Overdone song subjects

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davidnyc64

New member
Hi, I wanted to ask the forum what song subjects have been done too many times. I wrote a song a few years ago about unity and harmony for all people and although I know it's been written about so any times, I'm still happy I wrote it because It's my take on the subject. Just curious what others think.

Thanks,
David
 
It's really a matter of genre and taste. Some would say the subject of the summer of '69 was overdone in one song...Others would tell you that peace and harmony and love can never be overdone.
Write what you feel! Don't worry about the subject matter. If you write songs that YOU like, then there will probably be others with similar views that will like them, too!
 
It's pretty subjective, but I would say that no topic is overdone per-se. The trick is that the songwriter (and performers) have to convince the listeners that the song is coming from an authentic place. A love song that sounds like it was thrown together by a committee is going to sound cliched and overdone. A good songwriter will make that same sentiment seem really heartfelt and true.
A song about feeding starving children sounds really good when played by an anarcho punk band (or maybe U2) but overdone when it's "Do they know it's Christmas"
A song about Christmas sounds really clever and fresh when it's about trying to enjoy the holidays during a zombie apocalypse but trite and boring when it's just another song about "the true meaning of Christmas"
 
Btyre2013 said:
Christmas songs annoy me, especially Paul McCartney ones
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I hear ya.
"Simply having a wonderful Christmas time" is, to me, a very annoying song. Just that line being sung over and over and the cheesy sounding synth with the slap back echo.
I really don't care for it.
 
No subjects are "overdone". For me, it's HOW good the story is told. Think songs of love lost... (millions me thinks).

Bill
 
Yeah no subject is inherently "overdone", it's your approach that makes it sound cliche or not.

That said, I think pop songs where the singer is "angry" sounding or even sarcastic/ironic/irreverent is trendy to the point of being mind-numbingly boring. Getting to the point now where every time I hear a growly voiced tormented dude it sounds about as "edgy" as the ringing of a giant cash register.
 
fat_fleet said:
Yeah no subject is inherently "overdone", it's your approach that makes it sound cliche or not.
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:thumbs up:


fat_fleet said:
That said, I think pop songs where the singer is "angry" sounding or even sarcastic/ironic/irreverent is trendy to the point of being mind-numbingly boring. Getting to the point now where every time I hear a growly voiced tormented dude it sounds about as "edgy" as the ringing of a giant cash register.
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Damn....and I was just going to go for that vibe on a new tune. :D ;)
 
It isn't the subject that makes a lyric good or bad. It is the literary devices and wit leveraged to present a subject that make a lyric good or bad.
 
Peace Love & Understanding was a pretty good song - written by Nick Lowe & performed best by Elvis Costello - he picked a trifecta of confection and made it good.

He wrote about love a lot too but usually from a bitter, twisted, vengeful perspective so it wasn't too soppy.
 
I don't think there are overdone subjects. And all subjects can be shown in interesting new lights given creative treatment.

But I do think there are mountains of overused words and phrases . . ."walking down the road with my heavy load" and so on.

Whenever I hear stuff that's been used many times before I think there is an unimaginative or lazy writer.
 
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