People say so many things they shouldn't say. Though I lose my mind I will always find my way. Do they care how much it hurts you? As sure as night destroys the day People say so many things they shouldn't say. Hold your tongue a little longer. Does it make a weak man stronger to feed his fragile ego on another's honest pain? How the words like fingers salty find your wounds and have their way people say so many things they shouldn't say. People say so many things they shouldn't say.
Joe Pernice Bony Gap Music (BMI), Admin. by BUG/BMG
Friends,
Hope you’re all well.
As I mentioned yesterday, here’s a video of a song I recently finished. I wrote the song a couple years ago, and back then I thought it was finished then. I even did a studio recording of the song last winter, but it wasn’t sitting right with me, so I shelved it.
Last week I listened to the recording for the first time in a while, and it was neon-obvious what was wrong with the song: It was too damn long AND what was making the song long was adding nothing valuable to the song. Why was it so obvious to me last week and not last year? I have a strong hunch that it has something to do with the writer (me) being blindly attached to the initial idea. That old expression first thought, best thought doesn’t always tell the whole story. Sometimes first thought has to be shelved for a year or so to expose best thought.
As I write this, it dawns on me that in the past, as well as abandon completion-resistant songs, I’d often break such a song in parts. Maybe one problematic song might yield two or three other song. That’s one way to go about it, for sure. But I wonder if temporarily shelving and then revisiting such a song, like I did with Things They Shouldn’t Say might result in the better song. I’m not sure, but in the future I will certainly consider the options when I hit a roadblock.
So, there you have a mini glimpse into the process. I will add that for me writing songs could/can only be called a process after I stop and identify what I did to end up with the finished song. Each lesson gets stored and is hopefully there for me to lean on and refer to.
I really do think anyone can write songs. You just have to enjoy running into walls.
I believe I posted an earlier version of Things They Shouldn’t Say here on Substack. The finished version included her today eliminates the the lead break and the second chorus. They were doing nothing but drag the song out to a painful length. I think I was initially wedded to the lead break because I whistled the lead. Don’t think I’ve ever whistled a lead on any song. Well, I still haven’t…yet.
Thanks a lot for listening & subscribing. Go run into a few walls and sweep up the song off the floor. Might be a good one.
Take care of yourselves and those around you.
JP
