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You Write the Songs
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John Caruso
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Jun 21, 2004 09:34 PDT
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You Write the Songs
Today’s tip is deceptively simple. Take a song, any song: it may be one
of your favorites or it may be one you hate—that one you just can’t
crowbar out of your head no matter how hard you try. The point is to
pick a song with which you’re familiar. Now spend a few minutes thinking
about it. How is it constructed? Who or what is the subject? Does the
song give you concrete images or does it evoke feelings? How do the
lyrics and the music work together to tell the story? Play it over (on
your stereo and/or in your head). Figure it out. Feel it.
Now sit down with your paper/computer/cuneiform tablet and tell the
song’s story in your own way. Re-write it without using large swaths of
lyrics verbatim. If the song has a catchy refrain, avoid that, too. With
your considerable authorly skills, capture the mood, the tone, the feel
of the song. Don’t worry so much about making sure you keep the action
letter perfect. Let your version flourish, let it find it’s own voice
within the parameters of the song.
For instance, if I wrote about “Three Blind Mice,” I wouldn’t want to
just restate the lyrics: “One day, there were these three mice, none of
which had functional vision. I saw them run all around. Then Mrs. Jones,
the wife of the farmer came in. She brandished a knife, a carving knife
as a matter of fact. In one swift motion, she swung the knife catching
three tails with one chop. I would have to admit that I’ve never seen
such a thing in all my days.” Instead, I may choose to write about a
childhood incident when the character and his two friends snuck into a
rail yard. They had no idea of the dangers and consequences of such an
action. Instead, they blithely played about, climbing on box cars,
putting pennies on the tracks, throwing rocks at signal switches. Then,
seemingly out of nowhere, a yard worker pounces on them and begins
yelling, telling the children they’re in deep trouble, and threatening
to take them into custody. What started out as a day of whimsical hijinx
had turned sour.
Play around with your words. Write for narrative but also write for
mood. Remember, the songwriter gets to use music to help communicate. As
writer-writers, we don’t have to rely on such gimmicks (he said with a
grin, not really wanting to offend any songwriters out there, knowing
how difficult it can be to fashion a catchy tune and snappy lyric).
John Caruso
joh-@coffeehouseforwriters.com
Copyright 2004, John Caruso
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