Songwriting Workshop

[blue2blue]

Not thinking about commercial or stylistic genres so much as the underlying songwriting, which I hope to suggest by these (easy and obvious) examples, which I'll throw in the ring to get things started... 

[examples optional, as you think necessary]

girl name songs

murder ballads

teen tragey songs ("Teen Angel," "Leader of the Pack")

sea shanties

I'll add a couple more from my youth...

hot rod songs

surf instrumentals ("Pipeline")

beach lifestyle songs ("Surfin' Safari")

biker instrumentals, soundtrack themes ("Blue's Theme")

biker lifestyle songs ("Born to Be Wild")

... take it...

[Danhedonia]

Love songs.
Pirate drinking songs.
National anthems.

That's all there is.

[Monkey Uncle]

Protest songs

Convoluted story songs

Stoner songs (see Pink Floyd)

T&A songs (see the last 20 years of hip-hop)

[LCK]

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blue2blue wrote:

Not thinking about commercial or stylistic genres so much as the underlying songwriting, which I hope to suggest by these (easy and obvious) examples, which I'll throw in the ring to get things started... 

[examples optional, as you think necessary]

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Moms and dads: "Mama Tried," "Bugged at My Old Man," "Dance With My Father..."

Brothers and sisters: "He Ain't Heavy," "Don't Hurt My Little Sister," "We Are Family..."

Wanting to grow up: "When I Grow Up to Be a Man," "Summertime Blues," "Jack and Diane..."

Songs about school: "Wonderful World," "Ring, Ring Goes the Bell," "Smokin' in the Boy's Room..."

Summer vacation: "All Summer Long," "It Might as Well Rain Until September," "School's Out..."

Teenage angst: "At Seventeen," "My Generation," "Welcome to My Life..."

Songs about the rain: "Singin' in the Rain," "Rainy Night in Georgia," "Rain" (the Beatles)...

Songs about summer: "Summertime," "Your Summer Dream," "Under the Boardwalk," "Summer Breeze..."

Songs about autumn: "The Autumn Leaves," "Moondance," "September," "September in the Rain..."

Songs about winter (non-Christmas): "Hazy Shade of Winter," "California Dreamin'," "The Coldest Night of the Year..."

Songs about spring: "Here Comes the Sun," "April in Paris," "Waters of March..."

Songs about Sunday: "Groovin'," "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," "Sunday Will Never Be the Same..."

Songs about Saturday: "Saturday in the Park," "Saturday Clothes," "The Heart of Saturday Night..."

Songs about Friday: "Black Friday," "Friday on My Mind," "I Wish It Was Friday..."

Songs about other days: "Monday, Monday," "Tuesday Afternoon," "Wednesday Morning, 3 AM," "Jersey Thursday..."

Songs about trains: "City of New Orleans," "Downtown Train," "Midnight Train to Georgia..."

Songs about planes: "In the Early Morning Rain," "Silver Wings," "Jet Airliner..."

Songs about cars: "Old '55," "409," "Mercury Blues," "Little Red Corvette," "Maybelline..."

Songs about trucks: "Six Days on the Road," "Phantom 309," "White Line Fever..."

Songs about food: "Bread and Butter," "Brown Sugar," "Eggs and Sausage..."

and probably the most relevant category of all...

Songs about wasting time: "Daydream," "Wasting Time," "Busy Doin' Nothing..."

[LCK]

More topics:

songs about outlaws,

prostitutes,

good girls gone bad,

bad girls who are really good at heart,

songs about friendship,

songs about wanting to move to a new town or city,

songs about being stuck in a new town or city,

songs about sailing (metaphorical),

songs that are actually about sailing,

songs about buses (The Who, The Beatles),

songs about being stuck in train stations and airports,

songs about traveling in general,

songs about actual highways,

songs about reunions,

songs about family life,

lullabies,

songs about ancient history, mythology, battles, etc.,

songs about dying,

songs about killing someone or someone being killed,

songs about small town life,

songs about big city life, neighborhoods, streetcorners, etc.

songs about cronies/homeboys,

songs about dead musicians,

songs about playing sports,

songs about sports (non-metaphorical),

songs about drinking some form of alchohol,

songs about songs,

songs about writing songs,

songs about music,

romantic-advice-to-a-friend songs,

songs about states,

songs about cities,

songs about dogs,

songs about horses,

songs about horse racing,

songs about poker, gambling, etc.,

songs about feeling lucky,

songs about feeling unlucky,

songs about waking up in the morning,

songs about going to sleep at night,

songs about evil record-company executives and/or business managers,

songs about the mountains,

songs about the desert,

songs about the ocean,

songs about rivers,

songs about fish or other forms of underwater life,

songs about dreams (metaphorical),

songs about actual dreams,

songs about technology,

songs about musical instruments,

and that doesn't even include songs about feeling states: "I Feel Fine," "I Can't Get No Satisfaction," etc.

[rsadasiv]

Songs about life
Songs about songs
Songs about buildings and food

[Oswlek]

Are lyrics what really determine genre?  Classic rock, metal, grunge, cock rock, rap - this is what I think of when I think of genres and it isn't as if each category shares storyline content.

[peanutroad]

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Oswlek wrote:

Are lyrics what really determine genre?

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I would consider most of what has been listed here as theme rather than genre.

[Monkey Uncle]

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peanutroad wrote:

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Oswlek wrote:

Are lyrics what really determine genre?

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I would consider most of what has been listed here as theme rather than genre.

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And I think that's what Blue was really aiming for if you look at the examples he threw out in the OP.

[blue2blue]

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Oswlek wrote:

Are lyrics what really determine genre?  Classic rock, metal, grunge, cock rock, rap - this is what I think of when I think of genres and it isn't as if each category shares storyline content.

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I was trying to make a distinction  between musical style genres and the writing genre. So you could take a sea shantie and turn it into a very modern musical execution (or for what passes for one at the time) like the Byrds did with "Jack Tarr, the Sailor." Or take a gentle folk song of introspection like "Sounds of Silence," and turn it into a machine-gun delivery song of nihilism, as the Dickies did. In my long life, there are a number of standard songs I've heard done in almost every conceivable manner, sometimes several in the same song.

But I was interested more in exploring, comparing and contrasting the underlying songs, writing idioms, and so on. 

[Lee Knight]

Don't know if it's been mentioned but... spelling songs.

D-I-V-O-R-C-E

g l o r i a... gloooooooooria!

The big metaphor/simile a la Simon

I am a rock, I am an island

Like a bridge over troubled water

[blue2blue]

I'll kick in another -- actually, the genre that got me thinking: epistolary songs -- letter songs. 

One of my favorites is Iron & Wine's "Upward Over the Mountains," in the form of a rambling letter from a wayward son to his mother filled with sunny optimism but peppered with dark hints to his troubled lifestyle.

One song that takes the epistolary format and turns it on its head with cheeky cleverness is "Take a Letter, Maria." (If you're not familiar with it, it's in the form of a boss giving his loyal secretary dictation. In the course of the dictation, we hear the guy's story, his ungrateful underserving wife the letter is to, the loyal secretary he's really in love with. It's a very nicely constructed little thing.)

[Lee Knight]

The clothing song

Devil With a Blue Dress

Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat

Blue Suede Shoes

Weezer's The Sweater Song (Undone)

[Lee Knight]

The "He's not singing about who you think he's singing about" song.

Memphis

Marie is only six years old, information please

Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee

[Oswlek]

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Lee Knight wrote:

The "He's not singing about who you think he's singing about" song.

Memphis

Marie is only six years old, information please

Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee

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Turning Japanese

[Lee Knight]

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Oswlek wrote:

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Lee Knight wrote:

The "He's not singing about who you think he's singing about" song.

Memphis

Marie is only six years old, information please

Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee

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Turning Japanese

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The ailment song

Rockin' Pneumonia

Poison Ivy

You Got a Cold

The "I partied too hard" song

Condition My Condition Was In

Mama Told Me Not To Come

Eight Miles High

[Lee Knight]

The Pee Wee Herman "I'm a rebel, Dottie" loner song

Ramblin' Man

Gentle On My Mind

Movin' On

[Lee Knight]

The "mention a star/idol" song

I'll Fix Your Flat Tire, Merle

Walkin' in Memphis

Black Velvet

David Duchovny

Candle in the Wind

Bela Lugosi is Dead

[LCK]

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Oswlek wrote:

Are lyrics what really determine genre?  Classic rock, metal, grunge, cock rock, rap - this is what I think of when I think of genres and it isn't as if each category shares storyline content.

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I thought Blue was going for song topics, not genres.

[LCK]

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blue2blue wrote:

I'll kick in another -- actually, the genre that got me thinking: epistolary songs -- letter songs. 

One of my favorites is Iron & Wine's "Upward Over the Mountains," in the form of a rambling letter from a wayward son to his mother filled with sunny optimism but peppered with dark hints to his troubled lifestyle.

One song that takes the epistolary format and turns it on its head with cheeky cleverness is "Take a Letter, Maria." (If you're not familiar with it, it's in the form of a boss giving his loyal secretary dictation. In the course of the dictation, we hear the guy's story, his ungrateful underserving wife the letter is to, the loyal secretary he's really in love with. It's a very nicely constructed little thing.)

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Or "P.S. I Love You" by Johnny Mercer:

What is there to write? What is there to say?
Same things happen every day.
Not a thing to write. Not a thing to say.
So I take my pen in hand and start the same old way:

Dear, I thought I'd drop a line.
The weather's cool. The folks are fine.
I'm in bed each night at nine.
P.S. I love you.

Yesterday we had some rain
but all in all I can't complain.
Was it dusty on the train?
P.S. I love you.

Write to the Browns as soon as you're able.
They came around to call.
I burned a hole in the dining room table.
And let me see, I guess that's all.

Nothing else for me to say.
And so I'll close, but by the way.
Everybody's thinking of you.
P.S. I love you.

I do my best to obey all your wishes.
I put a sign up: "THINK!"
But I've got to buy a new set of dishes
or wash the ones that are piled in the sink.

Nothing else to tell you, dear,
except each day seems like a year.
Every night I'm dreaming of you
P.S. I love you.