I love writing songs. I think I’m actually pretty good at it, too; most days.
I don’t wait for the bolt of lightning to hit me anymore I like to grab the muse by the throat, sit her down, and demand she play with me hmmm, no wonder I didn’t have many playmates as a child.
I’ve put a lot of hours into honing my craft; taking songwriting classes and workshops, learning from master writers, reading books, writing hundreds of songs, and striving to make each one better than the next. (After 20 years of writing I finally feel like I’ve got a grasp of it.)
So, I question when writers say they’ve written a complete song in five minutes with no editing.
Really?
It’s not that I don’t believe they have, I’ve even done that a time or two myself…but usually those songs are pretty raw (meaning, they need work…lots of work). It makes me wonder if they had actually taken more time to do some further editing that the song wouldn’t be that much better.
Now don’t get me wrong, I totally believe it’s possible, but I also think there is a difference between “divine inspiration” when you’ve written ten songs in your life and “divine inspiration” when you’ve written a thousand songs. I choose to believe that after you’ve written 1000 songs, writing/channelling a perfect song is a gift…a freebie from the Muse, if you will, for paying your dues, learning your craft and working at it.
Some of my songs go through at least three edits before I let them get into the paws of any of my co-writers. And because I often write lyrics first, without an instrument, a lot of word tweaking and manipulating goes on…and sometimes there is a fine line… sometimes when you edit too much, you can lose the initial magic that helped create the song in the first place….whew.
Are you still with me?
Let me take you through my process…and I will warn you…this isn’t for the faint of heart…but I love every minute of it. Can you say sucker for punishment? Here’s how it usually starts:
· THE IDEA: Whether it’s dredged from some recess of my mind, or whether it’s an actual bolt of inspiration (yes, it happens)…it makes no difference to me. It could be a word or a phrase.
· FREE ASSOCIATION: I write my ass off for however long it takes until I exhaust all the ideas relating to the initial idea. Sometimes I end up with two pages, sometimes I end up with two dozen…every song is different. Because I’ve been writing for so many years, my free association often flows to me in lines and rhymes, so that’s half the battle.
· COFFEE BREAK: I go make myself another pot of Kicking Horse and a snack and review what I’ve written;it usually takes two pages for the idea to really develop and reveal itself. I try to exhaust every avenue or perspective of the idea before I get to this point.
· HEMISPHERICAL SWITCH: I switch my brain to the other hemisphere (the editing part). Usually after one read through, a few key words or lines for titles pop out (if they haven’t already). Kinda like one of those paintings where images are hidden amongst the actual painting. You just have to look closer and hey…there it is.
· MINE or ABANDON: If I haven’t found anything at this point, I do one of two things. I dig deeper into those scary places in my mind, until I end up writing and developing the idea more, or I abandon it altogether; maybe for another session, maybe for all eternity. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way (the book that saved my sanity and my writing career), says you have to mine the dross (I prefer the word sh*t) to get to the gold…and even though it can be frustrating, eventually something really cool emerges.
· FIND THE CHORUS: Once I find the key idea or title, I look for a chorus…if the title’s there, the chorus is nearby cause what’s a chorus without the song title in it, right?
· READ IT AGAIN: After another read-through, I can usually find verses or parts of verses. If I’m really lucky, I can stop from entering the gates of second verse hell and my second verse or even the idea for it is already there (in order for the song to move forward, you need to have a different idea in the 2nd verse than the 1stverse). Next, I throw in a bridge (I use the term “throw” lightly). I take my bridges very seriously. Writing a bridge for me is a very intentional thing cause the bridge is a pivotal moment that ties the whole song together. That is… if the song warrants it. Sometimes everything is already said in the verses and choruses and a bridge isn’t necessary. (not sure what a bridge is? Look below at Master and Slave lyrics.)
· LEAVE IT ALONE: So depending on whether I’m done pulling out my hair or banging my head, at this point I’ve got a good start. Usually by this time my rear end has gone numb, or the dog needs to go out, so I step away from the song, so we can both breathe. Depending on how well the muse and I are communicating, I might continue working on it or leave it for the next day or even let it fester…er percolate a little more.
· WAVE THE WAND: So…I then take the rough choruses and verses and throw them in the air and see what lands and voila…a song…yeah…no.
· PUT IT ON PAPER: I rewrite the song in an actual song structure, and then I start switching lines around, finding cool rhymes and mixing it up. I really love this part. When it works, it’s like the best….chocolate you’ve ever had. It’s like a puzzle you’ve been toiling over and you finally find that illusive piece. Ahhh. No better feeling.
· REWRITE, REVIEW REPEAT UNTIL NECESSARY: Yep. Just what I said. Some songs need just a little editing, some are what I like to call problem children. They need a little more attention than the others so you can take them out in public without being embarrassed.
MASTER AND SLAVE
VERSE 1
I stare at the blank screen I wait but you won’t come to me
I sleep and you appear in my dreams-So bold, revealing yourself like a porn star
B-section
I love it I hate it – It gets so complicated
Though I instigate it – You’re still in control
CHORUS
YOU ARE MASTER I AM SLAVE
I GET SO TORTURED I ONLY OBEY
WHEN YOU ARE MASTER I AM SLAVE
YOU ARE ONE I CAN’T RESIST
WITHOUT YOU I WOULDN’T EXIST
VERSE 2
You scream when you want me You fall all helpless at my feet
I take everything that I need You bleed, to give me all my inspiration
B-Section
I love it I hate it – It’s so complicated
Though you instigate it -I’m still in control
I AM MASTER YOU’RE MY SLAVE
YOU’RE SO DESPERATE YOU ONLY OBEY
WHEN I AM MASTER YOU’RE MY SLAVE
I’M THE ONE YOU CAN’T RESIST
WITHOUT ME YOU WOULDN’T EXIST
Bridge
I am your master cause you need me
But I am your slave cause you complete me
WE ARE ONE MASTER AND SLAVE
WE ARE ONE MASTER AND SLAVE
CHORUS
YOU ARE MASTER I AM SLAVE
I GET SO TORTURED I ONLY OBEY
WHEN YOU ARE MASTER I AM SLAVE
YOU ARE ONE I CAN’T RESIST
WITHOUT YOU I WOULDN’T EXIST
*Caveat…this is my process. Other songwriters may not be so anal, perfectionistic…or insane…some are fine with letting it flow and leaving it…and that’s okay…personally, I don’t want to look at a song after it’s immortalized on tape and go…frig…that line coulda been better…and yes, I overthink it, but I also know when to leave it alone. That’s part of knowing your craft and trusting your instincts.
So you think that’s the end of it? Hah. Not a chance. Just add music. (PART II)
