I had an interesting moment the other day that clued me into a phenomenon in songwriting that I hadn’t previously realized. I call this phenomenon the soul of a song. This may be true across the whole artistic/creative spectrum but as it relates to songwriting there is a point in creating a song where the soul is born and it is the most magical, sacred thing I have ever felt.
While people’s songwriting processes commonly vary, for me I’ll
find a hook, a chord progression, or a musical idea that invigorates me and I
play it over and over until the inspiration starts to flow. I rarely set out to
write about some specific subject matter. This may sound hokey but I just let
the music tell me what the song is about. I’m sure my subconscious manipulates
the words more than anything but to me it feels external like I have honored
the God of Music and he is now rewarding me with lyrics that are way beyond
anything I could create on my own. There is work involved when it comes to
meter, rhyming, story, and other poetic guidelines but it feels kind of like I’ve
been given a vision of something grander than my own wants and desires and I must
chase this butterfly of pure spirit. It’s delicate yet difficult. Inspired
songwriting is like successfully trying to remember a good dream.
If I’m lucky, most of the time I write songs I get this
moment of clarity that feels like I am in the right place, in the right moment,
doing exactly what I was put on this earth to do and I tear up. Previous to the
other day’s discovery, I thought I was just relating to the lyrics. Most of my
songs are autobiographical so this made perfect sense. As I looked back on it
though, these tear up moments came on all the best songs whether or not they
were sad (though most of my songs are :) )
so these tears had to mean something else.
I now know this is the birth of the song’s soul or life
force. It becomes a living thing. This is why a lot of artists compare their
work to having children. My revelation of this came the other day when I
rewrote a song called “Hope and a Smile”. This song has a somewhat interesting
history. I had the riff for this song for over a year before words came
together and in that time I had worked through many melodies and lyrics, none
of which spoke to me. I went through a bunch of rhythms as well, before I
landed on this upbeat, bouncy finger-picking style that eventually became the
foundation. I so wanted to honor this fun riff with a good melody and lyrics. After
a long tiresome saga, I finally landed on an idea. I wrote it about the auction/meat
market side of dating, especially dating in your 30’s. Women, in general,
always say they want a nice guy that
makes them laugh but reality has shown that if you don’t have the right look, a
great job, and lots of money you will likely be leaving the auction house of
life empty handed. Don’t worry, ladies, I completely agree that men are the
same way if not worse. Needless to say, I loved the lyrics. Some of the truest
words I have ever written, albeit with a slightly bitter aftertaste, but
through and through honest. Despite this long journey, there was always
something unfulfilled about it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the melody. It was a bit
simple and repetitive but I didn’t hate it either. I’ve played the song out a
few times, with the band even, but the audience always seemed to zone out. I
couldn’t get over the fact that something was missing. I was playing around
with the chords and the hook the other day and stumbled into a completely new
rhythm. Not just new to the song but unlike any other song I have written. I
kept working through the riff with the old lyrics and melody which only needed
minor adjustments. The soul was born. All of the sudden, the lyrics were alive,
the chorus was catchy, and it opened up the previously instrumental bridge for
me to write a more lyrics that strongly support the message. In the middle of
all the hustle and bustle the tears came and the knowledge of what they truly
mean was revealed to me. All good songs have souls and understanding this fact will
inform all my writing to come. It’s very exciting.
Lastly, I will leave you with an amazing quote, not only to
share with you a slight insight to my soul but I like how it relates to
everything above. The soul of a song is a part of “life’s nectar” that he’s
talking about.
"Singers and Musicians are some of the most driven,
courageous people on the face of the earth. They deal with more day-to-day
rejection in one year than most people do in a lifetime. Every day, musicians
and singers face the financial challenge of living a freelance lifestyle, the
disrespect of people who think they should get real jobs, and their own fear
that they’ll never work again. Every day, they have to ignore the possibility
that the vision they have dedicated their lives to is a pipe dream. With every
role, they stretch themselves, emotionally and physically, risking criticism
and judgment. With every passing year, many of them watch as the other people
their age achieve the predictable milestones of normal life - the car, the
family, the house, the nest egg. Why? Because musicians and singers are willing
to give their entire lives to a moment - to that line, that laugh, that
gesture, or that interpretation that will stir the audience’s soul. Singers and
Musicians are beings who have tasted life’s nectar in that crystal moment when
they poured out their creative spirit and touched another’s heart. In that
instant, they were as close to magic, God, and perfection as anyone could ever
be. And in their own hearts, they know that to dedicate oneself to that moment is
worth a thousand lifetimes."
— David Ackert, LA Times
— David Ackert, LA Times