Keith Richards, one on the songwriting Glimmer Twins, once described the songwriting process as an almost mystical act where songs that pre-exist in a cosmic otherworld are channeled to his mind and out through his guitar. He sees himself not as an artist, but as a vessel who was selected by the gods to deliver music to the humans. It bears mentioning that the croaky-throated Richards has consumed a voluminous amount of drugs in his lifetime.
Having conjured up a few rudimentary ditties myself, I can tell you that songwriting is a far more logical exercise than Keith would have you believe. In fact, musical composition is governed by the principles of mathematics, which is why it’s no surprise that someone like Stephen Sondheim, a math major in college and a rather cold and calculating person in life, is such an accomplished composer.
When I listen to a song, it’s usually not difficult to imagine how it came into existence. I can hear the songwriter quietly strumming the chord progression over and over again, maybe adding a hook here or a riff there. She begins to hum and soon the melody takes shape. Once she’s satisfied with the basic song structure, she starts to add words to the melody, perhaps pulling out her poetry notebook to see if anything will fit.
Listen to a songwriter performing without a backing band - which I did this weekend when watching Sunken Treasure-Live in the Pacific Northwest, a concert documentary on Jeff Tweedy - and you can often hear the songs as they were at birth. The music is stripped down and naked, although thankfully the placenta isn’t really analogous to anything.
All this being said, there are those songs that seem to defy rationalization. They do seem to come as a gift from the heavens. One of those songs, for me anyway, is Strawberry Letter 23, a Shuggie Otis-penned tune made famous by the Brothers Johnson.
I love this song; I just can’t imagine how it ever came to be. I’m sure someone more musically inclined than I could break it down and show it to be far simpler than it sounds, but what I hear is transcendental.
Not a few years back this song was usurped by a commercial and I ‘discovered’ it. Great tune. Some of the best songs from the 70s are coming back in the form of commercials. Rubberband Man for Office Depot and my new favorite, Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield which is now the front for some type of medication.
For many of us, writing a song is a “logical exercise” that is “governed by the principles of mathematics” but I’ve known enough great songwriters to see that that isn’t true for all of them. For some, they do seem to channel something greater (ala K. Richards). Now, I’m not saying that there is some great gig in the sky just waiting to doll out killer licks and poetic lyrics – but that for some people the process itself involves almost no discernible effort. For others, like me – whose desire to write may outweigh our instinctive ability; we have to go through the more laborious process.
And as for the magic final product (like the Bros Johs song you mentioned) never underestimate the power of the studio. Song writing and song producing are 2 different acts – and both are art. A good producer can take a simple ditty and turn it in to a perfect tune (see Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_for_the_Benefit_of_Mr._Kite%21). Much of what we think of as the creation of a specific musical artists is often very equally the creation of a producer spending hours adding layers through multi-tracking.
You correct, of course, about the producer’s role in crafting a song, especially a song such as Strawberry Letter 23. Even still, the sound that was produced in the studio still seemed to come from some place else. What’s amazing to me is that someone who can’t play an instrument, could conceivable be a great producer as long as they communicate the sound they hear in their head to those making the music.
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Tasty post, thanks!
Hadn’t heard this track in several years…
Todd | Jun 2, 2008 | Reply
Not a few years back this song was usurped by a commercial and I ‘discovered’ it. Great tune. Some of the best songs from the 70s are coming back in the form of commercials. Rubberband Man for Office Depot and my new favorite, Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield which is now the front for some type of medication.
Gish | Jun 3, 2008 | Reply
Respectfully submitted on behalf of Rock Robster:
For many of us, writing a song is a “logical exercise” that is “governed by the principles of mathematics” but I’ve known enough great songwriters to see that that isn’t true for all of them. For some, they do seem to channel something greater (ala K. Richards). Now, I’m not saying that there is some great gig in the sky just waiting to doll out killer licks and poetic lyrics – but that for some people the process itself involves almost no discernible effort. For others, like me – whose desire to write may outweigh our instinctive ability; we have to go through the more laborious process.
And as for the magic final product (like the Bros Johs song you mentioned) never underestimate the power of the studio. Song writing and song producing are 2 different acts – and both are art. A good producer can take a simple ditty and turn it in to a perfect tune (see Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_for_the_Benefit_of_Mr._Kite%21). Much of what we think of as the creation of a specific musical artists is often very equally the creation of a producer spending hours adding layers through multi-tracking.
nancy | Jun 3, 2008 | Reply
Rock Robster, via Nancy,
You correct, of course, about the producer’s role in crafting a song, especially a song such as Strawberry Letter 23. Even still, the sound that was produced in the studio still seemed to come from some place else. What’s amazing to me is that someone who can’t play an instrument, could conceivable be a great producer as long as they communicate the sound they hear in their head to those making the music.
Thanks for commenting,
Dan
Dan | Jun 8, 2008 | Reply
Dan, listen to the Shuggie Otis version. Please!!!
lo | Oct 20, 2008 | Reply