My 2nd verse curse...

[jchitty]

Oct 29, 2008, 7:44pm, squids wrote:I think it's anxiety. I get it too and have to back off (like I'm skeert it's gonna jump the fence on me! hahahahah) but it's fo a reason; if I don't stand back and get some clarity, I could waste jes a ton of time noodlin' with lyrics and then get lost in it, become despairing and wanna off myself by chocolate. LOL, if you're gonna die, excess chocolate consumption is the way to go.

[jchitty]

Oct 29, 2008, 8:53pm, suzdoyle wrote:I find I always write the beginning and end of a project first (be it music, fiction, etc.). For some reason, the middle usually is written last and comes more from a place of editing and pragmatism than unfettered creative flow.Not sure why. Perhaps it is -- gasp -- the curse of the second verse syndrome!!!I like Linzi's idea of shifting verse 1 down and writing a new verse 1. How cool is that? !! SuzI liked Lindz's idea too, Suz. The next time I write a song, it's worth a try!

[matthoggard]

Linzi's idea is what we tend to do or have done lately. Sometimes that first verse is actually your second verse. Try it, move the verses around, move some lines around.Its amazing how what you think is the opening to a song can be the best second verse or bridge ever.Nothing wrong with reverse engineering a song.

[devin]

I...um...(*dang! Still can't get this second post working...*) These are ALL great points everyone, just great!I'm going to try the "Linzi-swap" this weekend.

[mojobone]

I like that verse swap idea, too, seems I just read where Sonny Landreth did so at Mark Knopfler's suggestion in "Blue Tarp Blues", so we're all in good company, eh?Another thing I sometimes do is storyboard a song like you would a film, or write an outline, or even just a place holder line or two of nonsense can help sometimes.





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[matthoggard]

I think anything from Mark Knopfler was killer!Storyboards and outlines are really great. Just started this a while back. Im really happy with the ideas that come from it.What year is that strat your playing in your avatar? I have one very similar. Same color and pickguard at least. Hell looks like the same neck. Rosewood?

[twilsbach]

Don't be afraid of the hand-off either. Pass those initial ideas off to a co-writer.

[christophersclaybo]

I have a thought:Think of the second verse as building upon the first, or better yet, a continuation of the first/ Why not try this:Write your first verse really long, maybe twice as long as you'd plan to and then you got a good idea for your second verse.This method is not foolproof, but it just might help.

[mojobone]

Nov 17, 2008, 10:30pm, matthoggard wrote:I think anything from Mark Knopfler was killer!Storyboards and outlines are really great. Just started this a while back. Im really happy with the ideas that come from it.What year is that strat your playing in your avatar? I have one very similar. Same color and pickguard at least. Hell looks like the same neck. Rosewood?It's an early 80s Fernandes, near-exact copy of an early sixties Strat; stamped-steel folded S-type saddles, slab rosewood-brazilian rosewood. joy. I noticed Kenny Vaughn (Marty Stuart, Lucinda Williams) and the guy in Lyle Lovett's band use 'em, too. It had a bad volume pot, so I got a great deal on it.

[ontariolightning]

Some good ideas there, personally though I don't have problems with any of it, of course it does take time to complete a lyric that I am happy with so I'll do a lot of editing but I carefully plot out what I want every verse chorus and bridge to say so that way I don't say everything I wanted to in the first minute and a half, I know most people just like to write and see where it takes them so this approach may not be suitable but I find it saves timeThere are always different angles you can take for the 2nd verse