3/1/04 08:27 pm - HOW TO WRITE A LOVE SONG.
ok, so, an introduction to this.
my good friend back home, jason, has this band called, 'dulcet.'
jason has always been into music, and with the technology of recording, him and his band have recorded countless songs, which, if anyone wants to hear, email me, and i'll make you a sampler.
these songs are fucking amazing. and i'm not just saying that to say it. they really are.
it's kinda 'manson,'-esque, but great. his lyrics, his voice, and the music to back it up are just awesome. i must confess, i've used some of his songs on mix cd's i've made for girls i really dug.
so, a while back, he sent me this email on a kind of term paper he wrote for anyone interested in reading it. it has been sitting in an old email account for three years, and i overlooked it tonight, dwelling on sorrow and past love, and decided to edited it for spelling and grammar, and let your read it.
for you musicians out there, or for any of you hopeless romantics, this might be just what you needed to read. john, i think of you when i read this.
WRITING A LOVE SONG
by: Jay Staton
Writing a love song requires a formula stronger than writing something
just for the sake of making a point (not that making a point is a bad
thing).
When a love song is produced for someone there is an expectation that the writer must have of him/herself, or else the writer will fail to allow the subject of the song hear it. So long as a love song is sincere, one has to consider the following:
LYRICAL CONTENT
This one is a big one.
Too many songs on the radio fall into the catergoy of cheese. They might be catchy for the general drone of a public to hum along to, but you can be sure "From this moment" was targeted at a certain audience for the purpose of money, not winning or sustaining another person's heart.
In a love song it is important to show that you harbor some doubts. Believe it or not, this is what can bring people closer together! For every three positives you need at least one negative. Rambling off compliments doesn't cut it.
"I love you so/ You're my beautiful angel/ Forever I'm with you..." will be less than a flop in the company of a writer who may go on to say, "I love you/ You're all I need to find my way out of hell/ This is my darkest hour/ Fallen, fallen..."
That's just a cheesy example but it would fly better because it exposes more than a desperate attempt to win someone's approval or flatter.
Doubts and negatives in love songs bring about a sense of mystique and sincerity. No one falls head over heels with out questioning the heart. This day in age, people no longer smile at the crowd singing them "Happy Birthday". There must be a balanced approach that covers all bases to truly prick the surface of another's emotion.
CHORDS, SOPHISTICUS
Nothing is shittier than a love song someone wrote while trying to be sophisticated or musically superior to Frank Zappa.
"Honey, did you enjoy that 'A' minor augmented ninth?," isn't going to signify true love.
Take two notes (or chords,) and gently let them carry the melody. Don't play the verses with nearly as much emphasis as the chorus of bridge. That's like trying to hump your dates leg at the resturant upon your first meeting! Ease off, killer... take it slow. Try using a bass and drums and an occasional guitar note that carries through, rather than a handful of distorted power chords. Try using only two unusual notes, not F and C, or C to A.
G to C is acceptable, but try something just as heart wrenching in a key perfectly within your range of singing.
When approaching the chorus, always hesitate. Try a bridge if needed. A good bridge will take the existing two notes and add another one or two, and gradually pick up the feeling. Don't bust your nut just yet. The chords you add should compliment the first two you used.
Going from G to C and adding an Am to a G# might put a damper on things.
Ah, orgasm. The chorus is when you finally break out of your shell and the music can be as bombastic and overbearing as you like. Show yourself naked. A good thing to do is to use the same three or four chords you used on the bridge (if you have a bridge,) and invert them backwards, upside down and inside out. This keeps the song intact and predictable in a good way, at least enough to warm the listener.
WORDS, WORDS
Don't say "fire" and "desire" in the same verse. People really let their ignorance shine when lines like, "I love you so" and "Hold my hand, baby" come into play.
"I want to fuck you so hard" should only be used if you're trying to be funny. When you're trying to let someone know how you feel about them, come down to earth. So you can write music, that doesn't mean you've become Prince Shakespere, "Solah! Solah! Queen of Mine!"
It's okay to mention, "and the beauty never seems to fade/ I wish that we could
run far away" but remember to use some negatives. (just don't over-do it; "Sometimes you're such a bitch" won't fly)!
WHAT IS THERE TO SAY?
Writing about your heart and your soul is okay if done correctly and in moderation, but beyond that, what can you say in a love song that will catch their attention and keep their interest? Walking by the sandy beach like at your senior prom? NO! Wrong answer, slick. Try something bold like the subject's drug of choice or the fact that a high is involved.
Avoid favorite TV shows but don't be afraid to mention aspects of the persons faith.
Food is a bad one, but the caress that tears you apart is fine enough to feed your eternal hunger. Get the idea?
Face it, she won't give a shit if you bring your favorite football team into it. If she sheds a tear, it's probably made out a plastic baggy.
HOW DO I PRESENT MY WORK OF ART?
Make sure you both have time and phones aren't ringing off and on. You don't need candlelight, but throw in some wine or a mixed drink. Tell him or her you wrote them something that might interest them. You're not proposing, just performing.
Don't be nervouse. Take a valium or drink a few Jack and Cokes. Masturbate first. Whatever it takes.
Don't expect to get laid right afterward.
Playing someone you love a song you wrote for them is a moment in itself, if you add more expections it will show. You'll get laid even for trying! Later... when it's not as obviouse. If it's really unexpected, it could even happen right after, but you know...
If you've got a rotten voice that sounds like a Crocodile's fart backwards with tons of reverb and compression, get someone else to sing for you and don't be afraid to accept help on lyrics if you're in doubt. A true artist or friend won't take credit when you put your heart into something like that for someone.
If you sing great but are rusty at guitar, get someone to help.
If you've mastered it all and need no help, chances are, you've already been laid today for writing songs about the government, and only read this because you harbored doubts secretly.
Good luck. If you deem my methods of "love song writing", try your own. A creative approach is by far the best! But if you want advice and a little guidance and idea of what you're getting into, take it from me. I make people cry tears of love and sentiment. I'm the undiscovored gem of Earthling love songs. Rock on, slick!
3/1/04 04:27 pm - closure.
depression is a really funny thing. it comes and goes, and in the end, it's just another part of life. it's something to deal with, and something to learn from. we all go through it, and that's all there is to it. so, take the break needed, pine for a little while, drink a few shots, smoke some cigarettes, listen to the 'cure,' and 'stabbing westward,' or whatever you may prefer, and then wake up, and have a good day.
went to the fair saturday night, spent some money on rides that were less than mediocre, but had a good time.
spoke to dad the other night. lot of snow up there, and good times. miss that guy.
listening to 'the cure: acoustic hits,' the bonus disc i got with the 'greatest hits,' cd. very good stuff.
lots of things going on that i want to keep to myself, but let's just say, my life, there's never a dull moment. if it's not one thing, it's another. to best put it, manson wrote a lyric line that went:
"when one would end, something else began..."that just about sums up my life.
but, despite the past, my insecurities, feelings, and misunderstanding, i feel good. there's not enough time in life to hate it or be afraid of it. there just isn't. and sometimes, it's ok to hate and fear, but, just don't dwell in it. like in that flick, 'what dreams may come,' how max von sydow told robin williams, when he went to see his wife in her own hell for suiciders, don't stay in there too long, otherwise the hate, pain, anger, and feeling of loss will consume you and you will become a part of her hell.
just my views. luckily i'm around still to say i've learned great lessons among great things. that's enough for me. sorry if i've been pathetic these past few weeks.
read between the lines...
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
brokecopy's journal
blank