Question about pop music

[nick.moxsom]

Hey, all.

I don't participate much here – I'm usually hanging around the peer-to-peer, but I have a question...

Is there room for more integrity in today's pop music?

I was lucky enough to have my song, "Don't Spare the Horses", reviewed by Jon Esher and Michael on Taxi Insider TV last night. It was very favourable, and I had compliments on the lyric, but I think they failed to glean the real meaning of the song. It's a torch song, and the premise is, "I see no reason to carry on with my life if you will no longer be a part of it". It may well be that I didn't write it well enough to get the point across – anyone who'd care to listen to it on my Taxi page is welcome to offer their opinions on that, and I will doubtless learn from that.

Torch songs used to be pretty common in pop music, but in this world of 'ooh ooh's and memorable riffs (which I'm not hear to denigrate), the lyrical content seems to have taken a dive out of the window. Despite my story having an arc, I was advised that both pre-choruses should have the same lyric, to promote inane repetition, which kinda defeats the object.

Just wondered if anyone has any thoughts on this... I've pasted the lyric below, if you'd care to comment.

Thanks in advance,
Nick


Don't Spare the Horses – ©Nick Moxsom 2013

V1
A dog wouldn't lie where I lie
And I don't need to justify.... my choice
If I was a bird I would fly
So I would not be haunted by.... your voice

PRE
And the darkest hour is just before dawn
Cobwebs in the corners, oil upon the waters
I think I'm going crazy, crazy, crazy
And there is no way back to sane

CH
Don't spare the horses
Let them drag me away
I'm gon' call it a day
Now you're not gonna stay
In my life

No sense in fighting
This is how it should be
'Cos there's no future for me
Now you will no longer be in my life
My life, be in my life, my life
If you won't be in my life
My life, be in my life, my life

V2
It's time that I took me a break
'Cos all I feel is aching.... inside
So whatever the path that you take
I hope that she'll be making you feel alive

PRE
So the brightest ever star in your sky
Becomes a supernova, it's burning time is over
The light is growing hazy, hazy, hazy
And it will soon no longer rise

CH
Don't spare the horses
Let them drag me away
I'm gon' call it a day
Now you're not gonna stay
In my life

No sense in fighting
This is how it should be
'Cos there's no future for me
Now you will no longer be in my life
My life, be in my life, my life
If you won't be in my life
My life, be in my life, my life

BR
So as I lie on this floor
Never felt so lonely before
And I've decided for sure
I just can't do this no more
Ooh

CH ––––––––––

And the darkest hour is just before dawn

[DesireInspires]

Yes, there is room for more integrity. Unfortunately, integrity does not sell very well. Good luck in your journey.

[Kolstad]

I think Adele is an example of recent pop with integrity, Pink also comes to mind, so I definitely think there's room for torch songs with the audiences.

But the catch is that they tend to be released by artists, and usually self penned. It's very hard to get a torch song through a piching process for an outside songwriter, because these type of songs tend to be about artists own "katharsis".

What a&r need from other writers are the uptempo happy go lucky tunes, which artists often have a hard time writing themselves. So it depends on the target, I think. For pitching as a outtside writer, positive escapism will be your best bet, imo. At least untill you get closer relationships with artists you are writing for and can cowrite this type of song with them.

Therefore, imo, a song like this is difficult, because lyrics might be too specific for tv/film in many cases, and not positive escapist enough for artist pitches. So, it drifts in between those targets, which is an unfortunate position.

Imo, your best bet is to rewrite the lyric to be universal enough for tv/film. That way you can still say what you want and make it go somewhere.

[nick.moxsom]

@DI – Thanks for the encouragement

@Magne – You're right, buddy, and I know it deep down. I just wish the US market was a little more courageous.

Cheers, guys.

Nick

[DesireInspires]

Just make what they want to get in the game. You can change the game from the inside. It takes a plan and a great deal of patience, but it is possible. Remember, when you try to change the game, you will also end up changing. It is not possible or even wise to stay the same.