Art of Songwriting
- Thread starter Coxon
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shaneypants
New member
I think some local bands that have awesome lyrics are The Observatory, Caracal, The Fire Fight and Marchtwelve. I think British rock bands generally have nice lyrics. The way they piece a song together is just beautiful.
And please don't kill me, but I honestly think Kanye West and Snoop Dogg are awesome song/rap writers. Their songs are so deep emotionally, yet simple to understand.
I recently found out I like rap music about love, the will to live, how painful and tiring life can sometimes be and other topics which touch on things we all face but are to afraid to show.
So yeah, I think rappers are brilliant writers or should I say poets. =)
And please don't kill me, but I honestly think Kanye West and Snoop Dogg are awesome song/rap writers. Their songs are so deep emotionally, yet simple to understand.
I recently found out I like rap music about love, the will to live, how painful and tiring life can sometimes be and other topics which touch on things we all face but are to afraid to show.
So yeah, I think rappers are brilliant writers or should I say poets. =)
daryl
New member
Coxon: Yes definitely, people nowadays seem to value technicality above everything else. Which can be a pain, sometimes, when good songs get put down and songs which are so terribly bad are praised. Like wow, look at that shredding? Did you hear that double bass and that drum fill?
I'm not so sure about those examples of yours though.. seems to be very subjective.
Yellow by Coldplay, yeah I love the song. But I can say the lyrics put me off big time. When was skin and bones romantic? The idea of skin and bones hardly portrays beauty. I love you? Wow, that was direct. Cheesy.
Southern Girl by Incubus. Bold and innovative lyrics. The images are striking, "animals swinging from tree to tree". Could it be a reference to the animalistic urges of humans? The idea of the southern girl as being true to herself and honest. No superficiality. Going back to your roots. Behaving like animals, letting loose. Shaking the worries of urbanisation and the big cities away. Deep and innovative lyrics. Not cheesy. Fresh change from I love yous.
For good songwriting and lyrics, you guys could check these artists out.
Brand New
Bright Eyes
Modest Mouse
Elliott Smith
Travis
Incubus
And if you havent, The Beatles.
On a local context, The Great Spy Experiment is great. Of course, Electrico, though their lyrics can be ugh at times, still my favourite local band.
I'm not so sure about those examples of yours though.. seems to be very subjective.
Yellow by Coldplay, yeah I love the song. But I can say the lyrics put me off big time. When was skin and bones romantic? The idea of skin and bones hardly portrays beauty. I love you? Wow, that was direct. Cheesy.
Southern Girl by Incubus. Bold and innovative lyrics. The images are striking, "animals swinging from tree to tree". Could it be a reference to the animalistic urges of humans? The idea of the southern girl as being true to herself and honest. No superficiality. Going back to your roots. Behaving like animals, letting loose. Shaking the worries of urbanisation and the big cities away. Deep and innovative lyrics. Not cheesy. Fresh change from I love yous.
For good songwriting and lyrics, you guys could check these artists out.
Brand New
Bright Eyes
Modest Mouse
Elliott Smith
Travis
Incubus
And if you havent, The Beatles.
On a local context, The Great Spy Experiment is great. Of course, Electrico, though their lyrics can be ugh at times, still my favourite local band.
visa
New member
"people nowadays seem to value technicality above everything else."
this refers to musicians, and specificially usually musicians who don't write songs. songwriters value good songs (melody/rhythm/hooks/lyrics/writing) over everything else.
I dare say even technical bands like Dream Theater will tell you that they are all about writing effective songs.
I don't think any successful band or musician will every say that excessive technical ability without songwriting is okay. Anybody who has sold at least say ten thousand albums will attest to thhat.
There are so many technical gurus sitting at home without having written songs or played in original bands wondering why they aren't as famous as their heroes, or more so because they can play faster. Well if they could write better songs and sell them to people, then they would!
===
I quite like Yellow because it can be interpreted in many ways!
you can see it as a song about drugs, you can see it with religious connotations, you can see it from a parent's perspective, about sacrifice for a sick loved one, the fact that it can mean so much to so many different people is a measure of it's effectiveness.
and skin and bones can work whaat! It's like, i'll love you, even when you're sickly, even if you're being hurt (by yourself or others), even if you're dead and gone, if i could do something to make things better, to make you beautiful.
this refers to musicians, and specificially usually musicians who don't write songs. songwriters value good songs (melody/rhythm/hooks/lyrics/writing) over everything else.
I dare say even technical bands like Dream Theater will tell you that they are all about writing effective songs.
I don't think any successful band or musician will every say that excessive technical ability without songwriting is okay. Anybody who has sold at least say ten thousand albums will attest to thhat.
There are so many technical gurus sitting at home without having written songs or played in original bands wondering why they aren't as famous as their heroes, or more so because they can play faster. Well if they could write better songs and sell them to people, then they would!
===
I quite like Yellow because it can be interpreted in many ways!
you can see it as a song about drugs, you can see it with religious connotations, you can see it from a parent's perspective, about sacrifice for a sick loved one, the fact that it can mean so much to so many different people is a measure of it's effectiveness.
and skin and bones can work whaat! It's like, i'll love you, even when you're sickly, even if you're being hurt (by yourself or others), even if you're dead and gone, if i could do something to make things better, to make you beautiful.
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faizal_rocks
New member
I do agree with Daryl that to study further into songwriting, one should listen to the Beatles..I mean, "Yesterday" for example is a great song with great melody..esp where the part it goes to .."why she had to go I don`t know, she wouldn`t say""..then there`s "Let It Be", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" n many many more..
I`m surprised that no one mentioned the Bee Gees. Awesome songwriters, esp Barry Gibb. Their songs were covered by most artists back then. Songs like "How Deep Is Your Love", "Nights On Broadway", "Words", "Emotion", etc..
Songwriting standards for me dropped during this era..no melody, rubbish lyrics etc..One prime example of a great songwriter would be Diane Warren..she writes a lot of hit songs for most bands from the 70s or is it 80s? up till today...
I`m surprised that no one mentioned the Bee Gees. Awesome songwriters, esp Barry Gibb. Their songs were covered by most artists back then. Songs like "How Deep Is Your Love", "Nights On Broadway", "Words", "Emotion", etc..
Songwriting standards for me dropped during this era..no melody, rubbish lyrics etc..One prime example of a great songwriter would be Diane Warren..she writes a lot of hit songs for most bands from the 70s or is it 80s? up till today...
XLayaR
New member
People don't always listen to music for the lyrics man....
Listening to this band's drummer blastbeat like a madman is also a viable reason for a person's love for that particular band.....
If that was the case, everyone would be better off reading poetry than listening to music
Not that good lyrics are not commendable, just that its not always the case
Not everyone's a poet but around here everyone's a musician in his/her own way
Listening to this band's drummer blastbeat like a madman is also a viable reason for a person's love for that particular band.....
If that was the case, everyone would be better off reading poetry than listening to music
Not that good lyrics are not commendable, just that its not always the case
Not everyone's a poet but around here everyone's a musician in his/her own way