JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Why explain abstract lyrics?

HiDee Bro Mike!

Hadda rapidly scroll-down 'cuz I'm late for a House Call...

I dunno if any 2 people EVER really HEAR a song as-penned by its Author. They basically INTERPRET What's-Heard using their OWN Experiences & Life Goes On.

This CAN lead to 180-Degree Misinterpretations IF it's penned TOO-Vaguely..("Helter-Skelter" being one with Disastrous Conclusions..as far as the Tate Family's concerned...)

Anyways, as Author-&-Artist, it's each Creative Soul's CHOICE just how EASILY-Understood his/her work IS. "Vague" seems to be "in" once-again...& The "Mystery" of it all probably helps SELL some of what's Out There. But..there's always a Price To Be Paid when you're TOO dern "Vague" IMO.

But..Andy Kaufman didn't always CARE whether the Audience GOT It...&..heh..he's considered a Master Comedian...somewhat Deservedly. (Just saw a clip where some Redneck Audience Member wanted to tear him limb-from-linb for pummeling a Gal Wrestler..)

You do run that RISK when folks don't QUITE "Get" what you're all-about. But..yep, it's Your Choice..Feel Free.

Me? I got enough more-or-less Serious Issues to write about..or make Fun Of...so WHY Blur-the-Canvas? But...that's JMO.

Best Wishes,
Stan

Why blur the canvas? Why...to create something "impressionistic", of course ...(***Mike ducks for cover****)

Yeah I love Kaufman's work, and some of his stuff was quite difficult, but rewarding...kind of creating performance art before it was known as such...

Thanks for your take, Stan.

--Mike

good topic.

I have always been a fan of the non- explanation. Like a joke if you have to tell someone why it is funny then it did not work.

Every song ever written means, or may mean, something a little different to who ever reads/listens to it. (And sometimes the author doesn't know what he/she meant.)

If you as the writer of the lyric feel the need to go into a long winded, or a short breeze, explanation as to what you meant, and this wasn't accomplished from the first verse and by the chorus then it did not work.

Now there might be a slightly different interpretations from one reader to another and the reader may see something entirely different from what the writer intended but this is ok. Sometimes the message is even hidden by the one who created it.

BUT again, to repeat myself. If you feel the need to explain it then look it over and see if the lyric, whose job it is to explain, did indeed to it. (Even if you think the reader/listener is totally daffed DON'T EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEANT.)

And that is my opinion on the matter.

Great thread.

Douglas

For just about every song that I have written, I also composed a short "song story." Usually just a paragraph or two explaining what the tune is about. Here is the song story for 'Peaches and Cream.'

When I was a teenager, I helped out at a day camp for migrant farm worker's children run by some very dedicated nuns. At this camp there were several sets of twins. Two of them remain in my thoughts as being really great little kids. The first set were 7 year olds named Frankie and Johnny. The second set were 3 yr olds called Peaches and Cream. I tried to write a Frankie and Johnny kind of song to remember a little about them and wonder what ever happened to them.

Thats my story and I'm stickin to it...

For my own work, I use some metaphorical references, but if you look deeper into it, you'll see why I said it the way I did.....
Or, I might be willing to explain, but that depends entirely on how that individual inspires me.

To answer the question a bit more closely?

I have always wanted my own work to make you think, not to simply scream out my perspectives on everything.....

If you really want to know why I wrote something like I did, ask me.