October 2007
Singer Songwriters and Other Madness
by Dave Blackledge
Focus on Love? Focus on Money?
I decided to write this months article about editing, rewriting and being willing to abandon your song in progress. I was trying to think of some ways to do my thing and make it a little funny along the way too. You know, tie it in with something corny like I usually do. I wrote a couple of hundred words on the importance of polishing your song overall and decided I’d do some internet research on the subject and that would probably give me some funny ideas. I find the funniest things on the internet even when they are not supposed to be funny.
So I did a Google Search using “Songwriting Tips” as the search criteria and found this site called ultimatesongwriting.com. On Ultimate Songwriting dot com you can learn how to write hit songs and make tons of money. Their #1 suggestion....and I’m not lying, you can look it up.... You Should Focus On Love. It goes on to say: “The greatest songs have been written using this theme...no sense re-inventing the wheel.” Their #2 suggestion is You Should Focus On Money and about this they say: “The best songwriters on the planet write for the money. Shouldn’t you? When you write songs think of the radio and what will sell. I believe that this is why they call it the music business.”
So, what they are saying is, write hit songs about love and make big bucks...that’s what being a songwriter is all about. How did I ever overlook that? They even have Google Ads on the ultimatesongwriting.com site that links you to a Nashville Publisher seeking poems for hit songs and a site that says Major Labels will hear your music..Record Deals, Film/TV placement... WOW, and people fall for it. Holy Sam The Scam and the Pharaohs Batman. They list 17 tips in all....a couple of them I do agree with. But, here is how you really make money in songwriting: You find gullible songwriters to pay you for songwriting courses or hooking them up with someone that can make them a star.
Well, I’ll tell you what I think about Suggestion #1 and #2. #1 Focus on love? I suggest you don’t focus on anything. Write what you want, what you feel, tell a story...if it ends up about love, ok. Many songs are about love. But don’t focus on it because that’s the kind of songs that are written the most. Now let’s take a look at their #2 tip: You Should Focus On Money. Great, but it won’t work. If you focus on money first, you’ll never get the songs written. You’ve got to write a lot of terrific songs and have a lot of luck besides and if you say...“I’m going to write a love song because I can make a million dollars from writing a good love song” you are living in the fantasy world. I’m not knocking love songs. Love can include a wide array of circumstances from the sick mushy feeling you think is love when you’re fourteen to waking up with a bottle of Yukon Jack next to you on a park picnic table to just not minding inserting someone special’s suppository. All of which could bring about a song that has something to do with love. Remember, when you start writing your hit love song....you’re unique, just like everyone else. Does that make you feel better? If it does, do you want to enroll in my new Writing Hit Songs For Big Money course?
Ok, here’s what being a singer songwriter is really about. You start writing because you can’t help it. You work hard on your songs and you get a little upset when people don’t rave over them. It may take you awhile to play your songs for other people because you are sensitive about them...they are your babies. If you are a real songwriter, you can’t stop writing and you improve your songs by writing, re-writing, working those songs to make them real good to you. You go out to a gig or an open mic and you have a crowd. You play your song, but everyone is talking to each other, laughing, drinking and you just know that no one is hearing the words you’ve worked so hard on. When you’re finished, they may applaud...but you’re thinking...these people didn’t even listen to any of those lyrics I wrote, rewrote and re rewrote.
But you keep doing it....you do it for you and for the very small percentage (many of them other songwriters) who do hear your words and think the song is great. You’ve got to face it. Having good, strong songs that you’ve poured your heart and soul into doesn’t mean it is going anywhere but it sure makes you feel good about them. Most people just aren’t as interested in those words as you are. They may like your songs ok, but then when you start playing the intro to Freebird they go crazy. (well, maybe that shows the kind of places I usually play...but it’s adaptable) Don’t give up though. You get a little hardened to the indifference. You get kicked in the guts a few times and survive and go right back for more. You’ll get better with your songs....you may make it to the top....or you may be somewhat of a local hero....but in any case you can say to people “I’m a singer songwriter” whatever that is worth.
So, as usual with my articles...this took a long detour from the subject of the article. The subject being Edit, Edit, Rewrite, and DON’T be afraid to walk away from the song altogether. Don’t use a line in a song just because the line is great when it really doesn’t add anything descriptively or to the story itself. Cut out words that aren’t needed. Don’t limit your subjects, don’t write in a style of someone else, don’t follow a set form when you don’t feel it...just write, save the original, edit, rewrite, play it over and over and see if it works.
Hang in there. If you feel the urge to write songs, then do it. But, don’t quit your day job just yet. Hope to see you on the charts. Maybe you will write a big hit song about love and make a million and I’ll have to take this all back...I hope so. Until I see you on the charts, I’ll see ya around the salt mines. Dave www.daveblackledge.com