Good thread!!!

Something MB said stood out about reality based in dialogue: I remember reading ( or was it an interview) when Tim Rice said while writing lyrics for Jesus Christ Superstar, he would read them without music to see if they sounded will on their own, and felt real (incidently here the music came first

Alan,

There is a thing we do here called the "If you can't speak it, don't write it." During every song I write and especially at the end, I am always reading out the lyrics as if in a conversation with a friend. If I can't speak it comfortable, I don't write it.

MAB