Conversational Lyrics

[Casey H]

I always loved The Gin Blossoms. Not current music, goes back to the 80's, but some songwriting concepts are universal, probably forever.

The first few lines of this song always impressed me. This is true for a lot of their lyrics. Sentences and phrases that match how a person might really think or speak... We learn a lot listening to their songs.

The opening lines from "Till I Hear It From You" always grabbed me:

I didn't ask
They shouldn't have told me
At first I'd laugh, but now
It's sinking in fast...

http://youtu.be/s36FydEFW1M

Casey

[mojobone]

Great band; one of my faves. They're easy to collect; they only put out two full-length albums, (worth owning, that is) and they were packed with great material. Then they kicked the principle songwriter out for excessive alcoholism and he ate a bullet.

[Casey H]

Great band; one of my faves. They're easy to collect; they only put out two full-length albums, (worth owning, that is) and they were packed with great material. Then they kicked the principle songwriter out for excessive alcoholism and he ate a bullet.

Sad... For some reason, I didn't know that about Doug Hopkins. He wrote great songs.

"Hey Jealousy", their biggest hit, also has great, simple, well phrased, conversational lyric lines.

As songwriters, we "hear" things in music we love that others might not. When a Gin Blossoms song comes on my iPod, I always admire the way the lyrics are constructed. When struggling with making lyrics more relatable and natural, their music is a good educational tool IMHO.

Casey

[singer1]

Great advice Casey, thanks. Some of the simplest things... D.B.

... the only race we're in, is the human race... D.B.

www.taxi.com/davebradley
www.reverbnation.com/THEdavebradley

[mojobone]

Didn't mean to bum anyone out; for whatever reason, I seem to be a bit of an expert on suicide, despite my utter lack of successful attempts. [wink]




















OK, then. The year (almost to the day) after my father was killed in an on-the-job traffic accident, (he was a rural mail carrier) my brother put a .357 magnum to his head, after a relatively minor collision with another driver. Also, an ex-bandmate of mine shot himself, (twenty or so years later) for some still-murky reasons, which happened a few months before my cousin's son came out to his dad and, upon learning that he was disowned, also ate a bullet. All of that drives my personal search for meaning in this ephemeral life, so I know that actions have consequences; I just don't know how to act, sometimes. Even if we do everything right, the best outcome isn't guaranteed.




Break a leg.

[Casey H]

Sorry to learn of all the tragedy you've endured, Moj. Sometimes we have no idea how much internal pain someone is in until it's too late.

Casey

[mojobone]

I get a little morose, from time to time, but I try to draw the line at maudlin. I guess it's on my mind a bit lately, because this has been such a tough year, in terms of musician/celebrity deaths. I handle it much better when the Reaper doesn't come 'round so regular.

[Casey H]

I get a little morose, from time to time, but I try to draw the line at maudlin. I guess it's on my mind a bit lately, because this has been such a tough year, in terms of musician/celebrity deaths. I handle it much better when the Reaper doesn't come 'round so regular.

Not getting invited to parties much these days, eh Mojo?

Casey

[Denziel]

The world has gone mad. So much heartache, mostly brought

on by greed, of a few privelleged people, at the top of the ladder.

The gent who has had a lot of painfull things in his life, has my honest

sympathy.

Conversational Lyrics, goes without saying, the language of the

guy in the street, is a good guide in general.

Too many amateur writers beleive that filling a songs lyrics with

Fancy words is the sign of a great writer.

Credibility AND Authenticity, the latter in songwriting Means taking a risk to show our vulnerabilities, our feelings . It's a risk to try something you are not sure will work. To grow and learn we need to take risks, even if it means failing, Authenticity is not a static thing, it's all about growing, But you dont need to jump into the deep end of the pool before you can swim, Take your time. Take measured steps Just dont stand still doing the same thing over and over Learn new techniques and work with them until you've exhasted the possibilities.

Credibility is something we develop as writers , Collaborators either
get to trust your work or not. Publishers and A And R men, know
who they can rely on for quality songs. Credibilty is developed
by hard work and the right attitude there is no room for big heads
half wits. No one wants to work with chancers, we must all
learn to take honest critiques , Just because someone has been writing for twenty plus years does not mean they know what it's all about.



Best Wishes Denziel

[mojobone]

Yep. My favorite writer was probably Harlan Howard. He had a knack for picking up phrases, snatches of overheard conversations from the bars and gin joints where he hung out. Many of those became titles to his songs, like "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down".

@ Denziel, those are hardly the worst things that happened in my life, and they mostly happened to other people; really just mile markers. It's all fuel for the musical fires, and it's okay, cuz my train has a really big engine.