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From the BIG ZERO in the BIZ!!!!
Don't laugh!!! YOU MIGHT LEARN ALOT FROM A DUMMY... You might see songwriting IN a brand NEW perspective!!!
Since I am an alien living amongst your race of human beings, I am able to introduce to you a totally ALIEN perspective about songwriting!

Aside from things like prosody, and such like... We ALL have heard about these two elements of the FORM of songwriting- REPETITION AND CONTRAST - @ the Taxi Road Rallies COUNTLESS TIMES!!! There is A THIRD ELEMENT to the form of songwriting... And, I, a BIG ZERO in the biz am going to teach you about this new pespective you have NOT EVEN HEARD @ THE ROAD RALLY, insofar as I know. I could be wrong, but... I don't think so.

A song is really a three-minute movie. Movies ALWAYS have a satisfying climax to them, an ending, a resolution to the plot. The excitement lever in a song always builds up to an explosion in the chorus, well... Each successive chorus builds up to AN EXPLOSION at the end of the song...

Check out my 5 vids on "Subtle Progression lessons in songwriting".

Lesson 1 - Examining subtle progression in the song 'Never Knew Love like This" by Stephanie Mills.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqV62yqNGhM

Lesson 2 - VERSE subtle progression: Exile "Kiss You All Over", 2-Pac "How Do You Want It?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFyXQxyiU1c

Part 3 - Subtle progression in the choruses of Wang Chung's "Dance hall Days"!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nj_KQ8ivOs



Part 4 - Examining subtle progression in the choruses of Kate Bush's song 'Running Up that Hill"!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x60U3AcFtrI

Part 5 - Examining subtle progression in the choruses of Gary Wright's "Really Want to KNOW You"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFCpHdu-a4g

Speaking of "three minute movies", check out Bon Jovi's "Living On A Prayer". There's more drama in between the lines of that song than you'll find on a whole week of daytime TV. First line? "Tommy used to work on the docks"...so we know Tommy's working-class, but no longer working; packs a lot into a single sentence, but there's more in line two: "union's been on strike, he's down on his luck, it's tough, so tough". From there, the song talks about what's important in life, "he says we gotta hold on to what we've got; it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not; we got each other and that's a lot for love; let's give it a shot", setting up the pre-chorus, "whoah, we're halfway there, whoah-oh, Living On A Pray-er, take my hand, and we'll make it, I swear, whoah-oh, Living On A Prayer...". That's genius, right there.

Way back when "Songwriter magazine" was still in publication (70's/80's) there was an ad I responded to for a songwriting course on cassette tape, most of which was the emphasis on "The Three Minute Movie"...sorry Wildman...nothing new there although worth mentioning to those who haven't heard.

mojobone wrote:Speaking of "three minute movies", check out Bon Jovi's "Living On A Prayer". There's more drama in between the lines of that song than you'll find on a whole week of daytime TV. First line? "Tommy used to work on the docks"...so we know Tommy's working-class, but no longer working; packs a lot into a single sentence, but there's more in line two: "union's been on strike, he's down on his luck, it's tough, so tough". From there, the song talks about what's important in life, "he says we gotta hold on to what we've got; it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not; we got each other and that's a lot for love; let's give it a shot", setting up the pre-chorus, "whoah, we're halfway there, whoah-oh, Living On A Pray-er, take my hand, and we'll make it, I swear, whoah-oh, Living On A Prayer...". That's genius, right there.

Mojobone...

Your response has just triggered a BRAINSTORM in my mind and soul!!!
It has just occurred to me, a day or three after reading what you said, how to write those first lines of a song that will grab the listener!
Write lines that make you think of other things that what you are saying in your first line!!!
Thanks!!!