Song Writing Style

[the_fliz1]

I was reading the Wilco article in Wikipedia and in it, the article mentions that some of Wilco's songs have had their lyrics written using "cadavre exquis " which Wiki describes as "an exercise where band members take turns writing lines on a typewriter, but are only allowed to see the previously written line". While their understanding of Cadavre Exquis varies from my understanding of it, I was wondering if anybody had heard the band mention anything about it and if so did they give any examples? Just going through the lyric catalog in my head I could see that maybe IATTBYH was written that way. Which coincidentally would explain a lot about that song. The lyrics for it have always confounded me. Maybe also Candyfloss? Anybody got any idea?

[entropy]

I don't believe that is correct in anyway.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, and in which case, will prepare to be greatly disenchanted.

[bedbug]

The Magnet article from the way back machine (YHF, Jeff's a janitor in the photo spread) mentions it was a way to pass the time on the tour bus. I'm pretty sure it's only crept into a couple of songs. She's a Jar possibly.

[Analogman]

Read the Kot book.

[Guest Left Arm Tan]

Read the Kot book.

 

yeah. he discusses this a few times in the book. i think it's widely accepted that jeff writes the vast majority of lyrics, but there is mention of some abstract writing exercises. i think there's something about this stuff being more prevalant in the loose fur stuff. there's something about jeff writing down every verb he could think of to describe what a firefighter might do and then expanding on it or something.

 

also, i remember a quote from bob egan saying that she's a jar was written by jeff in like 5 minutes on the back of the bus.

[Hodie]

It seems unlikely that entire songs would be written that way, but I'd heard of it being used as an exercise to get individual lines to jump off from. I recall "beware the quiet front yard" being mentioned in an early article as one that was generated that way.

 

IATTBYH seems pretty much the least likely to be written in a random way, given the structure of creating so many phrases made of words starting with the same letter (american aquariam assasin avenue and big-city blinking and bible black and disposable dixie-cup drinker). I read something, I think in Wilco Book, that pointed that out.

[the_fliz1]

Read the Kot book.

 

The sad part is, I have the Kot book. I don't remember anything about it. I haven't read it in a couple of years. I guess I'll have to read it again.

 

 

IATTBYH seems pretty much the least likely to be written in a random way, given the structure of creating so many phrases made of words starting with the same letter (american aquariam assasin avenue and big-city blinking and bible black and disposable dixie-cup drinker)

 

Yeah, that does make sense.

[mathew]

I was reading the Wilco article in Wikipedia and in it, the article mentions that some of Wilco's songs have had their lyrics written using "cadavre exquis " which Wiki describes as "an exercise where band members take turns writing lines on a typewriter, but are only allowed to see the previously written line". While their understanding of Cadavre Exquis varies from my understanding of it, I was wondering if anybody had heard the band mention anything about it and if so did they give any examples? Just going through the lyric catalog in my head I could see that maybe IATTBYH was written that way. Which coincidentally would explain a lot about that song. The lyrics for it have always confounded me. Maybe also Candyfloss? Anybody got any idea?

 

 

they used to do this while recording summerteeth where they would have a typewriter in the back of the bus and evreyone would go in and write a sentence

out of all of this they used one line for shes a jar, beside that it was an exercise though im sure jeff has his own tricks

[Beltmann]

I've seen a few movies made according to the "exquisite corpse" principle, most recently a low-budget American flick called The Orange Thief.

[mpolak21]

I've seen a few movies made according to the "exquisite corpse" principle, most recently a low-budget American flick called The Orange Thief.

 

Does the technique translate well to film?

[Beltmann]

Does the technique translate well to film?

I think it works better for filmmakers working in surrealism--The Orange Thief, for example is a straight narrative that finally feels fragmented.

[loldoctor]

I think in the Kot book they mention that Tweedy wrote 'She's a Jar' and then presented it to the band. Everyone listened to it and then were silent afterwards because of the powerful lyrics, especially the closing one. So I don't think the band had any part in writing it. I would think that technique could have been used maybe on some AGIB songs, like Spiders? I'm not sure. I disagree with the idea that it is used in IATTBYH since that song has such cohesive and great lyrics that it would seem unlikely to be random. Also, alliteration being used constantly is kind of a sign of one author throughout. Also those lyrics are genius so I would have to owe them to Tweedy.

 

Tweedy also said a lot of stuff on Being There was just made up on the spot and written down later (in the Kot book), so it would seem he wrote those as well. Most of YHF is pretty cohesive as well, especially if you listen to the demos and here the songs as they evolved. I agree with the above post that it was probably used as a starting point for a lot of songs, maybe just to get ideas, and then re-tooled later to have consistence.

[mpolak21]

I think it works better for filmmakers working in surrealism--The Orange Thief, for example is a straight narrative that finally feels fragmented.

 

That sounds really interesting, I'll have to check that out.

 

--Mike

[Analogman]

The sad part is, I have the Kot book. I don't remember anything about it. I haven't read it in a couple of years. I guess I'll have to read it again.

Yeah, that does make sense.

 

I think there is a part in it that mentions the typewriter being set up in the back of the bus and people typing lines on it. I think there is also an example of this - sort of anyway - in The Wilco book.

[Tweedling]

Mad Libs, Ya'll!

 

And crawling is screw faster lash

I blow it with kisses

I rest my head on a pillowy star

And a cracked-door moon

That says I haven't gone too far