Lyrical content

Writing lyrics is like pulling teeth. Sometimes they tumble out, other times it's like squeezing blood from a stone. I have a theory that sometimes the songs not ready to come into physical form so it refuses to reveal itself. When this happens it can hold the song up for months, sometimes years. I've got a song I started in 1997 that I've never finished cause I haven't been able to figure out it's structure or lyrics. They'll come, but in their own sweet time..

There seems to be two types of songwriter - ones that start with words & build a song from there & others that start with music and add lyrics last. I'm the latter, I wouldn't say I'm a poet or anything but I do try to write interesting lyrics. The less cliche the better. The last thing you want is a killer track with lyrics you're too embarrassed to enunciate clearly. Yes, this has and does happen to me. Not every lyric is a home-run, sometimes you just have to admit what you've written is tripe, but what the hell - someone might find something truthful in it..

There's two types of ways of coming at your lyrics, personal experience or storytelling. I tend to be a mix of both, you may not want to give too much away, but sometimes it's unavoidable in the completion of a track.

I'll leave you today with a track called 'the old man & the sea', it's kind of a sea shanty and is a pretty good matching of lyric to music.
You'll have to come see us if you want to hear the tune.. ;)

'I'll take the rain, & I'll take the fog
To live my live on the ocean
& I'll take cold & I'll take the wind
To live my live on the sea

I gave my life to the ocean
I lived my life for the sea
I gave my heart to the salt & the breeze
Yes that's the life for me

I left my home, when I was a boy
To learn the secrets of the sea
I laughed, I cried,
& other men died
But I was born on the ocean

I gave my life to the ocean
I lived my life for the sea
I gave my heart to the salt & the breeze
Yes that's the life for me'