Songwriting: A Couple Of Reasons Why A Song Might Suck

[articles]

After recording and mixing 700 songs, I've had the lucky opportunity to mix more bad songs than anyone I know. While big boy engineers grew up learning what you SHOULD do, I've been blistered and calloused on what not to do. Here are a few flaws that I see repeated in songwriting all the time.

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[Spunky Munkey]

good article, protecting the guilty or innocent, I'm laughing, here's my take on songwriting, kind of the whole process

1. some of my better ones come quickly, a chord sequence soon after picking up a guitar, or after being inspired by another song. For example my song Share It was written after working on learning I Shot the Sherriff, and I wasn't even planning on writing a song, but once I had some chords, I had to get some words. Share It seems to be doing ok,

2. Cliche words and subjects, it's ok with a twist but I've written more than a few Cliche clunkers, One that comes to mind which is just over there behind the box with the others is called Dream Highway, I never did figure out what a Dream Highway was but I still wrote a song about it, there has to be logic and currency to the words in a song way, which still allows you creative license . In other words it's fine to be abstract but not so abstract that it appears as brain damage.

3. Cliche chord structures, it is possible to use 3 chords well and it does happen but often it doesn't. For example the song Pretty Vegas by INXS, to me that's creative use of a basic structure.

4. As you mention, the sing along test, I believe is true.

5. The requisite balance of instrumentation, effects, whatever else is in the song, which begs the question can a lousy song be turned into "something" through production.

Anyway, I could probably go on and on but I have to play gutar.

[brandondrury]

The requisite balance of instrumentation, effects, whatever else is in the song, which begs the question can a lousy song be turned into "something" through production.

Depends on your tastes I think. If you take a look at the modern charts, you won't find many songs that are even good, but they all have big, overblown production. It's kind of sick really, but the kids seam to like it....even if they aren't buying it!

Brandon

[Charlie_M]

Good article. I've been trying to write up a song lately. A couple actually. Been struggling with some of these very issues. One of them (a rock song) has definitely got the drive/energy/flow thing going for it, and I think the changes and chorus will be pretty good once I figure out what I want the rest of the words to be.

Regarding words, one thing I struggle with now is how direct to make the language. Plenty of songs are very literal and direct - they say exactly what they mean, and they say it explicitly (so that for example a song about how jack loves jill says explicitly that jack loves jill). Sometimes though I think it enhances the artistic element to NOT say explicitly what the song is about, yet still be very clear about what you're saying (so in the jack/jill case the fact that jack loves jill is never mentioned but maybe jack or jill are mentioned and there is a picture painted about longing). Best example I can think of is Robin Trower's "I can't wait much longer". Nowhere in that song does he say explicitly what he's talking about, but everyone who has ever been a young man knows exactly (and I mean EXACTLY) what he's saying. To accomplish that in lyrics without becoming too abstract is difficult. I'm not going to achieve that with the rock song I have in progress currently, but maybe some day on a different song... kind of a long term goal I guess. If I ever get this thing recorded I'll post a link in this forum to an mp3.

[brandondrury]

I'm totally with you on the lyrics thing.

Generally speaking, I hate overly obvious lyrics. There are a handful of exceptions, but I think this is why I hate most country music.

I do think it's cool to tell a story in a song and that's probably the only exception that works for me. I think that lyrics should apply to wide range of users and experiences. By being overly specific you limit the # of people who can feel something from the song. Maybe this is a business move, but I think it has artistic merit as well.

Brandon

[Spunky Munkey]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

I'm totally with you on the lyrics thing.

Generally speaking, I hate overly obvious lyrics. There are a handful of exceptions, but I think this is why I hate most country music.

I do think it's cool to tell a story in a song and that's probably the only exception that works for me. I think that lyrics should apply to wide range of users and experiences. By being overly specific you limit the # of people who can feel something from the song. Maybe this is a business move, but I think it has artistic merit as well.

Brandon

Spunky Munkey writes

Certainly I agree with all this and to it I might add I heard Sting say fairly much the same thing, don't make it too obvious because it's not artful, and secondly Lennon saying words to the effect, write what sounds good and it doesn't neccessarily have to make complete sense, kind of makes it artful.

[DT Chris]

This article goes against another article that pretty much mentioned "write anything, even if it's a crappy song", since at least you are writing. Suddenly this article says that there are rules to songwriting.

In my opinion, there are no rules to songwriting. People start scaring creative types such as myself when they start saying "oh, you got to have this before the chorus, and add this there, and write about this here".

I went to a songwriting conference once (MusicWest) and it was more for Country writers and they were saying scary things like "take a well known phrase and give it a clever twist to make 'hooks' and write 'hits'". Then the following years produced songs with lyrics like "Living in Mexico, living on refried dreams" "Don't make me come over there and love you" Clever? Perhaps. Hits? Unfortunately.

Hey, I would like to write hits like the next person, and may have some songs that would fit in that category. However, there are so many songwriters and bands that have sold millions of records that have thrown all rules out the window - and somehow they still succeeded. Pink Floyd, Radiohead. In a way Led Zeppelin was like that.. Did they sit down and say "hmm, let's write a hit?" No. Apparently Stairway To Heaven or another song came out of simply holeing up for awhile at someone's farm and it came out in 10 minutes.

Do the BareNaked Ladies set out to make a hit song? Tragically Hip? Rush?

My point is, songwriting is a creative process, and as such should not be limited to 'rules'. The more one songwrites, performs those songs for feedback (a live audience will tell you what they like or not), the more you'll get better at it - while keeping true to yourself. The hits will come.

[DT Chris]

Originally Posted by Spunky Munkey

2. Cliche words and subjects, it's ok with a twist but I've written more than a few Cliche clunkers, One that comes to mind which is just over there behind the box with the others is called Dream Highway, I never did figure out what a Dream Highway was but I still wrote a song about it, there has to be logic and currency to the words in a song way, which still allows you creative license . In other words it's fine to be abstract but not so abstract that it appears as brain damage.

But cliche words and simple lyrical hooks sell. On the other hand, Pink FLoyd, Radiohead and Cold Play could be considered quite abstract at times as well. They're selling lots of records.

Originally Posted by Spunky Munkey

3. Cliche chord structures, it is possible to use 3 chords well and it does happen but often it doesn't. For example the song Pretty Vegas by INXS, to me that's creative use of a basic structure.

ACDC has made a career of using 'cliche' chord structures. It's all in how a band uses it. Pretty Vegas is a relatively huge hit (short-lived though),because it is simple and the average, non-musical Joe can sing along to it.

[brandondrury]

This article goes against another article that pretty much mentioned "write anything, even if it's a crappy song", since at least you are writing. Suddenly this article says that there are rules to songwriting.

I wouldn't say that this article goes against "write anything, even if it's crappy", but I would say that it is part of the process. Total creativity comes from opening the brainstorming side of your brain and letting whatever happen.

It's easy to say that there should be no rules to songwriting, but we have to define a song somehow. We have to seperate music from simply sound. I think there is an obvious difference between a song and just random noise. This is why you don't hear nature recordings or the sounds of doors slamming on the radio. People want a collection of sounds that ultimately make them feel something. I've never been emotionally effected by the sound of a door shutting.

So, while I agree in a loose intepretation, I think there are some rules. If a person posted a recording of their lawnmower, I couldn't say anything more than "I don't feel anything". I don't feel that the a recording of a lawnmower is a song. This could be debated, but philosophically, of course. In the real world, if a band played a recording of a lawnmower for 30 minutes, the audience would be pissed unless it was done in a very creative way.

With all that said, there are times when a song may not be doing what you want it to. It's the producers job to maximize the effectiveness of the music. If the music isn't effective, that are sometimes glaringly obvious reasons why.

(The notion that a song has "effectiveness" is a huge sign that a song is supposed to do something. What that "something" is, depends totally on the person writing. However, this "something" that a song is supposed to do is exclusive to songs and not to the sound of a hidden camera in a bathroom).

This article just listed a few things to try if you are not happy with your song. None of these are "rules" and I'm sure most have been broken in some way by my favorite songs...maybe not.

Of course, this isn't the defining checklist of things that may improve your song either. It's just a list of a couple of reasons why a song might suck. Nothing more.

Brandon