JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Why Did You Start Writing Songs? What Made You Think You Could?

Happy new year Alan, In high school I wrote a poem for the school paper. It was a psychodelic jumble of words that happened to rhyme. Sort of along the lines of "I am the walrus". It made no sense what so ever. People loved it. I couldn't understand why because I was embarresed that I even wrote it. I started learning to play the guitar in my twenties and wanted to write but anything I wrote down sounded so stupid to myself that I wouldn't dare let anyone else hear it.I started playing cover songs for years until I began getting small gigs and doing open mike nights. I would listen to other people play the same cover songs that I did. It didn't matter how obscure the song was,and I thought no one else would play it someone always did.I really wanted to write songs but was afraid.Finally I'd had enough of playing other peoples music and jumped in the lake(sink or swim)the reaction was positive. My fears were unfounded. Just like high school. I've been writing ever since though slow(I havn't written alot of songs yet)as in hundereds. I still enjoy doing cover songs. Maybe I'll put my first poem to music some day.