Oooh...do I Not Like That!

humberklog

What do you avoid when writing? What do you think other people should avoid?
A word, a phrase, a style. What gets your back up when you hear other people doing it? Or makes you cringe with self embrassment realising you've headed down a road paved with all the pitfalls you know ain't good.

Try pick one at a time rather than a list. Don't worry if you've got more than one (we all have) as you can always post more than once. Just don't go hoovering up all the juicey ones in one go.


1st on my assassins list is lines that include angels, windows and angels giving advice at windows. For e.g 'an angel knocked on my window and brought me to you'. This isn't a direct quote from any one particular artist. It is a sentiment and wording that I've encountered a handful of times (once is too much) from gigging singer/songwriters. Unfortunately I was out of ammo the last time i encountered it the artist is still wandering around town.

So what's your "Good god no man! Step away from the pen. You need a breather".


NO LISTS!

Closing Doors

Trains! Any line that mentions trains... especially travelling by train at night. Grrr.

There are of course a few notable exceptions :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8linZiGYSeE

humberklog

Excellent example Closing. Sure every example of something that rubs the wrong way or is to be avoided at all costs has been done well and probably will be again by someone. Don't let that stop you from posting lepper lyrical devices or words.
Trains...although I do agree I step into the breech and guide you to Midwyche Cookoos(lyrics of a song posted by me on this forum). I wrestled a lot with my artistic conscience a lot with that song but couldn't avoid the fact that the song is set with two people on a train (in the daylight though..,phew). The lyrics have evolved a lot from those written on that thread but...yep...song is still on a train. It is about dominatrix sex between strangers which kinda balanced the scales for me though.
Still and all a very keen example Closing.

niallon

No particular words or phrases I stray from as I believe that can be the most fun, even taking the most overused expression and finding an original use for it.

I do, however, try to stray away from personal issues. Of my own original compositions, the "favourites" amongst those that have heard them are based on:

Iraq, Lost love (aka gettin dumped! ), oppresion and suicide.

Thing is, I've never been to Iraq nor do I have anyone close to me currently serving over there. I've never been dumped (what an accolade eh?) and further to note that the girl I wrote about fearing being dumped by I wasn't even going out with, talk about distancing yourself from the issue!

Basically, I've only ever found that when I've tried to write about my own life experiences I've become over-emotional and wound up with, most of the time, a whiney, self sympathising track that I wouldn't play for torture. I personally just find myself more comfortable in other shoes.

That being said, I do have a couple of tracks written from an extremely personal point of view and I love them but the majority I've been distanced.

My 2 cents!

RealEstateKing

Most of the best songs are inspired by it, and most of the worst.

I've written some songs after being dumped that at the time I thought were the best most honest work I'd ever written, but now I cant stand to hear them. Ive actually changed a few lines since so I can still sing them in public.

Most obvious mistakes:

(1) Beginning a song with anything that contains the phrase "Walk down the street" : Its a dead giveaway that the writer is an amateur who wasnt really thinking about much when he started the song, and just wanted to see where it would go.

(2) Lyrics that obviously make no sense, but rhyme (c. All Oasis Songs), where it's obvious that the writer simply put the words in to fill up space.

humberklog

Seeing souls, feeling emotions, hearing hearts through someone's fecking eyes! Avoid eye contact at all costs!
"When I look in your eyes I see a child dancing/dying".

I'd rather iron my own scrotum.

humberklog

RealEstateKing wrote: »

(2) Lyrics that obviously make no sense, but rhyme (c. All Oasis Songs), where it's obvious that the writer simply put the words in to fill up space.

I like those type. Leaves the song open to the listeners interpretation, more ambigious. Although there is a big difference between filling a gap and phoneticallydrawing an image. (Paul Simon to name one exponent of many).

maveyb

humberklog wrote: »

I like those type. Leaves the song open to the listeners interpretation, more ambigious. Although there is a big difference between filling a gap and phoneticallydrawing an image. (Paul Simon to name one exponent of many).

I don't think lyrics have to have structure in terms of rhyming, if it's genuine then it'll sound good. There are soooo many different styles of writing, so many different ways of telling a story.

There isn't any authority, except individual taste. Everyone is entitled to preferences. I hate predictable songs, with predictable chord sequences and recycled grooves.

I suppose the key is innovation and interpretation, not imitation! right on!


meadhbh b

http://www.myspace.com/meadhbhboyd

humberklog

maveyb wrote: »

I suppose the key is innovation and interpretation, not imitation! right on!


meadhbh b

http://www.myspace.com/meadhbhboyd

Indeed, indeed meabh. Right on sister.
But janey don't take the fun outta the thread!
By the way your music is some of the best I've heard in years. i've been lokking for a melodica for a while but can't track one down in dublin. There appears to be a dearth of them at moment.

maveyb

humberklog wrote: »

Indeed, indeed meabh. Right on sister.
But janey don't take the fun outta the thread!
By the way your music is some of the best I've heard in years. i've been lokking for a melodica for a while but can't track one down in dublin. There appears to be a dearth of them at moment.

I got mine in Pro Musica , Plunkett st, Cork for 30bucks.Google MelodyHorn by Angel.....maybe georges st somewhere? Melodica and an eggshaker, that's the bidniz!


Well.....lol,if u really want to know what gets up my goat.....I am sorry but I just can't stand most boy/girl band pop songs. Am I generalising? Sorry! "blah blah Paris and Rome....blah blah I wanna go Ho-O-O-Ome">>>funny story; when I was in a+e there a few weeks ago, they that song on the radio, while I was having the painful 'procedure', the chorus was on....I must admit I could relate to the lyrics in that instance....."I wanna go Ho-O-O-ome".....they shoulda done the next line with a 'gnome' in it, it rhymes doesn't it? That seems to be the criteria for many songs wha? Well I suppose that would take away from the serious message of the song, whatever that is (ryanair?jetsetting?).....


there! I'm revealed myself as a music nazi of sorts.....Everyone is allowed to dislike some music right? so I don't feel one bit bad aboudit!


what's the story with this ****e weather?!?

x meadhbh b

ps:thanks for the compliment re my music! glad u enjoyed it. if ur on myspace make sure2add me.

humberklog

maveyb wrote: »

there! I'm revealed myself as a music nazi of sorts.....Everyone is allowed to dislike some music right? so I don't feel one bit bad aboudit!


what's the story with this ****e weather?!?

x meadhbh b

ps:thanks for the compliment re my music! glad u enjoyed it. if ur on myspace make sure2add me.

Not a nazi. I can see how thread could appear like that but it really was intended to be lighter. Especially as all the stuff I'd point out to avoid I probably fall into now and again. And have definately fallen into other peoples lyrical bette noirs. And a lotta songs i like have dodgy lyrics in them.
I had to put socks in my fecking ears the other night listening to the Verve at glastonbury...."I walked these lonely streets..." Sandy Shaw does that line a lot better than Richard Ashcroft.
The weather?...worse thing about the weather is that it keeps popping into my lyrics. Jesus wept.
I'm still figuring out myspace. My knuckles keep dragging over the entrance at the moment.

cHaTbOx

Hi
Yeah I agree that there is some things that are overused (don't sound to good) in lyrics ,but I dont believe you should stop using a particular word or phase because you dont like it.It may not sound good in one set of lyrics but sound fantastic in another.If you think you are repeating yourself writing eg.same phrases ,things creeping in ,write in a different style altogether .You may be uncomfortable at first but you need to add dimensions to your writing style to enhance your own.You will end up not seeing some of these phrases in your lyrics and if you do you'll know they are there for a reason. I think that if it is wrote in the right way , it can add to the quality of your music because there is a reason they used.

humberklog

"Thee". Using this word anywhere at any time is NOT ON! RAUS! It's the last refuge (or more worryingly first refuge) of the empty penned.