The fact is "Cowgirls Don't Cry" is not a song idea, it's a song title.

Every song is dependent not only on the hook-line (or my coinage, the "icon phrase," which is where a phrase of music and lyric come together in a natural marriage) but also on a concept (or idea) to flesh out and reinforce that hook.

Many incredible songs are based on fairly mundane titles like "What Was I Thinkin'" or "Just Once" -- but, because the writers have set these hooks in a high-concept setting, the titles take on special meaning and a charged emotion for the listener. (Now you may have had an incredible slant on your title, but I'm just sayin'...)

That's why I think the song concept (or idea) is much more important than the hook or title, because the unique point of view, characters, story and ambience of the lyric is what sets one song above another. That's not to say that a great title can't be important. A great, clever, or heart-wrenching hook is gold -- and, we need to jump on those words when the muse puts 'em in our heads, because it's more than likely other writers out there are hearing the same inspirations (or at least something similar).

I remember congratulating fellow writer Darryl Burgess on the success of Diamond Rio's "Beautiful Mess" -- I knew that Darryl had written a song of that title, so I assumed the hit was his... However, it wasn't his song after all. As it turned out, there were at least three (possible four) songs by established Music Row writers with that same title. It was the Sonny Lamaire, Clay Mills version of that wonderful idea that became the huge copyright -- thus killing off any chance of the other several songs ever achieving success.

So, whether or not you take action on a great "idea" (as you put it), there is always the chance that another writer will get there before you and have the success. That also happened to several writers I know who had similar titles to my Toby Keith hit, "My List." More than a few have approached me over the years to say they had a song called "The List," or "My List." Sorry, kids -- I've been on the outside dozens of times in my career, having written a title or song idea that I got scooped on. I'm just happy that, on this one occasion, I finished the race in first place.

Just keep makin' stuff up and being hopeful that success is yours. Take joy in the process, and DON'T PROCRASTINATE when you have an inspiration!

And never forget, a title is not really an "idea." A song idea requires a concept, a point of view to go with that title. That's what makes a great song a great song.

Rand Bishop
Songwriter/producer/author