Where Do Songs Come From?

[rybutler]

Four large cups of coffee, three screwed up sheets of paper, two chewed pens and one broken guitar string. No, its not my new rendition of the 12 days of Christmas, its a writers day from hell! I’m sure many writers have had experienced similar days? Seems like i’m back where I was five hours ago (except i’m buzzing slightly from my caffine overdose) It used to really get to me when artists say they whipped this song out in five minutes, like they’ve just reached into their coat pocket blew off the dust, and there it was, a shiny diamond that will make them millions! I’m not saying i’ve never had one of these miarcle songs (minus the making millions bit) but why can’t this happen every time. Sometimes I really have to work for it!What sounded (to me) like one of my best pieces of work pre half eaten pens, now sounds (to me) like something my four year old nephew wrote! (which isn’t actually that bad..hes a budding song writer)I get Myself into these states more often than I probably should. It makes me wonder, why on earth am I doing this!? Why am I not doing a 9-5 in a music free office like most normal people. Then it hits me like a Telecaster in the face! The whole reason I do this is because I Love it, its something i’m passionate about. I’ve just gone and taken the fun out of the whole thing and replaced it with ‘Another Tedious Job’ (like the office one I was on about) All this over thinking really just takes me round in circles, and most importantly, away from the point.I put my guitar down, walk out my room, out the front door (wow there is a world outside my box) and just walk and then walk some more. I empty my mind of the last 5 hours and the Suns glorious heat warms me through as if I were a recharging battery.To my delight I return to a human/noise free house. I enter my ‘creating’ room, with no expectations but am slightly scared. I have a quick tidy up to get rid of the reminders of my earlier struggles. Change the WHOLE set of strings (not just the one I broke) take a deep breath and out comes a song without a thought. A WHOLE song (Not just a Chorus) and its not just any song, its something that really means something to me. Something that speaks to me, that I didn’t think I was capable of writing. Where did it come from!? Since then i’ve played it to some people (Non bias friends) and its spoken to them too! Oh yeeahh.. Thats what i’m doing this for. The whole enjoyment factor is back! This moment is sort or a mile stone for me in my song writing journey.Now I really wonder. Did I have to go through the whole of that painful episode. You know? The screwed up paper huffin’ n puffin’ fiasco, to produce this 10 (ok 20) minute song (Thats production time, not song length) I’m pretty sure the answer is Yes! If I can do this, I know theres better, shinier ‘diamonds’ inside me waiting to come to the surface. Just have to get through the bad ones to reach them! This is a metaphor to life in a hand full of ways. (I try to limit the Cliché - as much as they are true they are also cheese) This songwriting journey is much more to me than I first imagined. Its more than just writing a song. More than structure, dynamics, chord progressions, melodies, hooks, middle 8’s, solos… and how many cups of coffee you drink. Much more…Ryanwww.songwritersearching.comThe Journey to Write a Great Song.

[tedsingingfox]

Nice post, there, Ryan. As a matter of fact, as a FIRST posting, that's pretty amazing to read. Too often, first posts here are screaming "TAXI sucks" rants. Nice to read something level-headed. And about something constructive.BTW, welcome to the forums. And I can totally relate. Plus, being the type of person who doesn't believe in accidents, I'll have to agree with you and say YES. You DID have to go through all the struggle and annoyance and frustration of all that earlier B.S. to come out on the other end with something that mattered to your heart. Yep. Believe me, it still just burns my a** when I work so hard to come up with something, and when I step back to take a look at my handiwork... It reads and sounds like the dumbest piece of crap I've ever read. Oh, well. So, I'll try again tomorrow. Won't stop me from trying...Still, I wouldn't give up the struggle of trying to live a creative life for anything on earth. Not even "success". <hhh>Ted

[mojobone]

Yeah, at the risk of piling on, that's pretty much how it is for most of us, I suspect. The frustration and pen-chewing is all part of the process, but so is the walk.

[rybutler]

Too right guys!Its good to know i'm not alone, and even the best of the best go through dry times and struggles!But if you know you've got it in you then why the hell stop! Ryan(www.songwritersearching.com)(www.myspace.com/elevenband)