Reading this book on songwriting again (Tunesmith by Jimmy Webb) and he's bananahead for the perfect lyrics.

And all the while, I'm discounting his points, thinking, there are some SERIOUSLY stupid songs that went to #1, and I'm sure the writer gave the lyrics 5 minutes' thought.

So - what do y'all think? What's your weight-ratio, music/lyrics wise? I've always been a 20% lyrics, 80% music, cuz I'm a musician first; what about y'all? Do you listen to songs and think, "I could have written that, and I would have been laughed out of the studio"...

"Lime in the coconut and drink it all up"
"Hey You Get out of my car and into my dreams"

and the list goes on...

otan said:

Ooo, Harry Nilson! There's a band in San Diego called Sprung Monkey that does a great cover of that song. Got some radio play.


I kinda like the song.

otan said:

I'm the opposite. I really need to sit down and try and craft the lyrics, and the words always take the longest for me. I also try and write a bridge rather than just stick a guitar solo in the middle. Lately, I've been experimenting with different ways the words flow and trying to get away from obvious rhyming patterns.

I like the Lime and Coconut song too. Get out of My Dreams has to go, though.

I put equal importance on the lyrics, but that's just me. I can't STAND cliches. When every line is a line I've heard in another song, I just can't listen to it.

Theres a lame song on the radio now by a band call O.A.R. (which means "of a revolution" but there's nothing revolutionary about them)

"Hey Girl"

I took this girl out last night and we left around 12,
We walked along lonely streets and got to know ourselves,
I like to read - she likes to write,
she likes to sleep - and I like to stay up all night,
My friends say I'm crazy and I agree,
but that's okay cause that the way I like to be
I say now hey girl, come with me and let yourself go,
Hey girl come with me and let yourself go

Well we went out late that night and we danced through the night
I was holding on to her and she was gripping me tight
But i didn't care, and she didnt mind
I was unaware that she liked to act so kind,
My friends say she's crazy and I agree,
but thats okay cause thats the way she likes to be

I say hey girl, come with me and let yourself go,
hey girl come with me and let yourself go, go, go-oh,
just let yourself go

Later on that night I took her home,
I asked if she felt alright being alone
So I went inside, she didn't mind,
Took two to decide that i wasnt going home tonight
I see we're both crazy, thats alright by me,
The night was kind of hazy thats the way it's gonna be

I say now hey girl, come with me and let yourself go,
Hey girl come with me and let yourself go, go, go-oh,
just let yourself go, go, go-oh,
just let yourself go, go, go-oh...
Let yourself go



What a bunch of boring cliche crap!

theSpark said:

hehe... yeah the lyrics don't truly read that well, but actually i think when you hear the song it kinda fits the whole "dave matthews band lite" thing that they got goin on, and it's not that bad in that context.

i dunno... "this morning i wanted a cup of coffee but i didn't have any cream, last night i...er... something something something but i didn't have any dreams" (sorry, forgot the lyric it was that dumb) was one of the WORST couplets i think anyone has ever written. moon, june, spoon... gads!

when i write lyrics, i usually come up with the title first. makes things more interesting that way. i write songs like "super creamy sucker punch", "car crash victim" or "the night of the zombie pimps"... just for the simple fact that those are titles you don't see often (if at all). that way you will NEVER end up with any cliche lyrics, because by default, the title wouldn't allow them. deeper still, personally i would rather hear what the hell a song like "super creamy sucker punch" is about, as opposed to yet another song named... oh, say, "heartbreaker" (just to pick a random overused title). prince's best songs had the COOLEST titles:: if i was your girlfriend... how does someone write some s**t like that? if i was your girlfriend would you remember to tell me all of the things you forgot when i was your man? DAYUM!!! how does someone who seems to be so secluded write something as deep as that?!?!?

sorry... went off on a tangent. songs that had cliche lyrics in my book::

manic monday (funday?!? sunday?!?!)
footloose (kick off your sunday shoes, please louise?!?? blah!!)
diamonds and pearls (day, say, go away? pearls? girl?)

and any song that says "...and that's a natural fact", and any song that says "what's your claim to fame?". (yes, i know that's in love or money which is a jam, but it is still an overused line i think).

$.02.

--gm--

This reminds me of a rule I've set for myself. I never have, nor ever will use the word "baby" in a song.

theSpark said:

Well now - I used to agree until I wrote one... it's one of those things - I never WANTED to put BABY in a song, and then, I was writing a song from the perspective of a pickup artist in a disco, circa 1977, so the phrase 'Come on Baby' made perfect sense. And peeps love the song at shows, so obviously, if the folks like it, I'll say "Zebraphonicus Monopneumonicus."

I'm a whore for applause.

otan said:

For me it really depends on my mood, but overall it depends on the hook. Sometimes the melody that the words are singing is the only thing that people will remember.

Only musicians are listening to a song and leaving saying "That drummer was great" or "What a guitar solo". Everyone else is singing the hook to their favorite song of the night.

IMO

I'm a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to clichéd lyrics. I positively hate stuff like:
-cuts like a knive (/live)
- change/rearrange
- all night long/dawn
- any rock ballads featuring the word angel

On the other hand, you'll find me happily singing along to any ol'funk jam with lyrics like "clap your hands and stomp your feet" or "motherfunk you".

I don't care about lyrics, I just write some lines down in 5 minutes and that's it. Don't care about cliches, I actually like them. Funk lyrics are full of cliches, it's one of the charms of funk IMO...

Anything that rhymes "fire" and "desire"...I hate that!

otan said:
---
"Lime in the coconut and drink it all up"
---


Ooo, Harry Nilson! There's a band in San Diego called Sprung Monkey that does a great cover of that song. Got some radio play.


I kinda like the song.

PM Dawn does a good cover of this too on their Jesus Wept album.

"Give me a sign, hit me baby one more time".


lol

Did that hit #1?

chickenman said:

Love PM Dawn. They combined that song with 1999 and Same as it Ever Was for a groovy medley.

Yeah. Hit me Baby went to #1.

The lyrics had a double-entendre. She wasn't so much asking her boyfriend to backhand her, as to deal another card on the deck BEFORE backhanding her.

Big difference.

otan said:

I thought it was about sex.