-wearing ultra-hipster who has a diverse library of music, and is on top of every new release. They may be able to perfectly articulate their feelings on A A B C A structures as opposed to A B A B C B. However, they may look at you, their precious little cousin clutching her sweet little guitar, her puppy dog eyes as wide as they can be, head bursting with dreams of stardom, and they may not be able to find that delicate balance of objectivity and frankness. They may say, "hey that sounds really good" and send you on your way so they can protect their poor widdle cousin's feelings.

Or maybe your cousin is really good at giving concise, honest, informed, objective feedback. But maybe when they do, YOU remember how they used to throw rocks at your head when you were little, and you begin to let that experience color their advice. "I think you need to separate the chorus from the bridge," they tell you. "And try bringing the tempo down by 2 or 3 bpm to let the melody feel more natural." Great advice. But to you, these are just more rocks flying at your head. And the next thing you know, you're seeing red, and getting carted off to jail for assaulting your cousin with the shards of a shattered Takamine.

SO NOW WHAT?

If you want feedback on your songs, try to find someone who doesn't have a stake in your personal life. Like, seriously, none. They don't know you, they don't date your sister. They don't mow your lawn. Someone who has good taste. Someone who can be clear and honest, and won't protect your feelings. Someone who knows something about how to play and write music, not just listen to it. Someone who knows your style, and what you're going for. If at all possible, it would be nice if these people play or have played music for people, and people like it.

You're not the first musician in your genre... these people are out there. Look on forums, go to open mics, go to smaller shows and introduce yourself to the band, talk to your musician friends who might know people higher up the music food chain. When you take their advice, put it through your filter. Only you can decide if their advice is worth taking.

Stop and think before you play your songs for your family and friends.

DON'T FORGET THE BIG PICTURE

Each step of your musical career, no matter how insignificant, warrants thought and preparation. Stop and think before you play your songs for your family and friends. If and when they give you feedback, consider if you want to take it at face value.

Beyond that, think about ways you can get good, clean feedback from someone who knows what they're talking about. Plan your route, watch your steps, and keep an eye on your surroundings. It's a difficult balance, and there's plenty of musicians who can do one of those things, but not the others. The good ones do all three.

THE WORLD NEEDS YOU. I NEED YOU.

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Feedback from the Pros Ain't Always Pro Feedback

I GET GIDDY

A few of the most exciting experiences I've had in my musical life involved getting my songs into the eyes and ears of some pretty famous musicians/industry people. When I say "exciting," I mean that these moments are the closest I've ever come to being downright giddy. Keep in mind that "giddy" is not a word that I, or anyone who knows me, would use to describe my highly-introverted personality, so understand that this giddiness is a big deal.

These were hands shaking, voice cracking, sweaty pits-type moments. I'm across from this person, this legend/hero, and they're about to tell me what they think about MY SONG. In each case, my thoughts were relentlessly going back and forth between "What if they like it?" and "Oh my god, what if they hate it?!" "But what if they LIKE it?"

These situations are distant relatives to those times when you play your song for a significant other, family member, or friend, except that instead of hearing "are these lyrics about ME?!" or "why can't you write something happy?" these famous people, no... these STARS, with their connections, knowledge, and experience could give you that one comment or criticism that changes EVERYTHING.

LET ME DOWN EASY... OR, YOU KNOW, DON'T

If you're a fan of sports metaphors, (and who isn't?!) then this is the turning point when the kid who's never played foosball in his life gets pulled into the game with 2 seconds on the clock to throw the grand slam that will determine if the team makes the semi-regional-quarterfinal-bowl. The crowd is hushed. The clock starts ticking. The kid takes a deep breath, and swings the ball, and against all odds SCORES the wicket or whatever, and then the crowd... quietly gathers their belongings and heads for the nearest exit at a reasonable and orderly pace.

There was no 'oh my god' eureka experience.

That's what it was like for me anyway. There was no "oh my god, this is pure gold!" eureka-type experience. Nor was there a "get out of here, kid, you're a hack" public shaming. In almost every case, it was more like a "yup." For example, the moment I was most excited about was when I got a response from a member of one of the bands that inspired me to become a musician. He had heard approximately ten demos of mine. His feedback? Something akin to:

"Good structure. Good songs."
"Anything we should change?" I asked.
"Nope. Good stuff."

That's it. Wait, seriously? That's it?! The hard work, time, money, and sacrifice of writing and re-writing 10 songs got me 4-5 non-committal words from a personal hero. Of course, that's just one experience, right? Nope. There were others. I hired a well-known and respected producer to work with another batch of songs. I paid him a lot of money. He heard 12 demos. His response? Pretty similar to the above. Actually, all four of the situations I have in mind went almost the exact same way. Coincidence? Not likely.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?

It's my theory that these responses are not the ones that these people WANTED to give, but rather the ones they have trained themselves to give after going through what must be hundreds of situations in which someone handed them a demo and asked if they would check it out. (For reference, see the interaction between Jonah Hill and Russell Brand in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall.")

In each case, the famous person must know that the demo-hander is hoping that any or all of their songs will cause the famous person to uncontrollably shout, "oh my god, we've discovered the next big thing" and then ask them to hop on back of their gold-plated rocket to fortune and fame.

Music is personal. You tie emotions into it, even if it's something you didn't write. I can't listen to a song from my high school days without cradling a yearbook and sobbing a river of tears onto the glossy pages filled with "have a nice summer" messages and awkwardly-posed photographs.

When someone writes a song, they might as well be pouring their soul onto a piece of paper. So, if someone tells a writer, "the chorus needs work" you're pretty much saying to that person "your soul is hollow, you should burn your guitar, and you have no reason for living."

I've been a feedback-giver in a few situations. Some people take your feedback with some wincing, others say "thanks" but ignore it altogether. Others get angry. Like seriously pissed. Others get hurt. Like, you might be surprised just how hurt.

I believe that true Pros have learned their lesson and walk the safe line of "not bad" because it saves them the pain and hassle of having to watch yet another aspiring musician angrily snatch their CD back, stomp off to the bathroom, and try to drown themselves in the sink.

SO WHAT

The moral of this story is, you have to decide whether you're going to let this feedback impact you, for better or worse. If someone tells you they hate your work, does that mean you should quit? If they tell you they love it, does that mean there's no room for improvement? If they are totally "meh" about your work, what does that mean for you?

It wouldn't hurt to prepare for these situations before they happen, as awkward as that might seem. Think through your response if the person trashes your work, or praises it, or if they say something like "not bad."

BE SOCIAL

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Are You Ripping Off Other Artists? (The Answer is Yes)

Whenever my band and I are working on new songs, we'll play through some chords, and I'll hum whatever melody pops into my mind. Without fail, my lead guitar player Matt will say "that sounds just like that song from so and so." It absolutely kills my creative flow, and I usually have a mini-meltdown and insult him as revenge. But guess what? I need to get over it. And if you ever find yourself experiencing something similar, so do you. Why? 

Because, in the words of director Jim Jarmusch: 

"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination... ...things that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic." Here's the best part: "Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent." 

Jarmusch then quotes director Jean-Luc Godard who said:

"It's not where you take things from - it's where you take them to." 

Now, Jarmusch and Godard are two men who have created some of the most "original" films in the history of cinema, and their statements perfectly translate to the music industrial complex. Take this quote from Woodie Guthrie: 

"The words are the important thing. Don't worry about tunes. Take a tune, sing high when they sing low, sing fast when they sing slow, and you've got a new tune." 

Everything a human creates is built on the foundation of the people who came before you. If you genuinely believe the work you've created is original, that means you need to listen to more music, because eventually, you're going to come across a song that gives you a sinking feeling in your stomach when you realize that, yeah, someone else did it first. 

There's a famous saying: "good artists copy; great artists steal." I'd like to give credit to whoever came up with that quote, but, if you do a little research, you'll find that it has a long history of different forms and variants that are attributed to several famous creators. The reality is, we have no idea who ACTUALLY said it in the first place. 

And when you come down to the core definition of art, that's really what it is - a copy of a copy of a copy. We're all stealing. We just use a nicer word for it: "inspiration." If you really want to find the original author of anything you've done, at some point, you'll come to a pre-human who saw a painting that another pre-human made, and was "inspired" to recreate it. He may have changed his version slightly, but the idea wasn't truly is. 

Let's look at two more quotes. In a brilliant TED Talk that helped to inspire this post, Kirby Ferguson says: 

"Creativity comes from without, not from within." 

My advice to you as a creator is, embrace your complete lack of originality. Reject the myth that you're only an artist if you're "original." Here's one last quote... Derek Sivers, the creator of CDBaby, one of the most successful businesses in the music industrial complex said:

"Humans are imperfect mirrors... you know that song you love, that you wish you wrote? Copy it. ...even if you try to imitate something, it will turn out much different than the original. Maybe better."  

There are trillions of songs at this point, and there are probably trillions of humans throughout history who have created all kinds of art for the entirety of human civilization. There are millions of other rock bands, millions of other acoustic singer-songwriters, rappers, even re-mixers, all making music every day for the past however many years. You literally cannot create something new. It has all been done. And that's okay. 

Let's face it: Bob Dylan ripped off Woodie Guthrie. The Beatles ripped off American blues. Your parents ripped off the Beatles in their high school garage bands, and you'll rip off the things you listen to. That's okay. We should all accept this fact as a community of creators, and just get on with our lives. 

Take your inspiration from everywhere, ANYWHERE. Go to art museums, go to festivals, go to your grandmother's house, and translate the things you experience through your artistic filter. And the next time someone says to you, "that sounds like that song from 'Radiohead' or whoever..." own it! "It's a great song, and it inspired me. If YOU want to copy it, go ahead!" 


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