Part II: The Music
Last month you learned how I like to torture myself for my lyrics, so let’s talk about the music part.
By the time I get into the same room with my co-writer, I like to think my lyrics are pretty much finished.
Yeah, good one.
I usually go into a co-writing session with at least 10 complete (I use that term loosely) lyrics. It goes something like this.
Don’t fight now, children: First, that lyric has to fight amongst its siblings for attention. I hand my co-writer a pile of neatly typed lyrics and hold my breath while he sifts through them to see what inspires him.
Honestly, a lot of the grunt work for the song is already done.
Technical Crap: With the lyric I’ve already established the subject matter, the mood, which usually determines: rocker, ballad or midtempo. Usually the groove is there in the meter of the syllables (remember iambic pentameter from English class?).
Then we dive in and… (well, I sit back with a coffee and watch him work, offering my two cents. KIDDING…or am I?)
Let the music flow: Usually we know right away what sounds, chord progressions, etc. fit and what doesn’t, but sometimes we have to just play around to get to where we want to go. It’s a lot of hit and miss, experimenting, and sometimes just a spark of something might just end up changing the whole meaning of the song. Once the chords or melody and the other things like intro and bridge and b sections (remember last month’s lesson) are locked in, we start fine tuning.
This can mean many things.
Fine Tuning Music is boss: I’ve often gone into sessions with what I thought was a pretty complete set of lyrics, but sometimes the music dictates…and that’s when I have to have faith…faith that I can pull more lyrics out of my butt (usually on the spot) and make it an even better song without screwing up what I already have …because ultimately it’s about what works best for the song.
During the Monsters sessions with John (Capek), I ended up rewriting most of the verses for 7 Pieces…a song I had already struggled with for more than 2 years. (I’d work on it, develop it farther, put it away in frustration, pull it out again…sometimes that happens too.)
Really, the lyric is used as a guide, and sometimes it just doesn’t fit perfectly. So with 7 Pieces, even though I had toiled and edited it so many times, the music that emerged was just too amazing to say: Well, you know, I need these lyrics to fit so we have to change the music…no, in that scenario the music calls the shots.
It’s all about collaboration and compromise.
See the evolution of 7 Pieces below, and listen to it here
But…sometimes lyrics are boss:
What does that mean for me as the lyricist? More hair pulling? Well…that depends on how attached I’ve become to what I’ve already written (fight for what you believe and use your intuition). Sometimes I can salvage some of the lines or phrases, and sometimes they just don’t work anymore; they’ve served their purpose by being a catalyst…it’s hard to let go, but it’s all for the benefit of the song.
Mostly I like to do this on my own, depending how many changes there are to make, but when it comes to adapting a line here or there, it can be tricky and usually another set of ears and rhymes helps, so my co-writer and I just start throwing things around (I mean words and phrases…it can be quite comical.)
Once the words are all (pretty much) done, I sing the song from start to finish, smoothing out any melodic things throughout; determining if the words actually sing (sound pleasant to the ear). Some tweaks may be made here…sometimes meter may be off, or I might need to drop or add words, or the syllables might land on the wrong accent of the music, we might need to slow it down, or speed it up, or lower or raise the key.
Whew.
And this is only one way.
If we’re starting from scratch…totally different process.
There are so many variables lately I’ve been writing on my own -lyrics and music at the same time a totally schizophrenic process, and totally different than the above process but that’s another blog.
And people wonder why we’re called tortured artists.
Yes, it’s a lot of work. But to me this process is always magical.
Here is one of the earlier versions of 7 Pieces (even the title changed), and you’ll see what I mean.
Seven Pieces (version 3?)
VS1
Inside my head inside my chest
Personality clashes
I survived on bitter words
I lied through my smile
I gave love away took none in return
I turned my back on every single lesson
I ever learned
I knew I was heading fast
CHORUS
I CRASHED I CRASHED SO HARD
I BROKE IN SEVEN PIECES
DOWN FOR THE COUNT
FORCED TO FACE EVERY WEAKNESS
AS I LAY IN SEVEN PIECES
AS I LAY IN SEVEN PIECES
I WAS SCREAMING INSIDE
*Here is the finished version. Notice the start and end of the chorus is the same, except for the last line.
The verse is a lot different, but the start of the b section starts out the same.
7 PIECES
I thought I was steel
Thought I was indestructible
I lied through my smile
Yeah, I was unbelievable
I survived on spite
I swallowed bitter words
I gave love away
And took none in return
I turned my back on my intuition
I ignored all the premonitions
I told the Gods to kiss my ass
Was on a path – heading fast and…
I CRASHED – I CRASHED SO HARD
I BROKE IN SEVEN PIECES
I CRACKED – I FLEW APART
FORCED TO FACE MY EVERY WEAKNESS
AS I LAY IN SEVEN PIECES
AS I LAY IN SEVEN PIECES
In my messed up bed
Thought I was so untouchable
I cried gasoline
Emotions so combustible
I finally came clean
And told myself the truth
I needed to change
Seven pieces were proof
I opened my soul to my intuition
Found the magic of inspiration
I heard the Gods so clear and loud
Say to me: Do you get it now?
YOU CRASHED – YOU CRASHED SO HARD
YOU BROKE IN SEVEN PIECES
YOU CRACKED – YOU FLEW APART
AND YOU FACED YOUR EVERY WEAKNESS
AS YOU LAY IN SEVEN PIECES
AS YOU LAY IN SEVEN PIECES
BRIDGE
I had to break so I could heal
Seven sacred wheels are turning
Seven rainbow lights are burning
The scars aren’t pretty but I’m alive
I survived…I survived
© Robin Brock/John Capek
So if anyone tells you they’ve written a perfect song in ten minutes if their names aren’t Jim Vallance or Diane Warren…take it with a grain of salt.