In "On Writing," Steven King points out that sentences don't have to be that long. A noun and a verb are enough to get the job done. As a jokey example, King uses, "Plums Deify!" Here's a better example for songwriters. "Love Hurts." Love Hurts was first recorded by The Everly Brothers, but it has … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: Love Hurts and Truth Telling

It's been a few weeks since I last posted a blog. It was a planned break, yet I still have just the tiniest bit of guilt that it's been nearly a month since I last posted. My intention for that time? Get some rest, simplify, and feel good. All of that was complicated by the Omicron … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: ’til tuesday’s Voice Carry

"Radio's on windows rolled up, and my mind's rolled down." My friend Brian mentioned this John Prine line the other day, and I've been trying to wrap my head around it ever since. John Prine does this kind of stuff. He can create a phrase that bends a mind the way BB King bends a guitar … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: John Prine’s Long Monday

Some songs have a hell of a grip; they stick with me. I hear them once, and I can't forget them. The Ballad of Larry by Jonathan Bird is one. Short List, by Christopher Smith, that's another. I heard those songs, and they struck me dumb.  Then there's Goodbye, by Steve Earle. I heard Peter Mulvey … Continue reading Saturday Songwriting: Steve Earle’s Goodbye

Two weeks ago, I talked about Clay Mills 9 minute Song Workout. It's a pretty great exercise to dive into a song or generate some song ideas. Clay suggests doing it daily, but if you do, what do you do with all those song workouts? How do you organize them? A week's worth of song workouts … Continue reading Songwriting and My Second Brain