Singer slowness

[CavityCr33p]

Hello all!

I have been working solo for a few years since splitting with my former band, Suislide. We wrote great songs, but the singer was always very slow at writing, but is a phenomal singer. Recently, we joined forces again, and I am still having the problem of him writing lyrics really slow. He mentioned to me that he thinks alot of his lyrics end up being contrived. He asked me to help him write lyrics, but I've always been the type of person who thinks that if you sing, you should write the lyrics youreself, they should come from your heart. I can write great lyrics, I just can't sing worth a flip. I've never really believed in the whole ghostwriting thing, never appealed to me.

What can I do to help him speed up?, at this rate we won't even have a ep worth of material by the new year.

any input is appreciated!

[Track Rat]

Help him write like he asked. What's the problem with that?

[Aaron Cheney]

Originally Posted by Track Rat

Help him write like he asked. What's the problem with that?

A good singer is the most valuable asset you can have, and the most difficult to find. There is no reason why you should expect him to write his own stuff. His talent is singing, maybe not lyric writing. Write your own lyrics and let him do what he excels at.

A

[mikeh]

Most writers would kill to have a good singer available to provide the best recorded version of the writers vision.

I often pay $100 - $200 for vocal talent on maybe only one song - because the vocal is what sells the song.

If he can't write - he can't write (it's a gift that many don't have). You indicate you can write great lyrics - so do it - and let him sing them!

[Cheeky Monkey]

I agree that you should help him. A good singer has the ability to deliver a song written by someone else, as though it was "their own". In fact, the listener would never know the singer didn't write it. Thank God many famous singers sing songs written by others or there would be no market for non-performing songwriters.

[distortedrumble]

DAMN DUDE!! i write songs, compose music and cant sing a lick of it...well not on stage...but I can give the singer the melody and let him contour it to an effective song. i also write lyrics slow....i havent written a song in about a month. but if i come up with music...i know enough people who would jump at some of the music to write lyrics. just help him write it. if hes asking for help dont knock him. there might be a time he could end up sucking on a song and you try to help him and he tells you to back off. LEAVE ALL COMMUNICATION LINES OPEN!

[Garry Sharp]

Well, Suislide was a great band name. Like everybody else I'm confused by the rest of your post though. Is there something you're not telling us?

[Purge]

I say hook him up, especially if you're a good lyric writer. If he actually wants advice on how to write better lyrics (and if he also likes your lyrics) it would only help you both in huge ways to give him some pointers.

Good honest lyric writing doesn't have to come from the performer to be real. There's a ton of evidence out there to support that idea. If the two of you have separate strengths to further your goals as a band, then don't be afraid to use all of your resources and talents.

[CavityCr33p]

Thanx for the input, i guess I'll hand him some of my lyric sheets and tell him to give it a try.

I was in no way being a ass about him going slow, if it came off that way, I'm sorry.

I've just always thought to get the true emotion of a singer, you needed to sing stuff that came from the heart, not someone elses heart.

I mean, I would feel totally like I was faking it if I was singing a song that I couldnt relate to...

We shall try tho.

[lascalaboy]

That's what performing is about... creating new realities

[mshilarious]

Originally Posted by CavityCr33p

singer, you needed to sing stuff that came from the heart, not someone elses heart.

I think it starts that way, but as a singer grows they should transcend that.

No artist is the ultimate interpreter of their own work. Once it's public, the meaning or value of the art is beyond their control. I just think about a tune like U2's "One", and what I thought it meant, and then I found out what Bono really meant, then I felt limited when I heard it. I know Bono regrets letting the cat out of the bag on that one. I mean he's behind what he wrote, but now it only means one thing rather than a whole range of meanings.

So maybe your lyrics will mean something different to your singer. Maybe that will be something better, something that connects with more people.

Don't worry about it. If your lyrics suck, your singer will tell you.

[lascalaboy]

yeah... most famous songs that have meaning to people (opera, musicals ballads etc.) weren't written (music or text)by the people who sing them...in a sense, you're like an actor interpreting a character.

[Songwriter333]

Perhaps one thought- when passing the lyrics to the singer, it may be advisable to highlight some of the emotions/thinking/logic behind your lyrics (especially if the lyrics are vague)- what may seem obvious to you can end up being accidently misinterpretted, thereby increasing ramp-up time/production time for the song.