Your Life Situation is NOT a Song Idea: How Pros Find Titles

[@SongTownUSA]

Why Good Songs Fail. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4eTop2jpJZriNU

[@SongWritersChopShop]

Great advice guys. Writing About a situation is one thing but finding that unique angle that speaks to and for the human condition is where the magic lies 👍👍

[@SongTownUSA]

#100%

[@a.j.sjodahl8103]

I've been guilty of trying to turn a life situation into a song, and each time it's not been a good result...lol. Thank you for this--greatly appreciated!

[@SongTownUSA]

It can be done for sure, just have to find that angle on it that makes it a song idea. Sometimes a little distance later on down the road gives us just the perspective we need to be able to pull the song out of what happened to us.

[@victoriapendragon8376]

I'm both a visual artist and an author and I sooooo appreciated your chat. Titling (oh! apparently that's a real word!) is a challenge in both those fields, especially the visual as many artists (I, among them) may approach the same subject in a variety of ways. I have about four paintings that are around the "Omega" and the image is the most obvious thing about all of them... that was a real challenge and I'm only really pleased with two of the titles. I continue to ponder.

[@thesongwritersjourney]

I laughed out loud the moment I read the title of this episode - probably at myself. So much good advice in this one.

[@SongTownUSA]

Thx! We are all guilty of this at times 🤣

[@daddyslittlejunkies]

@@SongTownUSA Tell that to Billy Joel :) My life however fits this video title for sure.

[@heartshinemusic]

Great channel guys! There can never be enough KZbin channels about songwriting!

[@SongTownUSA]

Appreciate you watching and joining the convo! ~CM

[@ThomasLiljeruhm]

I do believe a song like "The Moving Van Is Here Again" could work in the style of Pistol Annies. Kind of small town gossip style.

[@SongTownUSA]

Write on, Write it!

[@martydodson3774]

Could be!

[@PirateRadioPodcasts]

"HELLO WALLS" Willie Nelson :)

[@SongTownUSA]

Great tune! One of the best. ~CM

[@DarrenMichaelMusic]

We NEED more channels like this! Easiest sub ever🙌🏼 can’t get enough of this kind of content ❗️

[@SongTownUSA]

Write on! Glad it's helpful and good to have ya here. ~CM

[@webstercat]

Working my way thru all your videos.

[@kilgoretrout321]

I wonder if you like this idea, guys: The moving van idea makes me think about the people telling the story: like, what big changes have happening in their lives between each new set of neighbors? Maybe the narrator was best friends with the first neighbor and watched that marriage fall apart whereas his and his wife's got stronger learning from his neighbor's mistakes. Then the 2nd neighbors' kids were best friends with the narrator's kids (maybe even a 1st love who moved away and broke the narrator's son/daughter's heart). Then maybe the third set of neighbors is when the narrators are moving into middle age. Etc etc. It would follow the major life stages of a relatable family contrasting with the changes going on around them. THAT sounds more like a song to me than anything purely about the neighbors across the street. Maybe not a hit, but decent filler, which albums seem to need more and more these days...

[@John-Lorraine]

The thing that makes a life situation a song idea it a good line. A good line can lead to a good string of words or a memorable phrase. You could write a song about being a military brat or a salesman's kid who sees a u-haul truck outside and knows that there is a new school, new teachers, loss of friendships that were built and starting over based on that moving van idea. EDIT: I may try to write that.

[@SongTownUSA]

Good ideas!

[@John-Lorraine]

@@SongTownUSA I want to acknowledge that my increased understanding of Nashville, songwriting, alternate tuning, in the last year have come from digging in and watching a lot of your content. I put out my first three tunes on all streaming platforms and YT a little over a week ago. If you have a minute to listen, I would appreciate it. Thanks for everything you do, John L.

[@SongTownUSA]

@@John-Lorraine Awesome!

[@SongTownUSA]

@@John-Lorraine that's amazing. Thanks for letting us know. Love hearing that. Write on! ~CM

[@MatthewChambersMusic]

Always writing from common threads.

[@chriskemp466]

David Ackles did Moving Van

[@webstercat]

It took a moving van and her cousin Dan to haul her big ass away. You could hear her screaming for miles away..

[@BobBeckley-by2sy]

Ghost in this house by Hugh Prestwood.

[@SongTownUSA]

Great song!

[@bjarnyg]

12:49 yeah i've been thinking the same thing, having a hit when you're already a superstar is one thing, having a hit when you're a "nobody" is something very different. do you think any of the last albums from taylor swift would have been hits if she wasn't already a megastar? i doubt it.

[@SongTownUSA]

Good point… We’ll never know! She’s a very talented writer either way.

[@bjarnyg]

@@SongTownUSA yes she is, and your songwriting skills are far more important than your voice. and don't forget the people she's working with too.

[@SongTownUSA]

@@bjarnyg absolutely!

[@bjarnyg]

@@SongTownUSA yeah she could probably write a song about toads mating and it would still be a hit.

[@Neil-Aspinall]

Subject matter doesn't really matter as long as you can put an original spin on it so the listener can also relate. In song writing as in all art, there are no rules, really.

[@SongTownUSA]

or... You could look at it like this. Yes, there are rules. A major scale has so many notes. A triad has three notes. A classic song form is AABA or VChVChBCh...But learning rules and knowing when to break them create your true power as a musician.

[@NoCoverCharge]

Ok when you can write the gunfighter ballads then call me 🤙 or Charlie rich song The most beautiful girl in the world .. Kenny and the gambler .. Devil went down to Georgia!! That’s real songs

[@SongTownUSA]

Great songs! Write on!

[@LukeIcardMusic]

The moving van is here again Maybe this time I shouldnt tell my friends She cheated and its time for this to end Now im stuck in this cycle again The moving van is here again The moving van is here again Yeah doesnt really work xD

[@rexchiquine6049]

You mean to say,,,I left her because her annoying fiddle playing daughter isn't a good song idea,,,

[@SongTownUSA]

haha!

[@rexchiquine6049]

@@SongTownUSA it's a true story and it led to me writing my biggest song,,,