Today I reviewed the lyric sheets from my marathon writing session during “February: Album Writing Month,” an annual speed songwriting challenge that quite a few Halted Clock regulars participated in.
I procrastinated all February long, of course, then rushed to write all my songs before midnight on the 28th. I hadn’t revisited the tapes and pages from that frenzied session until today.
I was afraid to look. But the surprising and game-changing truth is that the ten songs I beelined through in February are among my most interesting work.
I’ve got nowhere left to hide. Under ordinary circumstances, I have made a tradition of agonizing over lyrics, spreading the process out over months or years, leaving a long trail of unfinished ideas that I dread to revisit.
I’ve always assumed that more time spent means better quality… great art takes time, right? Right! Insert YOUR favorite excuses here.
Mostly, though, songs that stay on the burner too long end up forgotten and overdone. Having observed my fellow songwriters at length, I know I’m not the only one getting in his own way and falling too far short of prolific.
Here are my questions for you:
- Have you participated in FAWM or other speedwriting challenges?
- Do you push through complete drafts of songs in one sitting, or does it normally take you several sessions?
- Do you notice a quality difference between songs that take several sessions and those that take only one?
Plenty of room for discussion in the comment space below; I’m eager to hear what you’ve all experienced.
Thing about one sitting is that you outrun the Editor if you’re lucky and you have all the possibilities in your mind. Sometimes, especially after being inspired by other great writers or learning a new technique or guitar thing, I have written a group of songs at once, some real worthy. Sometimes something I’ve written gets better “in the box” (of drafts); it needs time like wine. Other songs might be great with a set of rewrites…but some are like long-chewed gum that more chewing will render tougher and more tasteless. Bottom line is…sometimes your critical faculties are more stoked than your writing, and you don’t give good songs a chance. Depends on the song, the collaborator, the idea and the moment…I’ve written a bunch of good songs during a Nashville week, and forgettable ones in one. Sometimes I’m just in a new place and open to good stuff. One of my favorite ballads I just “decided” to write, sat down with nothing, hour later it was done. I had four hours to write a song that was used in a national TV series. That worked. I also had a book of lyrics and drafts I opened after 10-year 10-year hiatus, thinking wow, raw material. But found my standards had changed, developed…100 pages I won’t use, 2 lines that were the foundation of a signature song. So, I’m for drive-by songwriting, marathon songwriting, repeated revision songwriting….and let the good plotters plot, let the prewriters prepare, let the ever-changing editors rewrite. And sometimes, ask your guitar or your soul or your title what it wants to say…ask the song itself what it needs. There is no one way to get songs done, although some will insist that their way is Gospel.
I love that you bring up these ideas, Tozier, because it’s useful to consider various ways of getting to the finished line(s).
I think as much as there are songwriting devices that help get the story told or the imagery across or what have you… there are also techniques that are “all process”: ways of working. I think they’re as important to learn about and try as any other songwriting skill.
Thanks for your epic comment, Ruth! *bangs cup on table
Well, now you need to record an album. )
As for me, i find it hard to write songs in one sitting. My main problem is what i call the first verse mystery….or is it second? Anyway, it’s when you have one verse or chorus or just a couple of lines and then you’re stuck….they may be really good….but the second verse turns out overdone and forced. Or is it a rookie’s trouble? ))
I don’t think that’s just a rookie’s problem; lots of songwriters run into that one. I’ve heard it called “Second verse Hell” and “Second verse curse”.
haha, yeah that’s more suitable.
I don’t think I’ve done any articles about that yet! Hmm, coming soon…
Did you see Angelo’s comment below? Might be helpful. 🙂
Yes, it’s a great idea. Thanks, Angelo. Writing without the verse-chorus-verse formula in mind can actually help.
I have found luck writing a full song in one writing session. I believe that I am able to fully absorb the concept and incorporate various detail. The rewriting stage is where refinement occurs. I think it is very hard for some writers to “stick” to the concept due to relying on various concepts. People have different ways of writing and what works for one person may not work for another person. I also think that the genre (song genre), the concept and the target audience will have an impact on the overall effectiveness of a song. I would advise songwriters to write freely, if you find yourself forcing the lyrics then stop and revisit the song at another time.
“The rewriting stage is where refinement occurs.” I totally agree with that.
Good thread, Tozier… if my druthers be placated, I like to at least get a full form draft out of one sitting, which, at least for me, streamlines rewriting. Far as 2nd verse hell, I just got a great tip from the rock Mr. Ralph Murpy this past weekend. It’s worth considering the verse you first write to be the second verse. So next time y’all hit the 2nd verse wall, consider making your “1st” verse the 2nd and writing/rewriting a new 1st verse, food for thought.
I think that’s good advice. It’s also worth considering whether that “verse” could actually mutate into a chorus… or a bridge, intro, etc.
I’ver read that Tom Petty sticks with ideas until he’s done. Me, I can’t do that (maybe that’s why I’m no Tom Petty!). No, I need to let stuff marinate, sleep on things, play things over and over, step away, come back, play for others… and even after all that I’m almost never satisfied, closer, but not satisfied.
Cool post.
Hey Jeff!
Traditionally I have just wandered away after the first verse or chorus. And after I do that, the song’s most likely doomed to a very long cycle of sitting in a notebook and occasionally, almost accidentally taking on a new line about once every few months… The problem is that I just stack all those half-chewed ideas, create lots of them, and get overwhelmed so that in the end it’s easier to just start a new song. And then the cycle begins all over again…
I do go through a lot of rewrites with most of my songs; between 2 and 10. But the song’s much more likely to actually get edited to completion if I have a complete draft to work with. Not necessarily a good draft, but one that has at least two verses and a refrain. Makes the piece more substantial, so that I feel more obligated to return to it later.
My pal Steve Lynnworth commented on Facebook that he finds his best work comes very quickly and suddenly.
Your process-related tips, Tozier, are what really makes your blog unique and they keep me reading.
I have a suggestion that I too am going to follow…to combat 2nd verse hell…if you can’t write a second verse, write ONE sentence describing what should be “happening” in the second verse and what its purpose is AND what it should make the listener feel and think. Don’t be poetic, don’t rhyme, just get a sentence down. Then go have a cup of coffee. You’ve just planted second-verse seeds. Let them lie fallow for an hour or a day, then go back and play with those ideas.
Untested advice. I’m going to try this…let me know how it works.
Funny thing, Ralph Murphy’s my ASCAP rep and my problem, as he’s counseled me, is that I start with the second verse…leaving listeners wondering who ARE these people, why is this happening…my mission is to be able to write first verses that convey just enough background AND open with a very strong line.
Thanks for the feedback, Ruth! Process is definitely one of the aspects I find most difficult about writing songs, so I’m sure to be writing about it for a long time yet.
Sounds like a good idea to me. I’ll give it a try.
I’m mentally preparing for 50/90, which starts July 4th. I would like to quote something from sivers.org/book/4HourWorkWeek: “Parkinson’s law: a task will swell in (perceived) importance and complexity in relation to the time allotted for its completion. If I give you 24 hours to complete a project, the time pressure forces you to focus on execution, and you have no choice but to do only the bare essentials. If I give you a week to complete the same task, it’s 6 days of making a mountain out of a molehill. If I give you two months, god forbid, it becomes a mental monster. The end product of the shorter deadline is almost inevitably of equal or higher quality due to greater focus.”
That is an awesome quote, Rob. Beautifully said and, for me, too true…
Loving the comments in this post, I like the idea of treating the first verse like the second verse. I think that the inclusion of a small outline can help organize thoughts and concepts as well. Thanks Nicholas for the insightful material.
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Yeah, this is great! The topic struck a nerve I guess.
Thanks for letting me guest post, Praverb. I’m honored!
I’m moving from being someone who took years to finish a song to being someone who wrote 2 pretty good songs in single sessions during FAWM.
My first step on this journey was when I decided to work on one song to completion. This has really been a beneficial practice for me.
You have to remember that a song is only a song if it is finished!
“A song is only a song if it is finished!”
I love that. Dead on, bearing in mind that “finished” usually means something different for each new song.