Songwriting Workshop

[oldgitplayer]

I think I want to tell a story about a writer who sticks to what he believes in and doesn't buckle under the pressure of commercial publishers telling him what sells and how he should change his work etc...

He self-publishes an e-book which sells magnificently.

I need to decide on an angle, so if anyone knows of any other songs that deal with this subject matter, I'd be grateful if you would post them, so that I can familiarise myself with them and don't cover the same ground.

Here's the 1st snippet of the idea:

And when you fill your life

With commercial compromise

Somewhere in your world

The unborn artist dies

[Monkey Uncle]

Example #1:

[peanutroad]

My immediate thought was the Beatles's 'Paperback Writer.' I guess you're going for sort of the opposite of their writer, who seems quite eager to sell out!

Considering the sales of my own ebooks, I wouldn't mind selling out myself...

[blue2blue]

I can just hear the end of the chorus, "Eeeeeeee-book Wri-tuh!"

= D

I like the lines in OGP's OP as a theme for the song, but they seem a little on-the-nose for actual lines. I'm thinking slip that message in there between the lines and the listener will be a little more involved -- and flattered that the songwriter gave him credit for sussing out the meaning...

[oldgitplayer]

---

blue2blue wrote:

I can just hear the end of the chorus, "Eeeeeeee-book Wri-tuh!"

= D

I like the lines in OGP's OP as a theme for the song, but they seem a little on-the-nose for actual lines. I'm thinking slip that message in there between the lines and the listener will be a little more involved -- and flattered that the songwriter gave him credit for sussing out the meaning...

---

Yes - I do only intend the quoted lines to be the theme - I might use the line 'the unborn artist dies' somewhere though. 

Any resemblence to 'Paperback Writer' however, will be carefully avoided.

The song may also develop into another type of creative person - not necessarily a writer. I like ideas to have their own life and take me with them if possible.

[oldgitplayer]

---

Monkey Uncle wrote:

Example #1:

---

Thanks Uncle Monkey - I wouldn't be anywhere near close to the point of view in that song.

[Monkey Uncle]

---

oldgitplayer wrote:

---

Monkey Uncle wrote:

Example #1:

---

Thanks Uncle Monkey - I wouldn't be anywhere near close to the point of view in that song.

---

I've heard that song was written as a retort to a record company exec who demanded that Ms. Barielles write a love song to fulfill the company's quest for a "hit."  Although it's about a songwriter rather than a book author, I thought it covered the same general subject matter (i.e., resisting selling out at the behest of some ignorant suit).

[oldgitplayer]

This lyric isn't moving - the angle hasn't come to me yet.

Hey Mr Songangle Man bring ideas to me...........

[rsadasiv]

---

oldgitplayer wrote:

I think I want to tell a story about a writer who sticks to what he believes in and doesn't buckle under the pressure of commercial publishers telling him what sells and how he should change his work etc...

He self-publishes an e-book which sells magnificently.

I need to decide on an angle, so if anyone knows of any other songs that deal with this subject matter, I'd be grateful if you would post them, so that I can familiarise myself with them and don't cover the same ground.

Here's the 1st snippet of the idea:

And when you fill your life

With commercial compromise

Somewhere in your world

The unborn artist dies

---

I find it hard to believe that the ebook sells magnificently.

If the ebook sold 100 copies I have some back burner ideas from a notion I have provisionally titled "The Ballad of Uncle Lenny".

[oldgitplayer]

---

rsadasiv wrote:

---

---

I find it hard to believe that the ebook sells magnificently.

---

Yeh - I think I'm dropping the e-book idea all together.

Still waiting for the Man Muse

[rickidoo]

Git -

Nothing wrong with where you are going with this. But I thought you could make this an even bigger idea by dealing with the whole subject of a person compromising their values. The actual part about something he/she writes could be just one verse in a larger story.

There could be a number of resolutions to this. Anger - and he finally does not compromise.  Sadness - he compromised is whole life and then compromised on the way to the grave. To name a couple.

Rick

[oldgitplayer]

---

rickidoo wrote:

There could be a number of resolutions to this. Anger - and he finally does not compromise.  Sadness - he compromised is whole life and then compromised on the way to the grave. To name a couple.

 Rick

---

Thanks Rick, but I don't think I could write the song you describe without the subject matter being spread to thin.

I want to focus on the creative aspect of the artist being eroded by kowtowing to the Industry.

[oldgitplayer]

---

LCK wrote:

---

You know, I don't think I've heard this song in over 40 years. And I'm a great appreciator of Mr Leitch.

Good song.

I might be described as a 'retired writer in the sun', but the sentence would need some creative punctuation to indicate that the person is retired, and a writer in a sunny clime.

[nat whilk II]

Here's an angle - he does snub the attempts to control his content. And he does self-publish and it's a hit. BUT...his contract with the original publishers gives them ownership of the successful book anyway....and he's being sued for violating other stipulations of the contract. So the publishers are winners take all....

I got my soul

while you got

everything else.

nat whilk ii

[Lee Knight]

I like this idea. I'm not crazy about the word commercial, as it has a lot of baggage. I'd say, try this stanza without the word commercial and see how you like it

And maybe, and this is stretching it I realize, instead of the artist, how about an artist. Alluding to the butterfly effect.

[oldgitplayer]

---

Lee Knight wrote:
I like this idea. I'm not crazy about the word commercial, as it has a lot of baggage. I'd say, try this stanza without the word commercial and see how you like it

And maybe, and this is stretching it I realize, instead of the artist, how about an artist. Alluding to the butterfly effect.

---

Yep - I'm only planning to use the line 'the unborn artist dies'. The rest is just the idea.

I don't know what you mean by :  instead of the artist, how about an artist. Alluding to the butterfly effect.

Please elaborate.

At the moment I'm going nowhere with this.