Only able to write joke songs?

red_ice

2 weeks ago my band and i started work on our ep and to pass time while the drums were being setup/tuned/miced for scratch tracks the lads and i wrote an oasis song. Turned out to be great craic to play.. just words that revolve around the usual oasis words like 'walk', 'day', 'street', 'mind' etc.. sung in a joke liam voice.

I sent a song of ours to a mate of mine and he covered it in a bowie style because he thought it could work like that for a joke - and it did.. it turned out to be a running joke in the band, in rehearsals we sing it like that for fun..

I was reading this post in after hours earlier and came across a bowie video in one of the replies. And it dawned on me that when it comes to space and music i instantly think bowie.. so i happened to have my guitar under arm and started strumming a few major/minor progressions, then sang random 'bowie space style' words in my best bowie voice and hey presto, intro and verse..

For the next 15 minutes i had 3 more verses... then i struggled for 5 minutes, came up with a new progression, a bridge came, then a chorus came and in a total of about 45 minutes i had a song which makes me laugh.

Im really happy with it, I dont think id have a problem singing it at a party either because its not a serious song. For once i wrote something and didnt have to stop and say to myself 'jesus this is pants' because i know the song IS pants.. there are lines in it which i repeat.

Its getting to night fall
at least i think its the night fall, actually
It most definitely is the night fall, how romantic...

But the bottom line is.. im playing guitar for a near 15 years. I've ventured into loads of other instruments (and still play them) yet i've never been able to write a song. The one time i decide to take the piss i come out with a full 3:20 song.

I think im doomed to never write a serious song!!

cHaTbOx

If you want to write a serious song write it straight after something important has happened to you .But jokey songs are cool too and if it make people happy keep doing it.:)

Feckless Rogue

From my limited knowledge of songwriting, you're already ahead of the crowd.

Your 15 years will stand to you one way or another - think of it like this: Whatever way you get the songs out, get them out. If putting on your best Bowie or 'acting' the part of a songwriter allows the songs to come out, do it!

Also, there are tried and trusted processes of singing whatever words come to your head to get the melodies out, then reworking the lyrics later. McCartney famously used 'Scrambled Eggs' as the working title for 'Yesterday'...

cherryghost

if you still finding yourself writing joke songs, why not alter them so that the jokes come out as witty remarks instead? as well as encorperating the seriousness of it.

G-izzles

I'm the same. If i put my mind to a serious sing, it could take months, but whenI'm just taking the piss, my mind just flows (no pun intendid). It's to do with the fact that when you're being serious you care about what goes into the song. With jokey songs, it doesn't really matter. Saying that, the best song I ever wrote I wrote in 20 minutes, lyrics, drums, bass, guitar, leads, everything! It's because I approached it with the same attitude. I literally sat down and played two chords after each other and thought they sounded deadly together. I didn't really care what I played that night, I was just in that kinda mood and what came out was the best song I've ever written!!

It's really an annoyance, writing songs,but well worth it if you put you're time into it! And remember, less is more!

humberklog

"Have a Banana".

jwilt

yeah im the same. i find it so much easier to write funny songs. a few lines from a song i wrote that always gets a laugh is:

are you the one that took me home last night, i woke up naked and man i got a fight, the last think i recollect is a tap on my shoulder, i must not drink alcohol, next time i will stay sober.

you look familiar but i cannot place your face
if you were there last night how could you leave without a trace
did i enjoy you or did i fall asleep
must have been a quick job
still have my stockings on my feet...

LazyPaddy

Tenacious D make a living out of it and i LOVE them