So, Who Really Cares?

Songwriting

By Michael Anderson

In this space I have previously presented ideas on the theme and subject matter of your songs—how important it is for the listener to be able to identify what you are talking about and understand what you are trying to say in regard to that point.

I recently heard a song that defined for me another issue with relatability songwriters face in presenting their material to the outside world. The song itself was technically well written—the form, the structure, and the recording, were clear and easily understood. The theme was equally clear and well represented—it was a song about middle class debt.

In my comments to the writer I pointed out the aspects of the song that were strong—aspects that take many songwriters a lot of effort to hone and craft.

The writer even made mention of and referenced previous critiques he had received from other music business professionals that mentioned areas of the song that could be improved. For instance, in the song title the writer had used the word "forty"—an age someone mentioned may limit the audience.

There are elements of a song title that can limit an audience—"name" songs are one case in point—when the title contains a person's name. The general thought is the title may limit the appeal to other people who don't have that name. There are of course famous exceptions to that rule—"Mandy," "Maria," "Amanda," "Billy Jean"—but you get the point. You try to make your song as universal as possible without getting too generalized. But I did not think the use of the age "40" in the title was the main issue.

The main issue was the basic theme. How does a writer make the theme of his or her song interesting to an outside audience? Some people find some things interesting, some people find those same things uninteresting.

There have been many songs with themes that may at first glance seem outside the parameters of what others may find interesting—"Ben" by Michael Jackson being one example—a song about a rat "Eleanor Rigby" about the death of a lonely old lady. Not something you hear everyday—or would probably want to.

But Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney made the majority of their reputations on thematically relatable songs—for the most part hit songs are songs that tend toward relationships and emotionally relatable themes.

But the challenge is to use those themes and subject matters in a way that is fresh and interesting. Some would say there is nothing new under the sun—they are all the same. That may be true in a sense—but if you listen to even the most simple reinvention of the classic themes that becomes a hit you will probably hear a new, fresh, slightly different twist to the basic obvious theme or subject matter. That is where real craftsmanship shows itself.

Where does that leave the song about debt?

In World War II many Hollywood directors were enlisted by the Army to make propaganda and / or training films—and sometime films on things as basic as hygiene that would be shown to new recruits. These were and are important issues, but you don't see many of these films today the way you would see a Hollywood entertainment film from the '30s or '40s on American Movie Classics. The Army films are informative, they are well done, they are clear and present the subject matter well—they are easy to understand. But they are not entertaining (except perhaps on a novelty level for a film historian).

And that "entertaining" is the point. Is your song idea interesting to someone else? A lot of people?

Technical craftsmanship is important—it is a difficult skill to master—but the point is to be interesting and entertaining. A true entertainer has an innate ability to read the audience—to know what moves them and how to give them what they want. That is what the entertainment business is.

Many will reply, "But I am an artist!" I am aware that many "artists" sold their vision as a career—Picasso and Bob Dylan come to mind.

But I read recently that films about the war in Iraq are bombing at the box office—and popular protest songs about the war are practically nonexistent—not due to government censorship—but a real lack of audience interest—unlike the artistic climate of the '60s when artists like Dylan made their mark with their vision.

So the writer of today has a balancing act that has contemporary challenges—using all of the technical skill possible to craft songs in well presented way—and also to make his or her vision clear and interesting to an audience that is looking for entertainment as well as inspiration.

As they used to say in "Mission Impossible"—that is your assignment, if you choose to accept this assignment...

You can contact Michael Anderson through michaelanderson.com.

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