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I'm new here so I am unaware of the history of this site. I'm sure there have been political songs posted here, which by their very nature are controversial. How have they gone over? And are they generally frowned upon?
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We have a political board which has been turned off due to causing significant ill will with a few people (the worst offender has been removed for other reasons though). We may bring it back when the mid term elections return because it's hard to keep political battles off the other boards. You are free to post a political song, just keep in mind 50% will be against it almost automatically and 50% may agree with the content. Our boards are evenly divided politically so proceed with reasonable awareness of that fact. I personally have no problem with any political speech if personal attacks are left out and you back up statements with facts and not vitriol.
Brian
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@gmail.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..." -Brian Austin Whitney "Sometimes all you have to do to inspire humans to greatness is to give them a reason and opportunity to do something great." -Brian Austin Whitney
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Hi Dan
we used to have a Political Discussion forum awhile back-but it was done away with cause too many people flamed up too often.....as you know-political feelings tend to be right strong whatever they are.........political songs are free speech as well-but folks get to going to war over how they feel and its just a mess.........hope that answers your question......
Tom
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Thanks Brian for giving me some of the history of political songs here. You too, Tom. I've only written a few songs with political topics. The shoe box is a good place for them.
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Bill, Thanks for the link. As soon as I saw the title "The Great Deceiver" I jumped to a conclusion about whose face was going to pop up. Oops. Wrong. I'll just go have a cup of tea.
Last edited by Dan Sullivan; 07/23/10 01:59 AM.
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Here's one I posted awhile back that came to me right after the election... (*Final Chorus alittle different lyrically)...still needs a melody “Livin’ In A Blue State I Wish Were Painted Red”[size:11pt]©2008 Lynn Orloff[/size] We had here an election, In the “U” “S” of the “A” The people spoke their minds Seems they had quite a bit to say Lift And though I am outnumbered by my neighbors in their choice I haven’t changed the way I feel and I still have a voice… I’m livin’ in a blue state I wish were painted red Still clingin’ to my guns and my religion like they said I’m here in Pennsylvania where history got it’s start Although my state is colored blue, it’s deep red in my heartGot guns I use for huntin' Got one for self defense Think too much liberal thinkin’ Is what got us in this mess Lift My favorite book’s the Good Book it’s made me who I am And if I voted fifty times I’d still vote red again, oh yeah… I’m livin’ in a blue state I wish were painted red Still clingin’ to my guns and my religion like they said I’m proud of Pennsylvania where history made it’s mark And though for now it’s colored blue, it’s deep red in my heartBridge We owe those foundin’ fathers a great big handsome debt The words they wrote I take to heart and never will forget Oh yeah I’m livin’ in a blue state I wish were painted red And I'll be clingin’ to my guns and my religion till I'm dead I’m proud of Pennsylvania where history made it’s mark And though for now it’s colored blue, it’s deep red in my heart
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Bill, Thanks for the link. As soon as I saw the title "The Great Deceiver" I jumped to a conclusion about whose face was going to pop up. Oops. Wrong. I'll just go have a cup of tea. HeHeh! Michigan eh? Where? I just moved to Tennessee from the PAW PAW area (S.W. Michigan). There's a few Michigander's here.
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Richland, Bill. About 35 minutes from Charley Maxwell's hometown if I take Red Arrow Highway. Tennessee's a pretty state, too.
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Ahhh Richland. Nice area. I did a bit of work there When I worked for a home builder in Portage.
You are not so far from Grand Rapids there. Give Janice a shout.
I lived about 20 minutes west of Paw paw on a 35 acre Farm. Lots of Paw Paw trees. Got tired of 80 inches of snow per year.
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Dan, thanks for bringing up this topic. I was wondering the same thing. I liked your lyrics Lynn, very much, and Bill, you know where I am coming from already. So, I will get my toes wet. I am just putting together this song which has a subtle metaphor. It should not offend anyone who loves the USA, understands what a generous country it is; and who believes you should work or contribute to the country in some way, instead of taking from those who do and giving it to those who don't or won't. Very rough first take of the song below: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=9441571 Doug Rich Lady Beggin by Doug Buche, © 2010, all rights reserved Intro - 1st Verse: I was walking out of Wal-Mart when she stepped in front of me. She said Sir can you spare me some change? She looked like she needed it so I gave her a five, but something about her seemed strange. My curiosity made me follow her home, what I saw didn't make any sense. She had a broken down mansion, ivy covering up its face, surrounded by a falling down fence. Chorus: She was a rich lady beggin, on the street, like she was poor. How did she get down so low, from where she was before? She was a socialized mother (mother - mother). Her wealth taxed and donated, but no longer created. A rich lady beggin (beggin), cause she couldn't give no more. 2nd Verse: She lived by the Bible; wanted to give more than receive. She knew how to reap what she had sown. So she gave to people who would take what they could get and she reaped until she couldn't reap no more Chorus: She was a rich lady beggin, on the street, like she was poor. How did she get down so low, from where she was before? She was a socialized mother (mother - mother). Her wealth taxed and donated, but no longer created. A rich lady beggin (beggin), cause she couldn't give no more. 3rd Verse-Bridge: Her wealth re-distribution destroyed the taker's ambitions Now they were robbing hoods, stealing from the poor. They felt so entitled, their greed grew unbridled, Now they were banging down the rich lady's door. Chorus: She was a rich lady beggin, on the street, like she was poor. How did she get down so low, from where she was before? She was a socialized mother (mother-mother). Her wealth taxed and donated, but no longer created. A rich lady beggin (beggin), cause she couldn't give no more. Bridge to end: She was a socialized mother, she gave to every cause, until she herself became one, now she's beggin - beggin - beggin for her own.
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Well, (just for the halibut) I recorded 2 non-partisan polital tunes for my (under the radar) CD. One is southern rock and the other is (just) Rock... Just like anything else in this biz; it's not what you know (or can do) but who you know (& who knows you... The titles are "It Feels So Nice" & "Another Nazi" & you can get a listen at http://www.myspace.com/jakeblakeproject & can also be heard on the AMI internet jukebox at participating watering holes... Best o' Luck >> CJ
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OK I put a melody and some music together this afternoon, for Rich Lady Beggin (see lyrics above). This is a very rough first take, but you can get the idea of what I am trying to do. Feedback is always appreciated. Doug http://soundclick.com/share?songid=9441571
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Here's a "do it yourself" political song: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8214085Since everything wrong in the world is Bush's fault, here's a tune called: "It's Bush's Fault." Just fill in the blanks. Tom Yeager and I wrote a song called "Big George" also about dubya. You can find it on his site.
You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way. -Johnny Cash It's only music. -niteshift Mike Dunbar Music
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Where are the lyrics for your songs Jake?
Mike, I think your song could be very marketable to the current administration. They could play it on all radio stations and mainstream newscasts as a sub-audible subliminal message.
I can see a whole album coming out of this, with other song titles such as "Yes we can - spend", etc.
Doug
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Was thinking about your song Lynn, about the difference between red and blue states and it brought to me some questions which might pertain to marketing our songs.
I am out here in California, but have lived in places like Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas. The country song influence out here seems diluted. There are more rock clubs than country and certainly more liberals.
Not to overly categorize people, but I am guessing that there is more preference for country music and conservative ideas in the mid-USA southern states. Wonder if that means there is more preference for Rock and liberal ideas on the east and west fringes of the country. Might be a no-brainer.
Doug
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Hi Doug, You couldn't be more right. That's why they call it the "Left Coast" (cute huh?) Sure there are pockets of conservatives here and there tucked away in liberal locations (and vice versa) but party lines alot of time follow geographic lines as well. However, those things can and do change over a period of time as people migrate. The county I'm in used to be more conservative, but alas a mass exodus of Philadelphia people trying to get out of the city moved north to my county making the area become more democratic/liberal and so the story goes. I fortunately like to write in different genres in addition to Country, so hopefully I widen my opportunities for pleasing (or not) different musical palets. So nice to meet you. Best, Lynn Even though I'm from "up North" so to speak, I still love traditional and contemporary country music!! Ye-haw!!
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I was going to say "I don't do political songs," but looking at the Soundclick pages, I actually seem to have done quite a few. A lot of them were musications of other people's stuff, and a few I have managed to blame successfully on Southern Pigfish, the band that doesn't exist. One that still gets performed a lot--it seems to strike a chord (sorry) with most audiences--is "The Strange Saga of Quoth, the Parrot," penned just before the 2008 election (and timely again, I guess): www.soundclick.com/share?songid=7021485It was intended as a talking blues, but I never could get away from the country, so it's a talking two-step instead. Joe [4/4, talking blues] THE STRANGE SAGA OF QUOTH, THE PARROT --J. Wrabek 1. Stood I a shoreline convoluted (It and I severe polluted), Holding up a pile of driftwood While I answered Nature’s call; Come a parrot, both wings broken, Drawing near where I was soakin’ And I understood what he was croakin’ Through the fury of his call: Quoth the parrot: “Screw them all.” 2. Now, I'm no avian defender but I had to give this bird a gander-- Flightless parrot? In November? Sounding so political? I sorta peered in his direction And asked that bird 'bout the election, Got the answer I’s half-expectin’, Three short words that said it all: Quoth the parrot: "Screw them all." 3. We went barhopping sometime later, Me and my new commentator, Got free drinks most everywhere (And I believe I drank ‘em all); They’d ask: Who’d harm a bird like that? Republican or Democrat? The parrot never answered that, Just intoned his angry call Over and over: “Screw them all.” 4. Well, I don’t know if my parrot-totin’ Changed a single person’s votin’, Or inspired any extra loathin’ As stocks and bonds and markets fall, But I swear should that bird predecease me, I’ll find a stone and carve it neatly With the words by which he’d greet me, Broken-winged but standing tall: Quoth the parrot: “Screw them all.” © 2008 J. Wrabek dba Outside Services Ltd. All the usual rights reserved just in case. With half-hearted apologies to ol’ Edgar Allen, who may not care very much ‘cause he’s dead. No parrots were harmed in the writing of this poem.
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That's pretty funny Joe. Kinda more toward apolitical.
However, having moved more toward independent or non-partisan points of view in recent years, especially when neither of the major parties has offered a good choice, I can hear that parrot talking to me also.
Doug
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Doug , FYI- I haven't posted my lyrics anywhere.... Why for? Haven't felt the need ....
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here's one that's not so much pointed at one party or another... perhaps the "system" itself... but could be considered "political"... as i don't see any difference in the major "players". http://www.murreytunes.com/mp3s/get%20up.mp3get up you been complaining, cussing and yelling you shout at your family and friends how you watch the news, what they're selling telling you lies that have no end... well then get up, get off your ass (get up, get off yo ass) get up, time you paid the rent (get up, get off yo ass) get up, who's strong enough to last (get up, get off yo ass) get up... take back your government corporations say they're above our laws borders and sanctions don't exist they tear into d.c. with lobbyist claws big money is so hard to resist chorus see your job going to a third world sweatshop all to make the stockholders rich they have no morality to make it stop spell it out to that sonofabitch chorus ©richard murrey, b.m.i. debate on, r.
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Well Richard that certainly provides a message that is accompanied by great music and a catchy melody.
I was a little confused about who the message was for. At first aI thought it was for taxpayers who are already supporting many people who don't wanna work, while government mispends the tax money. Then I thought it was for the people who avoid work and taxes. If they get up off their's and vote, they vote for higher taxes and more handouts.
I am going to send you a PM about this song.
Doug
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Great (dripping with sarcasm), can't wait until the political forum comes back.
There is no sense having the political forum -- no one changes any ones else's mind, so it always devolves into personal attacks. But if you folks like unvarnished hatred, then I say go for it, just count me out.
Kevin
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http://www.murreytunes.com/mp3s/bluecollar%20song.mp3bluecollar song another day, another dollar, button up my old blue collar on the news, more propaganda and lies wall street leads, all must follow, all we do is scream and holler we must be happy in debt over our eyes well i wonder what george washington would say i wonder what mr. lincoln would do they're turning in their graves, yelling "this ain't the nation we saved!" just wait 'til armageddon is all over me and you we're just corporate clonse, carpoolin' to mortgaged homes for now we still speak english on the job they tell us the courts are fair, money talks, lawyers don't care free speech ain't free to a flag wavin' mob chorus been too busy watching t.v., to understand the reality we've let them take our freedoms left and right hope we get to vote again, and the elected really wins before imminent domain takes us in the night chorus they're turning in their grave, yelling "this ain't the nation we saved!" i wonder what mr. lincoln would do ©richard murrey, b.m.i.
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Very nicely done Richard. I like the contrast between the "margaritaville, don't worry be happy" type of melody with the stark reality of government and and nation going wrong.
On a lighter note, if they could harness the energy of all the peoople spinning in their graves over the changes taking place in our country, it just could be a new energy source. I mean, all that hot air coming out of our political officials, can't being doing much for global warming. Now, Kevin that is soaking wet with sarcasm!
Doug
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Richard I really like the demo of your song. Did you do the demo/vocals? Nice little melody, instrumentation, etc. Inquiring minds want to know?
Best, Lynn Loved the cha cha cha sound for the outro also!
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Lynn... Thank you for your nice comments. Steven Cooper at Songwriters Studio in Kingston Springs is who i work closely with on my stuff. We've managed to develop a "sound" for our virtual band over the years using Bubba Hudson on vocals, Jeff Jordan on Guitar, Steven's studio magic and mixing expertise. i ad some bass and rhythm when appropriate, but they nail my rough demos everytime out! i hope that will satisfy inquiring minds. rock on, R.
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Great (dripping with sarcasm), can't wait until the political forum comes back.
There is no sense having the political forum -- no one changes any ones else's mind, so it always devolves into personal attacks. But if you folks like unvarnished hatred, then I say go for it, just count me out.
Kevin I'm with Kevin...Been there. Done that. Wrote this for my tee-shirt...Wake me when it's over. http://www.illegalin50statesthemovie.com/THREADS%20%2D%20A%2DZ.pdf Midnite
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Ahhhh yes Richard, The Songwriter's Studio. That explains it. They do a great job, don't they. They did a "mama and dog" song for Idamarie and I that's on my soundclick and I recommend them highly. Thanks!
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Here's one I posted on the lyric boards earlier this year.
NANNY STATE © 2010 Ray E. Strode BMI
Nanny State, Nanny State, The Nanny State is here, One hundred years of Shuck and Jive, sold out the Pioneer.
People use to know how to work, And lift their head with pride, Everyone knew what to do, They never let it slide,
Now some of our finest friends, Think we can't do it anymore, We need someone to hold our hand, To get us thru that door.
We've all been sold a bill of Goods, And it's coming mighty clear, Nanny State, Nanny State, The Nanny State is here.
But there's just one problem, And they don't have a clue, Who's going to pay all those Bills, Oh wait, I think that's you, So gather yourself, stand up tall, and grab another gear,
Because, Nanny State, Nanny State, The Nanny State is here.
Ray E. Strode
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The trouble with politics is the confusion it sows. Not many people are strictly of any one party, and yet our instinctive sense of loyalty usually compels us to support and defend our party of choice in most matters. And now just about any issue you might name already has a baggage claim ticket for one "side" or the other...and third parties demand a lot of cherrypicking as party members struggle to agree on platform items.
So any time we declare our political thoughts, we are doomed to provoke people into annoyance. To write a political song is an act of aggression on your own audience. I say go for it...but also be aware that you are destroying your own fan base. Not a big deal for the living room writer, but a pretty toxic career move for the ambitious ones.
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Mark, That's a thoughtful analysis. Acts of aggression. I never thought of political songs as an "act of aggression," but you are right, they are. It ranks right up there with telling someone here "Your song sucks" when you post a lyric that disagrees with their political viewpoint.
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Write a conservative song and insult your liberal fans...write a liberal song and insult your conservative fans.
Doesn't really matter to a non-performing songwriter...no one cares about a songwriter's beliefs. But if you're the performer, then beware. The Dixie Chicks were on fire, just tearing up the charts, until they declared for (or was it against) one side and immediately destroyed a massive chunk of their fanbase.
If what matters is expressing your passion, then follow your heart, and opinions be damned. If what matters is being in business as a vital act that makes money, then remember that people won't change their opinions because of your excellent political songwriting...they will instead be incited to rally around their own cause, and if your song insults that cause, then you've just lost a fan.
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I decided a while back to not do political songs. I have done a few "social commentary" songs. Beyond Our Gate" comes to mind. But I would be hesitant to write one promoting either "Party". I think they are all scoundrels and should be replaced and term limits should be in place. You should also be allowed to sue them if the promise one thing and do another regardless of who they are. Matter of fact I'd say just tar and feather the scoundrels.
If I am not mistaken there is still a law on the books about that kind of thing during war time (Protest songs and literature)
Last edited by Bill Robinson; 08/04/10 02:38 PM.
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Great (dripping with sarcasm), can't wait until the political forum comes back.
There is no sense having the political forum -- no one changes any ones else's mind, so it always devolves into personal attacks. But if you folks like unvarnished hatred, then I say go for it, just count me out.
Kevin Ditto !!!!! With you 100%, Kevin !!!!!!!!
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Anytime you take a stand, regardless of your issue or point of view, you alienate half your audience. Period.Half will never agree with you and you will run the chance of ruining their opinion of you overall. That to me is never worth a song or my ego.
I have many friends from the other side of the political asile. I simply avoid the subject. I am not changing their mind and they DAMN SURE are not changing mine.
And as far as an artist goes, I resent heavily ANY actor, performer, politician at all telling me what I should think, how I should live or wave their fingers in my face. I don't do it to them and they won't do it to me.
Political songs? I could care less. You'll never find me doing even close to one of those.
MAB
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All of this talk makes my head spin and it makes me think we are being politically correct in order to have a larger fan base. I understand that aspect, and in a way, I wish the term politics had been substituted with social commentary.
Still I see that our music does represent or put forth our ideas about things, our observations, our perspectives, and yes, even our beliefs. Those will not be the same as all others and some and maybe many will disagree with them.
If I write about picking up a girl in a singles bar, I may offend those who don't drink, or go to bars, or don't like girls. If I thank God in a song, how many athiests will I turn off? If I write a song commemorating war veterans, I may offend peace activists and people who want to call them mercenaries or even "baby killers" as happened with the Vietnam Vets. If I write a song about people who can work, but won't and expect the rest of us to support them, I may offend people who want the free ride. I could go on and on with this idea.
The point is there are a lot of famous and possibly important songs we grew up with from people like Dylan, the Beatles, Billy Joel, etc. etc. They offered political and social commentary, even if we didn't agree all the time. I was overseas in the military when that song came out, "It's one, two, three what are we fighting for." It impacted me. Glad the writer was not inhibited in writing it.
I am hoping that we are not throwing out the baby with bath water on this one.
Doug
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Hey Doug... I agree with you 100%. I remember hearing Country Joe and Fish also... while in the central highlands of Vietnam, welcomng the NVA to their freakin' Tet offensive. you're right about viewpoints and how they open doors for civil debate. People will never find a harmonious subject matter to agree on i guess, but at least we still have the freedom to put it out there! rock on, R.
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Doug,
It is all in how you look at it. Political correctness has had an effect, but in my opinion a good one. You no longer hearing people "talking down someone". For a long time men got hit and couldn't do that, talkig about a low class woman. The public quit buying that. Now the issue has caught up with women and they can't just dog men as well.
You can do it with humor or irony (don't even know his last name) but you can't portray people in a bad light. And if you are trying to get people to support what you do in an era where people don't want to pay people for ANY thing creatively, it is your choice whether you want to do that and stand up for your principals or find a way to up lift people instead of bringing them down.
This is a personal issue but I was never very enamored of he whole "speak your mind and preach to the assembled throngs of the 60's nonsense either. And it had it's own deliterious effect. People read so much into the songs of Dylan and John Lennon that they took to inventing nonsense words, phrases, and songs and continually giving misleading and ridiculous answers about those songs to the press. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds wasn't about LSD. It was about a picture Julian did about his friend Lucy, in the sky, with Diamonds.
These things get so nonsensical. But it raises the challenge and makes you actually write much stronger.It is finding the hook or inner message inside the song. If you listen to a lot of country songs you find very powerful messages. "I'm Moving On" is really about a broken relationship and a person picking their life back together. (I know the back story very well. I am very good friends with the writer)But it has been taken to encourage 12 step groups, break people's dependence on drugs alcohol, or get people over bad relationships.
So you can write anything you want. The things that tend to turn people off are when you:
Preach Vent Whine.
And the majority of songs that scream the biases, protests or personal opinions of the writer does just that. So you find almost universally that the appetite of the public for that is just not there.
About one in 6 songs on an average writer's night are "issue" oriented or some kind of "world view" song. You can always tell which ones they are, because that is the usual times people go to the restroom, go outside to check their cellphone messages, take a cigarette break,get into table conversations, or bolt for the exits. Best to be out of the way during those.You'll get trampeled.
It doesn't mean you can't write what you want to. You can. But no one has to listen to it.
MAB
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If I write about picking up a girl in a singles bar, I may offend those who don't drink, or go to bars, or don't like girls.
If I thank God in a song, how many athiests will I turn off?
If I write a song commemorating war veterans, I may offend peace activists and people who want to call them mercenaries or even "baby killers" as happened with the Vietnam Vets.
If I write a song about people who can work, but won't and expect the rest of us to support them, I may offend people who want the free ride. I could go on and on with this idea.
I heard a famous comedian say once you can't tell any joke without someone getting offended. I think I'd like at two things: how large a group am I offending and I offending and do I care if I offend them? For example, athiests are a pretty small group compared to people who claim to believe in something greater than themselves. There are probably many more people who would be offended by you worrying about the athiests. Or, if you offend the people who WON'T work but can, are there more of them than than there are people who DO work? I prefer to be true to myself so I don't worry much about people being offended. I figure either I don't care or unfortunately, they don't matter to me.
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I also want to reiterate that you should write whatever you want! You could even explore the niche of political songwriting exclusively. It's just that there is a very small audience for that, and the ones most likely to enjoy it are the ones who already feel the same way. Personally, I don't enjoy dancing to an argument. As long as one is clear about the purpose of a song, it's all good. Sometimes the purpose is simple self-expression, sometimes the purpose is to make money. If you can find an audience that digs musical oratory, you're in like flint.
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This is Dan Sullivan's fault for starting this thread. Don't forget that! It seems to be going peacefully though.
Thank you for your service Richard. Joe Fish's song created quite a bit of mayhem, back then. I remember the generals did not want the troops to be singing it or playing it, which, of course, made it even more popular. That song actually did not make me feel better, but I was talking about it's impact upon me and others. That was a war won by soldiers and lost by politicians and the song was, in your face, and saying it. Guess you had to be alive and experiencing it to know what it meant.
Yep, sausage link, I think it could easily be a numbers situation. Appeal to the most and offend the least, might be a winning proposition.
Mark, I find myself mostly agreeing with you, particularly about the 60's over-interpretation and aggrandisement of some of the music. I was certainly not thinking of "Lucy in the Sky", when I made the comment or things like "Ride the White Horse" Certainly not "Helter Skelter". There are probably songs out there right now talking about legalizing Marijuana.
I was not aware of the turn off for "issue" songs which you have observed. Now that I think of it, I have gotten much better response from publishers for the lovey-dovey cutesy kind of songs than songs with a message. Your comment about the "Moving On" song being inspirational was right on. I once wrote one called, "Keep Safe the Children" to promote a children's services program for a mental health center. It was played at their meetings and it seemed to have inspirational impact for people.
For me, I would love to have any song I write become a number one song, but if I ever had my choice, I would want it to be a song with a meaningful message. So I guess the secret is to differentiate between inspirational and issue oriented, and to shoot for inspirational.
Doug
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Well, I like tunes with a message... The same old sappy emotional drivel doesn't do much for me... Here's one I just threw some pics on called "In Debt We Trust" ... Could have been done better (all the way around)but it aint too bad ... http://www.youtube.com/user/JakeBlakeProject enjoy
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Doug,
There are ways to do it and still have a message. Some huge songs have done that recently:
I Hope You Dance- Lee Anne Womack Woman talking to her children about never taking the beauty of life for granted.
I've Had Moments- Emerson Drive A homeless man talks the narrator (the singer) out of committing suicide. Moral, there is always someone worse off than you and that you should never take your life for granted.
Live Like You Were Dying: That life is too short to get wrapped up in the mundane or angry.
Actually THIS is what publishers are looking for, songs with deeper meaning. They call them "Meat on the bone" songs. Those that have several inner meanings and portray the singer in a sympathetic light. I call them "Cigarette Lighter songs." Ever seen that big huge power ballad standard where everyone holds the cigarette lighter up (now the I-phone app.of the cigarette lighter) hold hands and sway together? That's it.
You don't have to write superficial songs. There are plenty of those.But you have to worry about getting too deep that people don't understand your metaphors.
But the anger,bitterness songs don't unite people.They just piss them off. There are things going on with the Tea Party and other political entities going on right now, that display that anger. I am not sure how well that is going to work but I know there are a lot of people out there and there could be a forum for it.But of course, that plays into the biggest problem with those types of songs. EVERYONE WRITES THEM!
About two years ago I had a guy doing one of my tours.He was an enviromental lawyer from Washington DC. He was playing a writer's night in town and wanted me to help him pick the three songs he should do.
He had about 7 songs that were the usually "I Love you" I Hate you..." type songs, about 5 were angry and bitter. One was okay,and one, his big finale,was a political song about how George Bush had destroyed everything in life.
I said, "Are you sure you want to do that?"
He said "Why, because we are in the south and their are a bunch of Bush loving rednecks down there?"
I said, "No, because you are going to get two reactions.First one is you are going to alienate half your audience who will ignore the hell out of you because they don't care about what you are talking about. They hear it all the time so there is nothing different about it. The second will be a bunch of people who agree with you but want to give you THEIR CD's on THEIR song that is the same song so you can pitch THEIR's for THEM."
He didn't believe me.
He did the song.
The last I saw him on the show, he was being besiged by about 9 people trying to give him their CD's.
Writers write what they see. They write what goes on around them and move them. That is why almost all songs sound like something else.There is only so many ways you can twist some subjects. And when you start out with a point of veiw that is VERY common, that every writer is going to hook into, that pushes people's buttons, you are going to be coming late to the party every time.
Again, you should write what you want to.But you have no right to be heard. And people will tune you out faster than you can ever imagine.
For me, it is all about percentages.
You have less of a chance of getting a cut than being struck by lightning.
You are more likely to be struck by lightning in a submarine underwater than be successful in the music business.
But you lower your percentages the more you accent negatives, make adversarial statements, or take a position that is going to alienating people who listen to you.
For me, I am interested in people listening to me. I don't see any advantage in having people tune out or walk out, or to pick a fight with me after my set, just to hit a very small percentage of an audience. I have never seen anyone who writes songs just to be the best writer in his living room. But that is just me.
MAB
Last edited by Marc Barnette; 08/05/10 12:38 PM.
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Marc, I appreciate your patience and willingness to help us, me in particular, see things from a more seasoned perspective.
I am going to assimilate the advice given and consider it in my future work and try to establish what I feel will be the right balance.
I sent you a private message also.
Doug
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Doug,
Just remember one thing. Your songs are not just about YOU. They are about the responses and relationships you build with your listeners. Always keep them in mind in anything you do. Write what you want, but keep in mind who will be hearing it.
MAB
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"Jeff Jordan on Guitar"
Jeff was my guitar player for five years. He traded off between me and T.Graham Brown. The last time I played with T, Jeff played with both of us. Cut down on his travel time.
MAB
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I'll play along... www.youtube.com/bcushing "C'mon Big Brother"
Last edited by Bob Cushing; 08/06/10 01:40 AM.
bc
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Bob, that was an nice little (maybe a little too long though) take on the baby boomer experience. When I talk to my son about those types of things, he says something like, will this be another story about the 12 mile walk to school in the snow. This song would only probably offend people below 30 or so, but, I even drank directly out of the faucett.
Doug
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Bob, that was an nice little (maybe a little too long though) take on the baby boomer experience. When I talk to my son about those types of things, he says something like, will this be another story about the 12 mile walk to school in the snow. This song would only probably offend people below 30 or so, but, I even drank directly out of the faucett.
Doug
He had to know you was tellin' a fib. You live in Southern California
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