For the country writers:

[adrienne]

Nov 29, 2008, 7:53pm, matthoggard wrote:You girls done swooning yet? M~LOL! I don't swoon over Alan. For me, it's Keith Urban. Just got his DVD of his last tour....amazing! But it was even better live! He's an incredible performer!

[adrienne]

Nov 30, 2008, 4:33pm, ottlukk wrote:Adrienne: Thanks for your feedback, it was constructive. Once I figure out how to do it, I'll post the song on peer to peer. There's an interesting thing going on here: even though the chorus (and one verse) keep repeating "we prefer to sip champagne in the back of a Rolls Royce", you're not the only one who thinks these two ladies want a Rolls Royce. That's not what they want, they want a guy who's rich enough to have a Rolls Royce, has the good taste to pick them up, and give them the opportunity to share his wealth. While they share something else. Yeah, I know. Once you have to start explaining your lyrics, you know there's something wrong with the song. I'll work on it, thanks for responding.OttI'll have to listen again knowing that. But I think you're right that if you have to explain, it may be worthwhile to take another look.Best.Adrienne

[djdale]

No matter how great a writer you are, it's still gonna be tough to come up with something brilliant consistently when so many writers have come before you talkin' about the exact same subjects. Well said Squids, however, when a new writer writes 'outside the box unique' his/her works may not be appreciated (cut and money made) until YEARS after the writer dies or gives up.Most Powers-That-Be, that are deciding factors are not visionists and that's a cryin' shame. I don't appreciate cookie-cutter-cram-it-down-our-throat-until-we-like-it releases.Even if we country writers pen a fan-frickin'-tastic song, what irritates me is the Powers-That-Be's judgement on new writers that "we haven't paid our dues yet" to 'let' us have a chance at a major cut. A great song is a great song and it doesn't matter if it's a from new writer or not.God love the artists who make thier own decisions on what to cut.

[matthoggard]

Dec 1, 2008, 6:08pm, djdale wrote:No matter how great a writer you are, it's still gonna be tough to come up with something brilliant consistently when so many writers have come before you talkin' about the exact same subjects. Well said Squids, however, when a new writer writes 'outside the box unique' his/her works may not be appreciated (cut and money made) until YEARS after the writer dies or gives up.Most Powers-That-Be, that are deciding factors are not visionists and that's a cryin' shame. I don't appreciate cookie-cutter-cram-it-down-our-throat-until-we-like-it releases.Even if we country writers pen a fan-frickin'-tastic song, what irritates me is the Powers-That-Be's judgement on new writers that "we haven't paid our dues yet" to 'let' us have a chance at a major cut. A great song is a great song and it doesn't matter if it's a from new writer or not.God love the artists who make thier own decisions on what to cut.Amen to that brother!!M~

[rivercitymusic]

I'm having a problem, nothing new! lol, with a song i'm half way into re-writing and i'm at the same point that i was years ago, not certain the lyrics and the story line are worth pursuit as i have them.Now remember i'm no singer and i don't play the guitar. I just hack around at it at best. But you folks have so much experience in finished products maybe you can tell me if i should file it again and move on to something else or try to finish it.Here is the link to the thread.http://taxi.proboards27.com/index.cgi?b ... 0ThanksDoc

[matthoggard]

BUmp!

[cameron]

Man, I wish I'd been paying attention to this thread a bit more. The thing I like about Alan Jackson is that he's real and true to who he is. He writes a lot of his own material (not just putting his name on someone else's song). The only reason I would want to study Achy Break Heart is to try and understand how something so bad can be such a monster hit.Cam

[claire]

There is no understanding why one song becomes a hit and another tanks. I got to hear a new (new to me, at least) Josh Turner song on the radio while driving home today, and I nearly drove myself into a tree because it was SO flawed. For anyone who has had enough of the "happy happy happy ain't life great" variety of country songs that are out there lately, I would warn you in advance. The song is about how everything is fine. Fine fine fine. He starts off singing about his nice house and his nice wife and his nice truck and how everything is just fine - "or seems to be" - so I'm thinking with an aside like that, he's going to finish this song by burning down his nice house and divorcing his nice wife and pushing his nice truck off a cliff. Nope. WTF? Everything really is just fine. Fine fine fine. Again, when someone says to me that everything is just "fine fine fine" I'm thinking they're sick of being asked how things are. They're (snarl) fine fine fine. Once more - nope. His folks are coming over and they're gonna have a fish fry and everything is fine fine fine. Gag me gag me gag me.Some days I seriously think about giving up this songwriting nonsense. Not when songs like that get cut and get air play.Claire

[adrienne]

Dec 6, 2008, 3:32pm, claire wrote:There is no understanding why one song becomes a hit and another tanks. I got to hear a new (new to me, at least) Josh Turner song on the radio while driving home today, and I nearly drove myself into a tree because it was SO flawed. For anyone who has had enough of the "happy happy happy ain't life great" variety of country songs that are out there lately, I would warn you in advance. The song is about how everything is fine. Fine fine fine. He starts off singing about his nice house and his nice wife and his nice truck and how everything is just fine - "or seems to be" - so I'm thinking with an aside like that, he's going to finish this song by burning down his nice house and divorcing his nice wife and pushing his nice truck off a cliff. Nope. WTF? Everything really is just fine. Fine fine fine. Again, when someone says to me that everything is just "fine fine fine" I'm thinking they're sick of being asked how things are. They're (snarl) fine fine fine. Once more - nope. His folks are coming over and they're gonna have a fish fry and everything is fine fine fine. Gag me gag me gag me.Some days I seriously think about giving up this songwriting nonsense. Not when songs like that get cut and get air play.ClaireI felt the same way when I heard that song. It's actually the title track to his CD. I like Josh Turner but when I heard the song I didn't quite get it. When I think of the phrase everything is fine, I think of a wife saying it to her husband in a heated discussion - something like "what's wrong honey?", "everything's fine"! lol! I don't see it as he describes it in the song. I think a more fitting title would have been something like "I've Got a Good Life" because that's really what the song is about.

[sgs4u]

aah the power of a great title eh... The expected rubber-neck effect, turned around backwards. A kind of reverse psychology in songwriting. Just don't try to get one of those past the screeners. But the fact that the song doesn't mean what you expect the title to mean, has you talking about the song, adding to its uniqueness. So it's a weird and notable way to stick out from the pack, yes? Maybe the writers and eventually label heard me (or nerds like me) talking about cynicism or sarcasm being a drag... So someone wrote a happy song, about everything being fine. BINGO. Someone cut it. I'm gonna need to find it and listen. Cause I might like that trend!