Mark:

Actually, I find little virtue in writing songs in volume. I admire writers (like Hugh Prestwood and Terry Britton) who write maybe a dozen songs a year - but every one is honed to perfection.

I've probably averaged about a song per week over the last ten years. Part of that is because I'm a big believer in writing, getting feedback and re-writing until I get it right. As I only write the songs I know I can dedicate myself totally to on an emotional level, I feel justified in spending as much time as necessary to wrestle each one to the canvas and pin it's shoulders for a count of three. And, as I spend at least three additional days making a demo, I can't crank 'em out the way a lot of other writers do (nor am I interested in "volume sales").

Regarding positive songs - yes, we all have a tendency to dwell in the negative, because life is complex and challenging and stressful, etc. And, for writers, it can be even more difficult, because of those pragmatic distractions you mentioned (kids, mortgages, day jobs, etc) that we deal with in addition to our creative compulsions. The majority of the public doesn't want to be reminded about those things. As far as they're concerned, anybody who gets to be creative is lucky. So, unless we frame the challenging themes in a way that empathizes with their experience, our "negative" songs will miss the mark. There's a big difference between "whining" about one's problems and sharing the challenges in a truthful way.

And, just because you may mention challenging stuff in a song doesn't mean it isn't ultimately positive. If the message in the end is what McCartney was talking about, then the challenges are overcome. Just don't preach. Keep the lessons coming from a personal place - as in "this is what I learned and how I learned it," instead of "this is how you should live your life."

All the success...

Rand Bishop
songwriter/producer/author Makin' Stuff Up - secrets of song-craft and survival in the music-biz
www.makinstuffup.net


Rand Bishop
Songwriter/producer/author