There is such a fine line between songwriting and songwriting.... Sometimes the music is an obvious given gift, and other times, although there may be a great idea, or premise... I find myself just chasing notes - grasping at musical straws.

This phenomena not only applies to the music... it's also present with lyrical content. I've penned over a hundred songs in my lifetime and it frustrates me to report that maybe 10 of them are songs that I am ecstatic to perform from beginning to end.

The one thing those ten songs have in common is that they were all conceived and written in the course of minutes or hours, as opposed to days, weeks or years. Each and every one of the 10 came to me with an undeniable quickness, lyrics and melody included.

I'm not saying I'm opposed to working on profound ideas for long periods of time, to hone them and get them sounding great - Hell, I've got tunes that are just nearing completion now after more than a decade of re-writing.... but in my experience, all my favorites have required the least amount of effort.

Is it a case of what mood I'm in, be it really good or downright awful? Is it a combination of environment and situation...? Or is this attributed to the random spin of the crooked wheel of inspiration?


How does your best material present itself to you?