The irony of the musician…
On one hand, he’s a God. When he plays the guitar, the crowd is under a spell. He’s a magician, a sorcerer; the people, connected to his guitar strings. His voice a taming laser. He’s the puppeteer, making them dance at will. A holy man of amplified sound. He can transcend the mundane, taking us to the astral plane.
On the other hand, he’s a nobody. When he plays the guitar, he builds nothing. He’s below the plumber, the mechanic. His music, dying in the air. His works are transitory. He’s a clown, put here for the public amusement. A court jester. The surgeon, the architect, the scientist…all more valuable than a musician.
Every coin has two sides.
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Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
I wanna be the memorable sorcerer, not the forgotten one-penny coin!
Help me, Styles! Write my lyrics for me while I belt them out!
Let me start one off…
“There once was a man from Nantucket…”
No, that’s not it. 🙂
*grinning* You have the DRIEST sense of humor of anyone I’ve ever encounter. You should rename Major Styles “Reisling White Wine.”
On a serious note, where did you learn to write songlyrics? They’re quite good. Usually a lyrical education is accompanied by some instrumental associative background. Do you play as well as write?
I actually learned from a songwriter’s circle in Nashville (100% true). Also, from many songwriters who pitched to television shows in LA. They broke down the whole game to me:
1.) Always use the pronoun “you”: i.e.You are my sunshine, You’ve lost that loving feeling, If you feel like giving me, a lifetime of devotion, etc.
2.) There are two kinds of pop songs: Songs written from a man to a woman, and songs written from a woman to a woman.
3.) Make the verse thematically opposite of the chorus: i.e. the verse is about how all the other girls sucked, while the chorus is about how great the new girlfriend is.
That’s just a few of the rules….
That’s actually very interesting, those rules — though knowing me — rebel on a motorcycle that I actually was in real life — I’d probably break them all.
I should say that I/You is the proper pronoun scheme, as opposed to he/she.
So take “Lady” by Kenny Rogers, for example: “Lady, there’s so many days I thought I’d never find you…”
The audience wants to feel personally addressed, which can only be done with the I/You pronoun scheme.
I think English can be superseded by a new language.
Communication is the #1 priority on any advanced planet, superseding even technological and mathematical know-how. There’s a reason the professor is considered more vital and powerful than the nameless dude with the technical diploma (and I come from the technical realm).