PREOCCUPATION WITH LYRICS:

Ronnie · Senior Member

PREOCCUPATION WITH LYRICS:

Jack · Senior Member

"I mean, it's a cute/fun song coming from the mindset of a pubescent girl. Isn't that acceptable? Achy Breaky Heart would never have been a smash hit if these people had been in charge."

Yes it is acceptable, to a pubescent crowd. It would have worked better for me if one or the other, the song character or the boyfriend, would have killed somebody, or each other. Then we would have something to work with.

What these two pieces lacked is substance. The first one also lacking in believability.

You answered the question yourself."Without music, it's not a song, it's poetry!" Biffo, baffo, bam-mo!

And there is good poetry and there is not-so-good poetry. Not having been to any song writing thingys myself I have no insight in that respect.

All things being equal...which is the more important of the collective musicians parts? The guitarist will say it's his/her part. Keyboard players will think it their part the most important. So if there is a song to be produced and AAALLLL the parts are played as good as they will be, who does the weight fall on. That's right, the sound man because he is DRINKING again!!!

Fine, have it your way. The singer, there I said it!

What does the singer do? Give us, the listener, a believable emotion with a believable lyric/poem and place it in a believable time frame. And that can be picked up from a poor production as quickly as it can get passed over.

And the words do not have to be that good. Witness Eddie Money "Hold on me" from 1977ish.

"I don't like you but I love you
Seems like I'm always thinking of you
Oh girl you treat me badly but I love you madly you really got a hold on me."

The "all things" being equal applies here. All parts being recorded with top tier musicians and industry level sonic capabilities it was, and still is, Eddies job to make it believable. And he did, and still does.

Those tired ass lines from way back when still rear their ugly heads today...HERE! Same thing different day.

Strip away the personal spoken word from any song that you grew up with that has words. What ya got? A tired old V/C/V/pre/bridge/pre/C structure that goes around in circles until you puke. So the lyric, being just the written word, becomes integral to the song.

Miles Davis, Eric Johnson, Jeff Beck, ah, Herbie Hancock, Makoto Ozone, MOZART for Christs sake, all say something with no words and make it believable. Taking a typical "song" structure and placing a melody over it does not make an instrumental. That's when the musical ability makes ya or flames ya. Been there burnt that:)

What's believable about showing off a new boy friend?

I suspected the New Boy Friend song would have placed better in the week it ran but it did not.
Was I wrong...or is it just not that interesting a "day in the life" song that anyone can find something in it to like?

They keep score here!!! And the rest of the world keeps it's own little tally on what is and what will never be as well.

Poetry maybe. When your Mom or Pop called you in for the night...did they say "Dude it's milky out side, what's to drink?" Nope, they used a recognizable manner, tone and words that produced the desired result. You getting in. Mine did it to me too boss but often called long distance and I payed for it, if ya know what I mean.

"Shove me in the shallow waters, don't let me get too deep!"

Now that is a believable phrase and all the parts of the song are believable. Sorry, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, "What I am", if you did not know of it.

Anyway, the listener of the right now is a more musical savvy listener then from even a few decades back. You can still write songs about playing with your appendix and maybe able to catch a few listeners. And it is not a rule anywhere that the lyric make sense. But it will be believable. Even the retch machine "Barbie Girl" by Aqua was believable. I believed that Barbie was talking to me! And I wanted her madly I tell you!!!!

Anyone that comes to AW and is willing to submit their material would do better if they were on a self realization trip. Because there will be a Self, a Realization and a subsequent Trip.

Because it is not so much about what the singer/songwriter/group/duo gets as to what the singer/songwriter/group/duo give.

Submitting here is like being at the the Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville only the crowd has teeth and they will bite you:)

Ronnie · Senior Member

Thanks Chief, for your enlightening response! Guess I really do lean too much towards the music (hearing mainly the sound). However, I did think the playing and vocals (love her voice!) in New Boyfriend were more than good enough to make up for the lyrics, but obviously not enough of us saw it that way. Anyway, thanks again ol' man for your insights! Wish I knew if Jeff is ok!

Jack · Senior Member

As well as he can be all things considered.

Ronnie · Senior Member

Geeezz bud, it would be some dead in here without you! Just wanted you to know I got that tune by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians. I love it! Thanks! Wasn't familiar with them. Most of my listening was pre 80's (must be gettin' old). I guess that **** came back on Jeff. My prayers are with him. You take care too!

Jack · Senior Member

Hell most of my listening was pre 80s' also...but my remembering didn't start happening until the 90s', it's like listening to new music!!!

Ronnie · Senior Member

LOL