The Surprising Enemy of Good Songwriting

There's a surprising enemy that lurks in the good intentions of songwriters chasing the 'universal' song lyric. In this video, I reveal what it is, as well as showing you why it hurts songs, and how to avoid it.

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[TheRtyfghcvb]

I just found this channel yesterday. 🤕
And I already feel selfish.

Her knowledge of songwriting is simply a treasure I do not want to share with other songwriters!

I feel selfish to the point I am jealous of those who found her before me.

Getting knowledge and teachings like this for free?
That too from a professor of Barklee???
This is too good to be true for me!

Notebook in my hand and I am chewing my pencil.
My eyes are glued to the screen
as I binge-watch every second
of her trade secrets being revealed!

[MikeGervasi]

Another is "Self criticism". If left unchecked you'll toss every idea thinking "it's not good enough".

[oliverstjohn]

While it wasn’t specific to the ‘enemy’ you were highlighting, I was surprised that you didn’t mention my absolute favourite thing about that Bruno lyric.

“We’ll take off our phones and we’ll turn off our shoes” is absolute *genius* level writing.

Our phones are so much an omnipresent feature of our lives now that we are in a sense naked without them. ‘Taking off our phones’ is suggesting a very comfortable intimacy.

And then ‘turn off our shoes’ - to switch off the things which keep us going from place to place, to stop moving and simply be present.

It’s such a simple switch of phrases, and yet it says SO much.

[amandaforshort]

I love The Postal Services lyrics, one of my favorites is Nothing Better rhyming "sutures" with "future"

[Kev]

For me one of the most beautiful and descriptive song is the Beatles' "Across the Universe". John used such incredible imagery in the verses its just amazing. "Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box" ....you know EXACTLY what he's saying and your mind is filled with the imagery. It's one of my favorites.

[PaulGreeneofficial]

naked as we came .. iron and wine... Awesome video thank you
I literally have a song named Lost with Out you... .. but I like it... thanks again..

[bernhardkrickl]

The two singer/songwriters that do this the best imo are Joni Mitchell and Phoebe Bridgers. Pick any of Joni's albums and you'll find loads of examples. But also listen to Phoebe's album "Punisher". It has amazing lyrics! A bit enigmatic perhaps, but stunning and soul crushing. Just one example of a line that blew me away: "Someday I'm gonna look up from my phone and see my life".

[Bero]

Songwriting should always be addressed in contest of a style. Same as music: Jazz, Blues, Pop, Rock, Classic etc. One of the most famous songwriters in my country was asked to write 10 songs for another "more folk, country style and he did! All of his 10 songs are rejected and explained to him that it was to smart for the audience and he needs to dumb it down like 90 % if they would ever make 1 dollar from his songs. That was huge revelation for me watching that documentary and him explaining all shenanigan's of songwriting. Can you address this in one of your videos, and talk about it? How to wright good Slow Blues? How to wright great Country tune? Pop ? What about Rock? How to approach Jazz tunes like Autumn Leaves for example. You can make a whole series of you tube videos for specific genre . Thank you.

[liamoconlocha]

Nail it! The average clichès thst are so worn out, they become soul detroying

[BobbyLaneProductions]

some of the best lyrics trigger mental imagery.. and that of course is from the details in the lyrics.. thanks for sharing your insight.

[guitaring]

you're a fantastic teacher! thank you for the great video.

[hughscully]

Great advice on using detail to reach through. You provide such good direction on this channel. Thanks!
Here's a recent favorite of mine from Sarah Jarosz's "Maggie" from her album World on the Ground. 

Drive across the desert
In a blue Ford Escape
Hopefully this car will
Live up to its name.

[DerBara]

Very good. Never bothered with other people feeling my songs as i am able to feel them. I write for myself. Others seem to like it, but its all about me.

[phatato]

Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream

Waits at the window, wearing the face
that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?

[jasonplamer]

I wrote a song a few years back called "perfect is the enemy of good" (absolutely nothing to do with what your teaching here) but this was a great lesson...im amazed how yalls simple lessons are so profound, yall are great artists, teachers, writers, and as far as I can tell from your demos, great performers as well....always look forward to these videos

[MGCaverly]

I am humbled by the content on this channel. Great work folks.

[justinbeck]

Awesome advice...I wrote a whole new song I'm proud of before I even finished watching this

[BrockBarr]

Tom Waits says if there's something to eat and drink in a song then he's happy.

[davidcox]

This is how everything worthwhile is written in literature, poetry and songs, show don't tell.

[ThomasHope]

Synchronicity II comes to mind as an atypical example.