getting stuck in certain lyrical subjects

  • Thread starter Thread starter Drive All Day
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Drive All Day

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I think every single song I've written in the last year and a half is about death. Even when I start a song about something else it always turns to death. Does anyone else have that problem where they're stuck writing about one thing?
 
Yeah, though it was about the stupid government.
So write your way out of the corner - either see it through to a conclusion that appeases you or force the issue, look into what's bothering you & set it to rest.
Alternatly you could make a pact with yourself to avoid the topic for 12 months regardless or events in your life - keep an eye on your analogies & metaphores though.
Cheers
rayC
 
Drive All Day said:
I think every single song I've written in the last year and a half is about death. Even when I start a song about something else it always turns to death. Does anyone else have that problem where they're stuck writing about one thing?
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Here's some good exercises to help get out of any kind of writing rut:

1. Put on a movie that you're familiar with and watch it with no sound. Then try writing a song to a certain scene.

2. Try to start your first line with a fact. (The sky looks different today.... My car just died --- wait! not for you ... how about ... I bought a new car! .... I used to have a dog .... etc.) After that, you can wander to wherever. When you do this, it will usually get you thinking in different parameters.

3. Do lots of freewriting. Just fill up pages and pages with the first crap that pops into your mind. If you can't think of anything, then write "I can't think of anything" until you think of something else. Don't worry about anyone else ever reading this stuff; it's just an exercise. Many times when I do this, I'll scan through it and find a line that I really like which will spark a whole new song.

Hope this helps.
 
famous beagle said:
Here's some good exercises to help get out of any kind of writing rut:

1. Put on a movie that you're familiar with and watch it with no sound. Then try writing a song to a certain scene.

2. Try to start your first line with a fact. (The sky looks different today.... My car just died --- wait! not for you ... how about ... I bought a new car! .... I used to have a dog .... etc.) After that, you can wander to wherever. When you do this, it will usually get you thinking in different parameters.

3. Do lots of freewriting. Just fill up pages and pages with the first crap that pops into your mind. If you can't think of anything, then write "I can't think of anything" until you think of something else. Don't worry about anyone else ever reading this stuff; it's just an exercise. Many times when I do this, I'll scan through it and find a line that I really like which will spark a whole new song.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

good advice....i like that muted movie exercise....you can expressivley write in a visual tone while you may describe something you are watching giving it vivid colorful words
 
Yeah, I noticed I have the exact same problem, the last 3 lyrics I have written have been nostalgic, about things changing/a breakup I just went though. Even when I want to write a happy song I end up relating all my metaphors to this topic. That is really good advice though, I am going to try it.
 
famous beagle said:
Here's some good exercises to help get out of any kind of writing rut:

1. Put on a movie that you're familiar with and watch it with no sound. Then try writing a song to a certain scene.

2. Try to start your first line with a fact. (The sky looks different today.... My car just died --- wait! not for you ... how about ... I bought a new car! .... I used to have a dog .... etc.) After that, you can wander to wherever. When you do this, it will usually get you thinking in different parameters.

3. Do lots of freewriting. Just fill up pages and pages with the first crap that pops into your mind. If you can't think of anything, then write "I can't think of anything" until you think of something else. Don't worry about anyone else ever reading this stuff; it's just an exercise. Many times when I do this, I'll scan through it and find a line that I really like which will spark a whole new song.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Excellent advice. I had the same problem a few months ago and i used all three of these excersizes and it works!!! (This sounds like an info-mercial quote)
 
Oh i forgot to mention one of my own you could throw into the mix.

Mine wasnt death it was an ex girlfried (fuck her... anyway different story :) )

So i decided the song of all songs on the subject. I didnt use any imagery, i just told it like it was. Usually if you get stuck on a subject, i feel that the case is your beating around the bush of a feeling you just havent put on paper yet.

So i wrote the song of all break up songs. after this song, there was absolutely NOTHING more than i could have said (its on www.myspace.com/conradgray "BnK" [Bed and a Knife] )

try writing the song that sums all of the previous songs into one, after that, it would be harder to rehash something you've already written.

good luck.
 
yeah

i get stuck on love songs. i'll start out wanting to sing about the corrupted government, and it'll end up something about my breaking heart. Its tough, but thats the price musicians pay...

try making a song about the happiest day of your life
 
yeah but aren't all death metal songs about kittens and flying kites with grandma? I thought you guys just get angry voices and then sing about my little ponies and lilly pads :)

That's what Deicide did anyway. Oh wait....i'm so horribly wrong about Deicide...dun dun dun
 
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