JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum We aimed for 'The 4th Saddest Country Song...' How close did we c

That's a lot of it, Daddio, and you're right. The money end of it is driven by the money people.

But that's not the big problem I see among songwriters. The big problem is that people trying to break into the songwriting game focus on the game more than the songwriting.

Anyone trying to enter into the mainstream business phase of it before learning how to write is like the guy who has never gone fishing in his life, then goes to Bass Pro Shops and spends $25,000 on a boat, $5,000 on gear and $2,000 on the right looking clothes. He should have gone out and spent five bucks on some hooks, line and worms, tied the line to a stick, used a rock for a sinker, and went out and learned how to catch fish.

First, learn how to write a great song. Do that before tattooing "Mr. Songman" on your arm, recording a $1,500 demo, putting together an interactive website, and buying the fanciest cowboy outfit since Porter Wagoner. Instead of looking at the lifestyle you want, or the image you want for yourself, look at the songs that really move you. Think for more than a few minutes about why they move you. Analyze them. If you don't know how to analyze them, learn how. Before you even start writing, learn something ABOUT writing. Learn a little about meter. Learn something about devices. What's the difference between a metaphor and a simile. When would one be better to use than another. What Would Shakespeare Do. Who were the great songwriters? Why do the so-called "experts" think they are great. You can learn as much or more from experts with whom you disagree than from those with whom you agree. Why did I say "with whom" instead of "with who" or "who you agree with." When should I not say it like that?

Learn something about music. How many sharps are in the key of E? What is a key anyway? From what end of the horn does the music emerge? What are the "three chords." What are the do re mi's? Now some folks say they just don't have an "ear" or a "natural gift" for music. Most of them are just plainly too lazy to do the work it takes to learn, yet they want to be songwriters. If you're going to be a lyricist only, at least learn how to meter things, and be polite enough to give the musicians a little space here and there to put in their little notes.


And here's a thought. How about writing something interesting? How about something different, not something mundane and common. Take a common life and look at it in a unique way. What in your life do you rembember the most. Do you spend your days watching movies about people losing their boyfriend/girlfriend? Does that interest you? If not, why write about it? But if you can write about something interesting, memorable, uplifting, funny, truly sad etc. that includes someone losing their boyfriend/girlfriend, then there might be a reason.

And don't forget the trump card: feeling. Feeling. FEELING. If art makes people FEEL SOMETHING, that trumps all the bogus rules and regulations that songwriters are always looking for, yet always complain about when they find. Here's the rule to songwriting. WRITE A GOOD FREAKING SONG. If you can't do that, then learn how to instead of complaining that the "suits" have stacked the deck against you. The suits could not CARE LESS about you and DO NOT stack the deck against you. They stack the deck against people who can write incredibly good songs. First you have to get there, then you play the game with the suits. Until then it's all worthless chatter.

So take the money you were going to spend on some worthless tip sheet and buy John Braheny's book the Craft and Business of Songwriting and LEARN HOW TO WRITE.