How I Write Songs

I think it would be interesting to share what has helped me write songs.  Now I won't even begin to try and tell you I've become an expert in this subject.  My knowledge of music theory is pretty well next to "0" and my life's record of understanding poetry is quite dismal.   So why then would I have anything useful to say about how to write song?  Good question.  Maybe by sharing how I look at song writing, it might help you, but more importantly, it might help me get a better understanding myself.   

To start, here's a couple of things that have helped me.  In future entries, I'll add a few more thoughts on song writing.

My first few efforts at song writing started with a piece of music and eventually some lyrics mysteriously came to mind.   For songs that I've written this way, I don't always understand where the lyrics come from, but sometimes later on, I look at what's on paper and realize there is some deeper subconscious thing is happening.  I used to say that my songs are just an assembly of words intended to fit a piece of music, but I think I'm starting to see that there really it is much more about the music being a venue for bearing one's soul in lyrics. 

As time passes,  I find I am now writing lyrics and coming up with some music to fit the feeling of the words.   These ideas come from something someone might say or do, or might be about a place or a time.   I've got in a habit of writing these simple little thoughts on paper.  Sometimes, just by putting a few thoughts down, a whole song evolves in no time. 

A good example is a song I wrote called "Two Feet In the Water".   The idea came from a fellow employee who was heading out the door to go to a Caribbean Island vacation.  She said she 'already had two feet in the water.    I sat at my computer and within 15 minutes had the whole lyrics for a song written out.   I knew the music had to have the feel of the sun and the beach, and when I got home, I picked up my guitar, and the music came as quickly as the lyrics.  If you listen to the song, you'll hear a Jimmy Buffet influence, much like Blake Shelton and Kenny Chesney have been influenced in a few of their songs.