Members cowboy logger Posted April 22, 2011 Members Share Posted April 22, 2011 I just want to now oh write country song .so just comment on here if you do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted April 22, 2011 Members Share Posted April 22, 2011 Hi, cowboy logger! Welcome to the Songwriting Forum! A lot of my writing tends to find its way into a roots/country style. I don't really set out to write any one style, as a rule, mind you. It's more a matter of what I put into my head, musically, and what comes out. (That said, I put a lot of classical music in, too, and I'm certainly not writing any symphonies, for the most part. ) I think some keys to country music are that ballads (story songs) play a big part, depending on what you think of as a story, anyhow. To my way of thinking, describing a situation in life is a story -- whereas a simple song of devotion, a love song, if you will, may not have much or any story elements. Word play -- not necessarily the witticisms of trendy literati, mind you, but word play -- also has an important part in the country music tradition. Puns, turns of phrase, trick images, they all have a long history in 'modern' country music. (Less so, perhaps, in the folk ballads and Anglican hymns that helped influence the country music that came to commercial age in the 1920's and 1930's, which was, itself, heavily influenced by the pop writing of the Tin Pan Alley pop writers.) Paradoxically, simplicity and directness are also important strains in country music. When Hank Williams wrote, "I'm so lonesome I could cry," that was pretty bold and direct. But he also does some very picturesque scene painting... I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMP3 Posted April 22, 2011 Members Share Posted April 22, 2011 Most of what I write tends to be on a country slant but more of an "alt" or "outlaw" country level. At least that is the way I hear it in my head. And most of mine is from 1st person perspective. Having said that I don't really think of todays main stream country music as country. More pop with a Nasville twist. If I want "radio" country I drift back to to 50's, 60's and 70's. Some of what I write sounds a lot like what i remember my grandparents listening to when I was growing up. George jones, Mearle Haggard, Hank Snow, Jim Reeves, Don Williams, etc. Sad old songs with pedal steele leads. LOVE IT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tbry Posted April 22, 2011 Members Share Posted April 22, 2011 Conversational lines are very important in country songs...each line leads into the next as if you were having a conversation with someone...small town values America and respect would be topics as well as many other topics. Here is what Luke Bryan thinks country is...and isn't... What Country Is There's a house fly swimming in my sweet teaHey darlin' pass another Kerr jar to meButter drippin' off a biscuit, baby better take a biteCantaloupe thumps like it's finaly ripeBox fan on a lawn chair suckin' in swamp airThat's what country is ChorusIt ain't a rebel flag you bought at the mallIt's a hide away bed in an old horse stallTwo kids gettin' caught stealin' a Boone's farm kissIt ain't a John Deere cap that's never fell in the cottonIt's a Jimmy Rodgers song that was long forgottenIt's homemade peach ice cream on sunburnt lipsThat's what country is When the sun starts slippin' from the delta skyAnd the last scarecrow tucks in for the nightMake a fire throw a blanket on the sandy bank'Bout an hour till we feel the first catfish yankBarefoot cane pole wavin' at the riverboatsThey when they're gone take a dip in the moon glowThat's what country is Chorus It ain't a jacked up truck that's never seen a pastureIt's cars pulling over for a no cab tractorIt's homemade peach ice cream on sunburnt lipsNo, it can't be bought it's somethin' you're born withThat's what country is(x4) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMP3 Posted April 22, 2011 Members Share Posted April 22, 2011 One that i wrote in that George jones vein or at least the first verse- Forever's Gone There's a letter in the drawerIn the table by the bed that's tattered and tornand full of lies And there's a heartache in the mirrorWhere there use to be a manbefore she left and said goodbye Chorus (only part I am at work and can't remember) Forever's gone and she aint everComin back againShe left and stole away my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mfergel Posted April 22, 2011 Members Share Posted April 22, 2011 Easy, ya gotta lose your car, your house, your wife, your dog, your farm, your job, etc. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted April 22, 2011 Members Share Posted April 22, 2011 I'm thinking you may be referring to the last verse/addendum to Steve Goodman's "perfect country tune" -- "You Never Even Call Me By My Name"... This page goes into a couple versions of that... http://www.jpshrine.org/lyrics/songs/younevercallmeby.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The dman Posted April 24, 2011 Members Share Posted April 24, 2011 Having said that I don't really think of todays main stream country music as country. More pop with a Nasville twist. If I want "radio" country I drift back to to 50's, 60's and 70's. Some of what I write sounds a lot like what i remember my grandparents listening to when I was growing up. George jones, Mearle Haggard, Hank Snow, Jim Reeves, Don Williams, etc. I agree and like old school country better than modern but I've seen a fair amount of songwriters who are serious about writing country music but are writing songs like 30 years out of date. There's not a thing wrong with that but if I wanted to seriously pursue being a country music songwriter I'd study it's roots but focus on whats happening now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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