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Songs about writing songs


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Ones that are about writing songs, or that refer to the PROCESS of songwriting, or that are metaphors for the songwriting process.

 

I'm thinking about making a mix of such songs. Any suggestions?

 

So far I have:

"Major to Minor" - The Settlers

"G to D" - Sloan

"Love Song" - Brinsley Schwarz

"I Love My Label" - Nick Lowe

 

?

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"One Down" by Ben Folds. It's about him trying to get out of his songwriting/publishing contract.

 

I got up and I drove to work

On the wrong side of the road

What the hell would I do

I must admit I didn't know

And Andrew came along y'all

To add a couple lines or so

I've got one I finished yesterday

And I've got three-point-six to go

 

(Chorus)

One down

And three-point-six

Tomorrow

And I'm out of here

One down

And three-point-six

Tomorrow

And I'm out of here

 

People tell me

"Ben, just make up junk

And turn it in"

But I never was alright with turning in

A bunch of shit

I don't like wasting time

On music that won't make you proud

But now I've found a reason

To sit right down and shit some out

 

One down

And three-point-six

Tomorrow

And I'm out of here

One down

And three-point-six

Tomorrow

And I'm out of here

Yeah, yeah

 

I love you more than

Any man has loved before I

Love you more than

All the stars up in the sky I

Think that we should settle down

And live happily forever

After

What do you think of that?

 

I'm really not complaining

I realize it's just a job

And I hate hearing belly-aching rockstars

Whine and sob

'Cause I could be busing tables

I could well be pumpin' gas

but I get paid much finer

For playin' piano and kissing ass

And it's one-point-six yesterday

And three-point-six at last

 

One down

And three-point-six

Tomorrow

And I'm outta here

One down

And three-point-six

Tomorrow

And I'm out of here

One down

And three-point-six

One down

And three-point-six

Tomorrow

And I'm out of here

 

How about Barry Manilow's "I write the songs"? :D

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"Dance to the Music" - Sly & The Family Stone

 

Doesn't really discuss songwriting per se, but describes the construction of a song, layer by layer.

 

Looking more for references to somebody sitting alone in a room with their guitar or on the piano, trying to put something on paper.

But, that is a good one for song construction, as is -- The Intro & The Outro" by The Bonzo Dog Band (which also won't make it onto this mix).

 

Something like the ones already mentioned, or like "I Write the Songs", except not sucky. But the same type of subject matter.

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"Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying" (Belle and Sebastian) sort of equates the writing of a great song to reading/writing a great book and/or the dying art of letter writing.

Plus, it's a great song.

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Does "Sara" by Dylan count? Its the first song that popped into my head.

 

I can still hear the sounds of those Methodist bells,

I'd taken the cure and had just gotten through,

Stayin' up for days in the Chelsea Hotel,

Writin' "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" for you.

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"25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago.

 

From Wikipedia:

 

Chicago fans have long argued about the meaning of the song. When it was released, there was speculation that the lyricswere drug-related; but the same thing was said about many songs in thelate 1960s and early 1970s and the rumor has been largely dismissed.[1]Lamm himself says that the title is "just a reference to the time ofday," and that "the song is about writing a song. It's not mystical."[2]
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Artist: Clark Guy

Song: Somdays You Write The Song

Album: Somedays The Song Writes You

 

It’s just one of those days you can’t explain

When nothing’s right or wrong

Too much wine or not enough

So you just play along.

There’s no rhyme or reason

Ain’t a damn thing you can do

Some days you write the song

Some days the song writes you.

 

Your sure voice and melody

Will sing my soul to sleep

Reaching for some harmony

Deep inside of me

Some days you know just how it goes

Some days you have no clue.

Some days you write the song

Some days the song writes you.

 

You can fall

You can fly

Get low down or get high

You can try or just leave it alone.

You can search for the way

You can curse, you can pray

But the words have a way of their own.

 

It don’t matter how much it hurts

You’ve got to tell the truth.

Some days you write the song

Some days the song writes you.

 

Now you may think I just made this up

But I would not lie, that’s true

Some days you write the song

Some days the song writes you.

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"Hallelujah"

by Leonard Cohen

 

Now I've heard there was a secret chord

That David played, and it pleased the Lord

But you don't really care for music, do you?

It goes like this

The fourth, the fifth

The minor fall, the major lift

The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

 

 

LouieB

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Leonard Cohen - Tower of Song

 

CCR - Wrote a Song for Everyone

 

Met myself a comin' county welfare line

I was feelin' strung out, hung out on the line

Saw myself a goin', down to war in June

All I want, all I want is to write myself a tune

 

Wrote a song for everyone

Wrote a song for truth

Wrote a song for everyone

And I couldn't even talk to you

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