Inspiration station

Recently I have delved back into editing a book I am writing; specifically the dialogue because it is atrocious on an after school special like level. I wasn’t really making much head way. So I decided to go to songwriters for inspiration. I drove outside the confines of civilization until I had no cellular service and began to write down artists, songs and lyrics that came to my mind. Not surprisingly what was fresh on my mind was the songs of musicians I have come to know over the last eighteen months or so on Twitch. By the time I was done I had a list of thirty plus artists and a portion of lyrics from each track. When I got back into the city I made a playlist with each of these tracks (corrected some of the lyrics as I cried out “Samsonite, I was way off!”) and began to listen to it over and over. There were some things I learned over the course of the week as I listened to these tracks.

I gained a further appreciation for songwriters. I saw similarities between the writing I was doing and songwriting. It is a tightrope walk to construct words which portray your message without being overly cliche yet also not being so complicated that the whole purpose becomes lost and at the same time as doing all this you want to give the words a feeling that is unique to you. It was then that it really hit me the herculean task presented to each and every songwriter. Not only do you have to do everything listed previously but then you must get to a place where you are able to release your work out into the world. Which presents a slew of other things to deal with. Will people listen to it? Will they enjoy it? Will they hate it? Will they understand the message I was trying to portray? I don’t know how possible this is but I feel like at some point you have to forget about those things and put your music out there for you; so you can say you did it, feel accomplished, continue to improve and create more.

That went a off the rails a bit; more on what I learned. Writing lyrics isn’t about using fancy words or complicated rhyme schemes; its about saying what you need to say as simply as you can. You have to be genuine that is something that really shows. The words while simple can be arranged brilliantly and that is where the true genius comes in. As I really took the time to dive deeper into the lyrics of these tracks I gained a new sense of admiration for what it must take to craft song lyrics. Specifically in the examples I will list below the words are authentic, substantial and really paint a vivid picture. To be honest I hadn’t paid near enough attention to what they were saying before. I am someone who is absolutely horrible at discerning song lyrics so if I cannot find them written down somewhere I will miss some of the most significant parts of songs and their meanings. A few words here and there can make a huge difference it turns out.

I know I have said this before but I mean it even more now; I am baffled by the abilities of singer-songwriters. If there are any songwriters reading this know that whether you ever take the time to think this or not; what you do is extraordinary. The power of music extends so far beyond the power of the words themselves and the affect music can have on a person is immense. The artists and the music I have discovered on Twitch has changed my life; when you can connect and get to know somebody it changes the way you listen to the music they create and what you can glean from it in a way I cannot fully explain. While my books dialogue may still be as awful as reading a high schoolers journal; the experiences I had while attempting to write this week were transformative.

Below I have included particular parts of the aforementioned tracks that stuck out to me the most while attempting to write; along with a link to the referenced song. As is always my goal I hope for people to find artists they didn’t previously know. I have had a relatively small amount of moments where someone has messaged me saying something to the effect of “I read a post on your very okay blog and then checked out ____ and they are amazing!” Few things make me smile as much as those moments and it makes the work so very worth it.

Alanna Matty – Being Whole	Cause I’m having a hard time holding on Feels like it won’t be long till I’m gone So give me back the parts you stole And we both go on… being whole
Melissa Lamm – Tricks On Me	I’m all good. I’m looking up But baby if I’m honest you know I’ve been taking stock, Of every perfect little win, And every perfect loss I meet
Natalie Holmes – Immune to It	I got two minds And they’re both right Only one fights a little harder. It’s tough love and I thought I was immune to it, But it turns out that I’m new to it.
The Complements – Lend a Hand	I know you’ve been feelin’ off, not yourself lately Like the world won’t understand If you think that you’re not strong enough for the fight you’re facing Brother, I will lend my hand
Calvin Thomas – Open up to Me	Don’t you worry about the time It’s not the boss of you or me Paint the picture that’s overdue Show me the smiles buried deep in you
Matty Twigg – Dying Light	It hurts so much more not to feel, I’m throwin myself into the hurricane, I’d cry if I could, for something real
Saby Spark – Deep In Your Eyes	Up in the sky The brightest sun begins to rise But there’s a storm you feel inside All black and white
Young Sub-Jack Nadeau – Epilogue	a mind might cling to a memory, a fist might hold to a grip, many days may pass us by, but pain keeps a grasp on the whip
VoiceUnmuted-Katie – If I Showed You My Scars Would You Still Want To Know Me?	They always told me I was strong, I’m Silenced by the courage they perceive I don’t know how much longer I can keep the facade up, I Feel like I’m bursting at the seams…
Hadi – From Stone	My heart’s like canvas Your hands like brush You’re just like an artist With every touch Cause you turn coal from stone
Josh Taerk – Learning to Let Go	Throwing stones into the water Watchin our reflections rearrange And when we get back to the stillness The stillness that we’re facing has been changed
Lisa Ritchie – Maps	You said we’re like maps, we all change from battles past. With victory and loss, only few will count the cost. used in love and war, bodies tattered and they’re torn. Drawn with lines and coordinates, used in only present tense.
Kate McGill – It’s Different Now	and when i wake you’re not the first thing i think about and though my love for you has never ever been in doubt it’s like time was all i needed to be fine without you it’s different now
Kashka – Signs	never-ending work to be done push harder to become one a little further, that’s where we’ll go gotta risk it, how will we grow
Holly Tatnall – Gaslight	Give away, give away nothing, This façade of generosity, Didn’t believe you were worth something, It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy
Mirabelle Jien – Know You	I find it strange, how I think of you I’m mixed with feelings of I wish and I don’t want to It doesn’t help, that I barely know you Because now i’m more intrigued but I can’t reach you
Katie Dwyer – Running	I might take the road less traveled Turning in circles but I won’t come unraveled I’m getting closer to what I want I can see it, I can hear it, I can feel it
MariGO – Distant Lover	If you will be my distant lover, I’ll send you letters as I discover, The gifts and the curses I have to offer this world
Wonder Truly – The Awakening	Your song sounds so much sweeter On someone else’s tongue When it’s your advice they plagiarize Set you jaw or set to rise I wanna write a story About mercy moving a man Is my honesty just a hollow seed Is there courage where I stand
Danielle Allard – Lullaby	You quell the storm that’s inside me. Cured by this sweet love affair. I’ve found peace in the sound of our silence. Peace in the crisp morning air.
Raym – Waiting	There are creatures lurking All around these waves How am I supposed to know Youre the one This could be all I ever wanted Or it could all come crashing down
Hayley Wilson – Easy to me	When you feel like you’re dreaming That’s when I awake When you tell me you love me That’s when my heart breaks
Emmaormusic-Emma O’Reilly – Count	When you feel like you’re dreaming That’s when I awake When you tell me you love me That’s when my heart breaks
Tyler Levs & Joliet4 – Caught Up (Let Me In)	Pieces of a heart sunk down below Roots sinking in with little time to grow Broken by the hands that I used to hold Cautious but I need to know Are we just too caught up
Missy Alacazar – Goodbye	Yes it’s time to let you go And keep on living Keep forgiving Yes it’s time to say goodbye
Jenem – Storylines	Behind every set of eyes Oh there’s a thousand storylines As I look into your eyes I’d like to write some with you
Lia Menaker – Imprinted	All the misinterpretations Dictating where we go Grief and pain internalized Labeled and classified As reasons we’re less than whole, Such stories we see
Charlie A’Court – Chains of Gold	You can’t give me thorns And call it a throne You can’t give me jail And call it my home All this time Been lovin in vain Chains of gold Are chains just the same
Paul Grant – Homesick	Homesick Oh you can’t control it It won’t last long it’s just a blip The rains come down like a victory Trying hard not to shatter your memory
Jess Novak – Ball of Cliches	I’m a ball of clichés Tied up nicely in complete disarray Would you help me find my way
Jennifer Jess – Crazy	Seen the stars in the sky (In the sky) They’ve aligned for you and I, (For you and I) Perhaps I’ll let you in, cause with time you’ve proven To be everything you say you are
Annelle Staal – Sweatshirt	I’m all torn up, but somehow okay And it sucks, out of luck How has so much changed But I slept with my sweatshirt And it kinda felt the same
Resurrection Fern – Shades of Grey	It was a whirlwind of laughter Of darkness and light An eerie sort of beauty So wrong and so right