Writing with feeling

I would say that all of my writing, articles, songs, lyrics, etc all come from my soul. I think that you can over think things.

If it feels right for you, then it's right x

1/ I study hit lyrics and push more on the craft of commercial songs 

2/ I study melody structures working in 2024 

3/ I gather hooks and write them down 

4/ I co write , no mans an island  

5/ My problem is not writing songs , it's not writing is the problem 

6/ I promote what I have to an audience ,without that you might as well not do music 

Hi Everyone.

Rob's asked a really interesting question and as a newbie like Rob, I find the comments already posted very interesting.

I find Elvis's comments to be the voice of experience and practicality, all points well worth noting.

Katie, on the other hand, focused on the emotional and spiritual aspect of influencing the listener, whether that be musical or lyrical. Again, a key element and one without relevant experience, I tend to lean into.

There is however, an interesting outlier which I will through in and stir the pot of debate.

Where does the solely commercial songwriter fit into the equation?

Their songs are primarily written with the objective of commercial success and any emotion is an injected ingredient rather than the fundamental driver of the subject or words used to elicit reactions in others.

N.B. These are solely my own views and are here to generate debate, not denigrate the work of such songwriters.

Sid

I find on most songwriting sites the word (commercial) is almost like a dirty name .

What does the word mean ? It means relating to a wider audience .

Emotional outbursts are fine in a song , the business of songwriting should not be emotional outbursts.

You can waste your time bitching and complaining how the music industry is now

The better way to handle it is to grasp on what's happening and working in 2024

It will take a investment , like any business . Do you know how long your going to hear , "They don't make music like they used to " Till this world ends .

I don't know Bob , I'd say what he wrote was( relevant) of the times in 1963 or so , Its obvious he filled a BIG demand

You didn't hit a raw nerve , Its my opinion of 20 years studying with pro songwriters with a track record with hits on radio .

Writers write Xmas songs for the money of course , I'm talking on a pro level . That's their lively hood .

If your experiences, feelings, beliefs, emotions can relate to a wider audience ,then you've written a (commercial) song .

Let me add another observation , If your life is in shambles and your moving forward to improve it , you might not reach a wider audience . All subjective of course , like everything

What do you call a songwriter without a significant other?

Answer: Homeless

My process smoke 2 packs of cigs , get yelled at my wife , Which is why i seldom write love songs

Well keep a shrink on speed dial for trying moments , Though basically they don't know anything , What you expect from the shrink like Frued with a coke addiction worse then Motley Crew

Yes we will heal you of your mental problems , We figured it out with 50 pounds of coke, We even have a degree , Drug dealers on speed dial .

I think it depends on why you're writing (as has already been alluded to).

If you're trying to earn a living at songwriting, or be commercially successful, then you aren't writing for yourself. You are either writing songs for an artist, or you are writing songs for an audience. And what you write will be what gives you the greatest chance of success. In those cases I think you are trying to read the market and deliver something akin to what is already successful. Find an emotional song, and deconstruct it.

For some, songwriting is almost like therapy. People write to express themselves, to let things out, and to deal with issues. In these cases, deep emotions often come through very naturally. But whether other people can connect to those experiences is less certain. However just the creative act of putting things on paper can be rewarding.

For others, songwriting is more of a creative hobby. You can try out all kinds of variations of style, format and emotional depth. I would put myself into this category. In trying to write from the heart, I would focus on something very specific in my life, not to recount that event, but to try to draw something from it, a perspective, an angle, a phrase, something to be a kernel for a song to grow around. I don't particularly want to bare my soul to the world, but I do want to ground a song in something that feels real and emotionally honest.