JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum If you don't write country, why write songs?

A client of mine was told by a representative from a highly respected songwriting organization that she should quit writing songs because her music wasn't country. I couldn't believe my ears. So, I suppose Billy Joel should stop writing songs?

Just shows you what happens if you live in a music town too long and/or go to (or put on) too many song writing seminars I guess. After all, none of us are in it for the sheer enjoyment right?

Sheesh....

I just had to share this....

Bill

Bill,

What was the context of the conversation. One of the things I constantly go through with my clients are writing pop or other formats,but those formats are closed to outside writers. Rock and pop has been self contained since 1964 and country is headed that direction.

So many publishers are having people bring them something they can't do anything with. If you don't have anything someone can pitch, you are either going to just have to write for yourself or find your own niche with artists.

Everyone should write what they feel. But you can't expect them to be able to participate in some formats that is simply not open to outside work.

MAB

I agree with what Marc said, but I think the reason why Bill or anybody would be turned off is the guy said...

"You should quit Writing songs"

Pretty lousy thing to say.
Almost sounds like the person misheard the comment and thought that's what he said, songwriters or any dreamers CAN and will mishear and misinterpret things alot

But Marcs right the tight restrains on styles & genres is DEVASTATING to the lone songwriter. It really got started in 1964 but did not end there Marc. There was still lots of outside writers all over the market well into the 70's and in Pop in general well into the 80's on etc...

The Best selling artists 1969-1974 Three Dog Night
Didn't write one song themselves...

Countless Pop songs by Madonna and Pat Benatar & Cher and Michael
and a bunch of people we've forgotten about in the mainstream with hits not written by the artists. Then Whitney, Mariah,Celion

Outside writers, meaning the "Artist" didn't write all the songs. Not so much the inner circles limitations regarding the outside writer.

The biggest lost EVER for songwriters is the absence of the
"Stand in front of the microphone only" artists. There used to be countless ones and now, forget it.

Just take one Frank Sinatra or Elvis and think of how many records they sold, now thing of all the songwriting royalties they didn't get ... That's ALOT of songs and alot of royalties.

Bill, That's the response of a corporate businessman, not a songwriter. If the person who said it claims to be a songwriter, he's just lying to himself.

These commercial music business types have no understanding of why an artist paints, a writer writes, a singer sings, a musician plays or a songwriter writes songs. It's simply beyond the comprehension of someone with the heart of a Jersey City loan shark and the soul of an Enron accountant.

Anyone serious about music or songwriting should have nothing but contempt for the businessmen who run the music companies. They're worse than vultures. A vulture will at least wait until his prey is dead before picking the bones clean.

Yeah, today there's really no alternative to learning how to produce and play your own music, and getting a singer on from time to time. If you don't want to be restricted of the few artists that takes outside songs, that is.

If getting your songs to established artists is your only goal with writing songs, then it makes sense to stick with country, as this is one of the few bastions for this. So, I think the advice she got makes perfectly sense, in a commercial frame of mind.

And MAN that market is tough, when you compete with the Steele's, Wiseman's, Rutherford's, Barnette's ect.!

We can do a lot of things for enjoyment, but frankly, it has to be driven by some carrot. And in the music business, the motivation of money seem to coincide with the motivation of recognition, because if a lot of people love your work, you most likely also will be able to make profit of it.

BUT, country isn't just country anymore either. There's a LOT of country artists that does plain pop/rock music, with just a few country twists, so I still think, if she wants to do it, she can learn how to adapt her pop/rock music to the country market.

In the cycles of popular music, country evolves a few years behind the other mainstream genres, so what's out now in the other genres will most likely influence country in th coming years. An example of that is the new jack swing (groove that came out in r&b in the late eighties/ early nineties. Some years later it turned up in country, and now is a staple in the "new" contemporary country styles.

If you don't participate in the Nashville community of writers, you also most likely need to get around the regular channels of "song recruitment" in Nashville, like producers or knowing the artist yourself. Otherwise you have to dive into making a career in the hierarchy of songwriters there. I think NSAI and many publishers are in that circuit, so that's another reason why the advice makes sense (but are not neccesarily true in a way, that she needs to take it as solid goods).

Fact is, if you write undeniable songs, it doesn't matter which genre it's in, and who you need to please. If you have songs like that, there's always some who can smell the money..

Justmyopinion

Well maybe you shouldn't - I suspect that someone is not giving the complete version of events here

I'm remember reading that same sentiment on a thread here not too long ago, that basically only the Country genre doors were still open to "outsiders" and I felt disheartened for a moment. If that were true (and I'm not sure it is) think of all the potential good material that might go missed be it jazz, adult easy listening, pop, blues, and the list goes on. If that is the case is Songwriter's Market pure fiction when in it they welcome submissions for songs in and outside of Country??

I write for pleasure and passion (with of course a hope that someday Barbra will finally sing several songs I have written for her, my musical will be on Broadway, and publishers will be calling me to arrange a lunch date Just kidding!! Well....

The truth is (and I certainly can't be alone) songs outside of country still show up at my doorstep. Should I be rude and not answer the door leaving them out in the cold. It wouldn't feel natural and so I welcome each one with open arms, open ears and open heart, savoring every moment.

Write on my friends,
Lynn

Pop is just about completely closed to outside writers. There are small circles of producers and writers and artists, all of who are involved and know each other within the circles. No need to go outside of the circles.

Tom

Even with the few albums we are producing here we are have not used outside songwriters and anticipate doing so very rarely. However, there are a few songs that JPF'ers have written that I would like to use - just need to find the right artist/time/situation.

Tom

If you designed a car and took your design to Ford, how interested do you think they would be? Same with songwriting......they all have in-house designers.

Gotta start your own car manufacturing company or find a buddy who will.

I always find no matter what it is things that become self contained get VERY expensive, they start to stink.... and then slowly die. you need to keep bringing in new ideas and new blood... you cannot stagnate...

As if to evidence my point....



By the mid seventies pop and rock became pretty sad... popular at the time but most of it was just crap that people won't admit they listened to.... Country wasn't closed to new ideas and since the seventies .... it has become the bigist Buck generator......

I would say that folk music isn't closed either and as country closes ranks... look at what is emerging...

Okay okay okay. Funny story about this. This ones for you Mike.

A buddy of mine is named Eddie Swartz. Eddie is from Toronto but lives in Nashville. Very New Yorkish type guy where he lived for many years. I met him about three years ago actually playing on stage with him during the Tin Pan North songwriting festival.

Eddie tells the world's greatest songwriting story. He was writing for SONY in the 80's.He was a pop writer and at that time he was having trouble getting cuts because all the acts were writing their own material. (sound familiar?)

One day he wrote a song by himself that he really liked. He played it for his bosses who listened and then looked him right in the eye and said, "That is the worst song ever written in the history of this company. Don't ever play that song again for anybody here. We don't even want it mentioned." He thought they were joking,but they were deadly serious.

A few months went by and he tried to get the song demoed and they would hear nothing of it. A couple of years went by and he finally got it on a demo session but they told the engineeer to erase the tape after they finished it. The engineer made him one copy for himself and said "Don't play this for anybody. I could get fired for it."

Another couple of years went by. Finally they had a change of management and song pluggers. One of the new pluggers had a meeting with him one day and said "Do you have anything I haven't heard. I know your catalogue and just don't hear anything. Do you have anything new?"

Eddie sheepishly brought out the cassette tape of that song and played it on the stereo. All of a sudden there is a knock on the door and this kind of "cute spikey haired chick" (eddie's words)
popped her head in and said "What is that SONG? I love it and want to record it on my next album!"

The "spikey haired chick" was Pat Benetar.
The song was "Hit me with Your Best Shot."

Nobody knows about this business. If they tell you they do they are full of it. I am probably full of it. But I know that if you believe in something do it. If anyone can make you quit by telling you to, you were never meant to do it.

The guy who told that person that is an idiot. Unfortuntately our business is full of them. I just hope I am never one of them.

MAB

Totally not the case.
You hear that often but it's such a misplaced concept..

The mid and late 70's there were still more INCREDIBLE albums coming out... It's so obvious yet so may people lose track of dates I guess...

You kidding,Lets see some of what came out in the mid 70's and even late seventies

Songs In The Key Of Life - Stevie Wonder 1976
Born To Run - 1975
Hotel California - 1975
The Stranger - 1977
Rumors - Fleetwood Mac 1976
Aja - Steely Dan -77
Boston - 1976
NIght At The Opera - Queen 1975
News Of The World - Queen 1977
Physical Graffiti - led zeppelin / 1975
Some Girls by The Rolling Stones / 1978
Captain Fantastic - Elton 1975
And Then There Were Three - Genesis 1978
Street Surviver - Lynyard Skynard / 1977
The Wall by Pink Floyd / 1979
Damn The Turpedo's - Tom Petty - 1979
Wish you were here - pink floyd / 1975
Breakfast In America - Supertramp
Rickie Lee Jones by Rickie Lee Jones / 1979
Look Sharp - Joe Jackson 1979
London Calling - The Clash 1979

And there's loads more. And there all DIFFERENT from each other.
Genesis has killer stuff in mid & late 70's and so does Tull, and Yes and The Who like Quadrophenia and Who Are You, Areosmith
The Police, U2, Bowie, Stevie Ray Vaughn,

The radio also had great songs from Kansas, Styx, Foreigner Bob Seeger, Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, Tom Petty etc.. Then there were one hit wonders that had wonderful songs. And groups that had good pop songs but could not move out the GIANTS of the era,
Orleans, Ace, Climax Blues, 10cc, Eric Carmen, Gary Wright, Todd Rungren who also produced "Bat Out Of Hell"

Then even the new age and punk was unique fresh different, debut albums from The Cars, Blondie, The Bee Gee's had great pop songs the whole decade. Plus all the GREAT R&B Barry White and all those GREAT pop groups, The Ojay's The Spinners, Gladis Knight, Harold Melvin, Al Green. Then forget about the jazz and instrumentals that were making it to mainstream radio... Starting with the great George Benson.

Man it does not stop, the only decade comparable is the 60's...
and that one is not as diverse but it has The Beatles & Motown in it and those two are enough to top any decade toppled off with a little Hendrix and Cream The British Invasion, plus all of Woodstock ...lol but really...

No it Couldn't be any clearer! The 70's rule from start to finish. It's the 80's and MTV where the trouble begins lol

Hi Mike, are you disagreeing that pop and rock shrunk as masivly as country grew to become the lead gene... or just that I generalised the quality... which I appologise for yes there were some very good bands and songs came out of the seventies and early eighties in those categories....

I still stand by my comment that things that become self contained ... and that nowdays country is king as the buck earner because the others became self contained... there is not enough diversity to sustain a huge amount of life.

Hi Noel

Actually just reminding us of how great the 70's were all the way through. And how the mid and later had great & diverse music as well. And POPULAR too.
Many people forget that, lose track of dates and such.

Rock is OVER! the number one genre on this planet is Hip hop my friend, that's a simple fact. Country has grown which is good.
The main reason for that is it's simply more pop and rock based now than ever before. For the writer who does not deal in Hip Hop or Urban based pop, Country is the ONLY way too go and only buck earner if your lucky... I agree with you.

This whole outside writers and inside circle thing,,,,

EVERYTHING has an inside circle, I'm talking about Artists writing all there own songs. That has grown in EVERY genre including Country. Fortunately Country still has names on songs that are not the singer. An outside writer to me is one who is not the artist. The label staff writers, the PRODUCER writers or people who are just in at the moment, are only people who are in at the moment

But you NEVER get in for even a second if the persons who's picture is on the cover doesn't do other peoples songs!
Like all bands, all singer songwriters and a host of others such as Taylor Swift etc...

So it's always kinda been that way, expect like i said in the past the "sing only" were PLENTY more!

Hi Bill and fellow JPFrs:

We've "plowed" this ground before... but it strikes a chord near and dear to my heart. I love to create songs and I don't worry too much about the genre. (Sorry, I don't do RAP or Classical... LOL! Insufficient talent!)

I'd be a liar if I said I don't care about the money... 'cause deep down, thats what drives me. On the other hand, I know the odds are very long. If I didn't love it so much, I'd spend more time playing golf and chess. I suppose there is nothing (well nearly) more satisfying than "launching" a new song. As a non-performing songwriter who "sings" most of his own material, I know that the odds are even more stacked against me. (Pity the lyricist who does not sing or play.)

The beauty of it all is that I can spend 24 hours a day listening to my "favorite artist" on my MP3 player and it does not cost me a dime. I can pick and choose from several genres and it allows me to "critique" myself. (Yep, I've thought about firing myself several times... LOL!)

The most important part of this epistle to remember: "All it takes is one!"

My best to all of you,

Dave

Hey Bill,

Your client doesn't write country ? Thank God for that ! She actually writes real songs. Good luck to her.

cheers, niteshift

I guess I'm dreaming again but I'd like to think that it's ok to write songs in any style, regardless of market potential, and that there would be people out there willing to comment on the craft, not just the potential to make big bucks. Great songs always have and always will transcend genre.

Guess you also have to ask, is this a song marketing discussion or a song writing discussion?

p.s. I'm with Mike...70's rule. It was still real. :>) The 80's was when they finally figured out how to create it on an assembly line and mass produce it.

What is apparent to me is that writing for other artists has declined over the years......with possibly the exception of country and some manufactured pop bands. Before the mid sixties most popular songs were written by people who in the main did not perform. Most mainstream music since the mid sixties was written by the band or artist performing it. Most modern pop chart music again with the exception of one or two manufactured pop bands are written by the performer or written by the performers team. Todays music is in the main not even about the song or the performance it is about the production.

Unless you were there (or if it was in writing), you don't know exactly what was said, so a "grain of salt" is always required.

Yes, it is OK to write songs in any style, in any genre, in any time signature -- but if you are looking for commercial success then you have to do what is marketable (unless you are the artist!).

I write whatever I want to write, when I want -- but I don't expect the market to pay much attention to me (no matter how "great" my songs might be -- and I think I am writing some decent ones nowadays).

Kevin

I wonder.....how might my work be categorized by this same person? I don't write country, at least I don't think so....but, then again, I'm strictly a lyricist....

Soooo, in the interest of properly informing all of those like me, do you necessarily have to play any kind of instrument, or can you simply write lyrics, and be placed, or maybe more accurately, pigeonholed, into any one genre?

Depends on who you talk to. Jimmy Webb (By the Time I Get to Phoenix) says "lyric only"writers are totally worthless. He says "you don't get into an elevator and hear "LYRAC."

I don't know if I would go that far but you are certainly so limited and in this day and age pretty much a dinosaur in the Le Brea tar pits of the music world.

Until there is some kind of melodic content, they are really not songs. They are poetry. Songs take rhythm, melody and meter.If you can't have that, it pretty much keeps you WAY outside the game.

I would be on an eternal search for cowriters and prove to them why they HAD to be involved with me.

MAB

They "HAVE" to be involved with me?!?
Isn't that a little arrogant for a first impression?

I'm gonna write anyway, regardless...and if anyone would care to join me for the ride, c'mon out! If not, that's cool, too.

I'm just looking for a descriptive term that tells everyone, including me, about what I do.

I had to say "LYRAC" out loud a few times....

Sam,

We all write for ourselves first and foremost. But the second you step outside that boundry of your own mind or living room you are vying for other people's attention.

If you are a writer looking for other writers, publishers, song pluggers, record companies or an audience of any kind.you are constantly having to prove yourself and what you do that they can't live without. That is what the business of music is about.

If you are trying to get to an audience, WHY should they listen to you with the literally millions of choices they have for their time.

If you are a singer, what is it about you that they HAVE to listen to.


Everything about this is about ego. The fact that you think you have anything that anyone else wants to hear is about ego. The fact that you write something down, perform it or put it in the arena of ideas all has a componant of ego in it.

You may just think it is part of you that wants to get out, and to a degree that is true. But you are asking that for whatever amount of time, three minutes, four minutes, five minutes, whatever, those people HAVE to listen to you. That is what you are doing.

The only thing you can't do is abuse the use of their time or interest.If you do that, they move on to something else.

Elementary actually.

MAB

Maybe the original question was "If you don't write songs, why write country?" :-)

Marc, that's a great story about your friend Eddie, and Pat Benetar! "Best Shot" is indeed one of the cheesiest songs I've ever heard, but damned if it doesn't ALWAYS get a great response from a bar crowd! Even now, people (women especially) nod their heads, tap their feet, and get up to dance!

A similar story: Joan Jett wrote "I Love Rock and Roll" and shopped it to TWENTY TWO publishers. This was after she already had enjoyed a level of success. They all turned the song down, saying it would never go anywhere. She didn't believe that, and therefore started her own label. The rest is history!

Mike Caro, quit saying rock n' roll is dead! Heard much Pink lately? She's a great writer and a great rocker! Is it Physical Graffiti? No, but it's still worthwhile stuff to listen to.

Bill, music is art, and art is subjective. Whoever said, "If you don't write country, you should just quit writing" sounds like a jaded, burnt out, narrow minded idiot! As long as a song "moves you", it doesn't matter the genre...there's a market for it somewhere. Cincinnati artists are recording on their own labels and marketing themselves. Some of them have reached nationwide success (and even a following across the pond). I think that's the way to go now.

Or even better "If you do not write songs then write country lyrics"

Just kidding....

Big Jim must be feeling better -- glad to see you posting again. I disagree some of the things you say, but you always challenge me to listen harder.

Kevin

Thanks Kevin......a bit better but still nothing near 100%

Polly, I love ya, darlin, but you've posted this several times and it's not true. "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of The Arrows, who recorded it in 1975. Joan Jett covered it in 1981. I believe Alan Merrill is a JPF member.

Just keeping the facts straight for future reference!

Alan Merrill is in fact a JPF member and enters our awards regularly and did co-write that song and Joan Jett had nothing to do with it as a writer. We even considered his version of that song in our awards as a cover but it wasn't a great version. He seems like a nice guy and has been releasing albums for many many years. I think we may have met at a NYC JPF event way back in the 90's.

Brian

By the way, if you can tell someone to quit writing songs and they do, they weren't really songwriters to start with. It's something in you that you can't control. You might be able to stop voluntarily for a time due to life circumstance, but it will always pulse through you and you'll have to return to it on your own terms. But someone else can't stop you. If they can, you should find another hobby.

But it's still a terrible thing to say, but I bet it was said in a context which would put it in a much different light if the entire conversation was available to hear.

Brian

Amen. Its not a hobby, its an addiction, or disease. It constantly rears its head at the WORST possible times and makes you do things you'd rather not do because you can't not do them. Thats why so many people keep doing it over and over again even when they get shot down - you can't stop.

I think we should start a songwriters annonymous group. We can have our own 12 step program for quitting songwriting.

We could probably find a great first step, maybe even a nice recurring second step, but we'd never manage to come up with a third step we were completely happy with...

Country Music is more song driven, hence the need for more songs. Rock n' Pop aren't so much about songs. They are more about sound effects and such and image. Country Music is a song driven genre. If you write Rock, its much less lyrically driven than Country.

Kevin and Brian, I'm sorry, I didn't know Joan Jett didn't write that song, but it was told to me that she shopped it. Could that part still be accurate? Thanks for the correction. I'll go back to my source and see what her source of info was.

VAsinger, I couldn't disagree with you more! I don't know what rock you listen to, but the rock I listen to is very much lyrically driven! IMO, the lyrics are better than country lyrics too...just more substance to them, not so simple and shallow like some country songs. Then again, there's "good, better, best" in every genre.

John, humorous post!

Country Music has much more meaning than Rock could ever hope to have. Im not sure what kind of Country you listen to, but its obviously not what I listen to. I think Country songs are deeper. But maybe thats just me. Rock and Pop are more about image.

Vasinger, there are very deep country songs, and there are very stupid and superficial country songs. And I could say the same things about rock.

And while some rock does go into "image" and a sort of collage writing, there is some extraordinary writing going on in indie rock.

I don't dis country at all -- it's a solid genre, and has a great narrative tradition and an audience for it. But you shouldn't dis other genre just because they're not what you write, or what you're comfortable with. Polly is right, there's great stuff out there -- it's just different in what it looks to express and how it looks to express it.

Of course, this invites the age-old discussion of what is "good writing" vs. what people will pay to listen to, and where they overlap. But that's the discussion we always wind up having.

As with everything,I think it's just a matter of personal preference.I try to listen to a little bit of everything,but I write mostly country.My personal preference (as far as what I enjoy listening to)is alternative.I love Smashing Pumpkins,Radiohead,Audioslave,Etc.It seems to me that country is more straight forward story telling lyrically speaking,and rock is more poetic and usually more open to personal interpretation.
Michelle

Wrong ! Just so totally wrong.

Now, the I way I carry on about country music, you'd think I didn't like the stuff. That's not true. I write and produce the odd ( very odd ! ) country tune. I just can't be bothered with superficial twang twang nonsense.

Those that think it's all about 3 chords and the truth should actually study music.

If you look closely, you'll see that Nashville has regained it's image as a music hub. That's because the whole scene revolves around "players". All sorts of players, from guitarists to string quartets.

I will step outside my box now ( I'm origionally a key/progammer guy ) and say your statement is totally wrong.

I can take a REAL country music musician, stick him in with a symphony orchestra, and he's go just fine. Why ? Because he's a real musican in the first place. Can even play a 1 4 5.

Any musician from any genre, will never tell you that his music genre is the best. He'll just simply nod politely, and relegate such ignorant statements to the "can't be bothered" bin.

What a croc !

cheers, niteshift

PS - Barnette ! That means you too !

I'm listening. Just seeing how deep this hole gets.

MAB

cheers, niteshift

PS - It's always good to rile the "I'm country only" folks.

PPS - Marc, know you're not like that, but please join me in digging a deeper hole.

I agree with Polly and the others, I've heard plenty of brilliant Rock lyrics and plenty of dumb ones, same with Country... Frankly the only real difference in many cases is music arrangement and production anyway. Southern Rock could easily be either or both simultaneously if arranged differently. So Vasinger, your view is simply wrong, perhaps due to limited experience with listening to vast numbers of quality songs in many other genres. I'll decline the easy opportunity to rip your virtual head off and just leave it at apparent inexperience. You should listen to a LOT more music.

Brian

But if you want really deep lyrics, you have to listen to chicken scratch polka. But since the singers are not amplified in this genre, the words are also a big mystery.

Okay,here is my take on it.

Country tends to be written in more direct and simple language,where as most rock and pop lyrics are written more metaphorical and poetic. It is sometimes compared to a Picasso impressionist painting whereas country would be a more of a Dutch masters painting.

Most rock or pop is designed to allow the listener to draw their own conclusions as to what the song is about,where as country is mostly designed to spell out everything to the listener.

In rock and pop, the music is usually designed first where as country is more lyric oriented and is written with the music a bit more simpler and come in a secondary role.

Rock and pop lend themselves more to production whereas country is more simpler in construction, yet the lyrics generally drive the action.

There is a wide variety in all styles and you can't really claim dominance of one over the other. Two distinct different styles of writings and processes.

That is how I approach it. And I have written a lot of both. My little bit of sand to fill up the hole.

MAB

If you don't write Bluegrass, why write?

I would go as far as to say country lyrics are deceptively simple - they look far easier to write than they actually are. Having a keeping a (relatively) simple structure, not using colorful language and grand metaphors, all while keeping every line moving towards the goal of the song is very difficult.

Having said that, writing a clever but obtuse rock lyric is equally challenging because it has to do the same thing and move the song towards its eventual goal. Its ridiculous to say that one is "better" than the other. I would guarantee that pretty much everyone who has been writing a while has written songs across all genres.

Frankly, these days the line between what is Country, what is Rock, what is Pop, Folk, Blues, is a HUGE gray area. If you like one then there's a good chance you'll like the others as well.

VASINGER - IN NO WAY is country any more "song" driven than rock or pop. Every genre needs songs, country songs often come from outside writers, thats the only different. Songs and lyrics are just as complex in rock as they are in country. Its all part of the song. Country is also not deeper than any other format, nor smarter, nor a better reflection of real life. Hit the DC hip-hop, rock and folk scenes to hear an alternative version of real life. If thats too far then Richmond has an excellent scene too. I'm not sure where you're located.

I apologize for being blunt about this but you've rubbed me the wrong way with a number of posts about what is "better" and what is "worse." In music and all art there is rarely a better or worse, just different. Having said that, I hope we can get back on the right foot.

Well, if someone is presenting material at a seminar for commercial songwritng that wasn't commercial, then I can see how blatant honesty would be in order. But not in that manner.

I'm a smart alec and would have probably told them my country songs are written as an exercise to punch new country in the mouth lol.

I used to hate country and laugh because I thought it was too simple and even thought less talented. I was young and wrong! I still do not like country all that much but respect the songwriting skills and musicianship more than ever before.

One of my arguments for those who think country is just "the best" is why do they cover so many rock/pop songs? I know the reason is mostly because as people get older they generally veer towards country and they get to hear the songs they used to love in a different genre. (my opinion anyway) But I have yet to hear too many rock/pop singers cover country songs. Maybe that is because country is best so why bother? But I don't think so.

I agree with Marc:
Country generally takes you places with a story and has less complicated music. Not saying this is a bad thing because without the simple music you would not pay as much attention to the lyrics!

I was always a rock/pop fan and never payed that much attention to the lyrics. I sing along with songs now and think "wow, had no idea that THAT was what this song was about." (see "whip it" by Devo.)

I listen to songs by Beck or Red Hot Chili Peppers and have no idea what the songs are about but love them anyway. The rock lyrics let you take the song where you want/imagine a little more I think, but country lyrics generally make a lot more sense.

So I started writing songs and didn't really care much about the lyrics as long as they fit the melody and have since changed my approach a bit. There are a lot more to lyrics than I ever thought!

I watched a youtube video of a guy breaking down an Eminem rap song and I could not believe the amount of talent some of his songs have from a lyrical perspective. Just have to keep your mind open to different genres. Don't have to like them but at least respect them.

Sorry I am off topic a little! Country writing is probably your best shot right now at getting heard as a songwriter but to say you should stop writing is certainly stupid. But if you look at it ONLY from a business/money perspective I can see where this conversation could take place.

Hopefully writing music comes from your heart and if the money comes then great! JUST KEEP WRITING!!! What you are creating is like nothing else in the world. There is a lot of art that I see that I personally don't like and don't get but it's all original even if it copies other artist a little bit.

Make your own art and if it happens to be country then great but if it's not that is o.k. too. (At least I will probably like it better.)

Ricky

So what you are saying in a roundabout way is that country songs are aimed at less educated people who lack the basic skill and imagination to draw their own conclusions or appreciate more poetic or metaphorical lyrics and complicated language and cannot follow anything but the simplest of melodies and instrumentation..... OK I will buy that.