Bruce Springsteen - One Minute of Brilliant Songwriting Advice

Explaining that indefinable thing that is essential to great writing.

[jibicusmaximus]

persoanlly never been much of a fan but he definitely knows what he is saying here, so many people miss that the emotional aspect is most important more important than technique even

[ferabra]

He's saying artists should be desperate, so I guess by "that thing" he means writing about something that really bothers you or you love wholeheartedly as opposed to merely describing. If you paint the sea it might be nice, but if the sea is really brave with rolling waves and dark clouds above and you paint it because it reflects something you're feeling, then you get a better painting.

[nicholasburkemusic]

The third thing. Yeah. Hard to get to, but when you get there, there it is. Bruce Springsteen has always had a way with words, both lyrically and explanatory. Thank you!

[johnnyM]

Coming from in my opinion the greatest songwriter of all is very good advice

[rockit]

What he's talking about u hear it in every song her writes. Born to run still wipes me out emotionally every time I hear it. When it's done playing I just sit there, taking it all in.

[TheSongFoundry]

Beautiful advice from a master songwriter.

[jcneverquits]

I've been struggling with two songs I'm writing, then The Boss goes and sends a ripple through my brain with one sentence.. "one and one makes three." Brilliant!

[ianfoley]

Heres a helpful tip songs are just poetry. Learn to write poetry and bam you know the basis of songwriting. Also, right about things you know well. Love depression women etc or write about some of your struggles. And one last is think of your chorus first. Verses come easy after you know your chorus. 

[talon]

It seems he made lyrics out of this very comment! "Shakespeare says, 'Man, one and one make three!' Awh, that's why it's poetry."

[rstarguitar]

Incredible advice very very difficult riding a great song

[fierymoon]

Ted Koppel once asked him who he wrote for. He laughed and said, "Myself! I write to medicate myself, my soul.  It is soul mining.  If it medicates or helps others, so much the better".

[tomcordle]

I see it slightly differently. The 1+1 is supplied by the songwriter. The third 1 is supplied by the listener, IF and only if, the songwriter has has made the first two interesting enough to stimulate the listener's interest and drag the listener into the song, too. And that's how 1+1 can equal 3.

[peterwood-jenkins]

The State Of Being Desperate is not always the answer Just worked for Bruce but a Million others died trying

[bengunns]

ts true what the boss says, it helps if youve been broken hearted or had some bad life experience that makes you reach inside your soul. Alot of the late blues players had this magic factor singing about their experiences of slavery and oppression.

[basedbattledroid]

I knew being bad at maths would pay off later in life!

[davehebert]

Well, women bother us and we bother them, so I guess we'll have a plethora of songs, ready to be discovered and written, for a long, long time :D.

[kdthekng]

I don't understand what he means by the "1 and 1 makes 3"

[plywoodcarjohnson]

how true. I just thought about it. since i focus mainly on rhymes. which is 1+1. but it says nothing. still seinfeld claims he did a show about nothing. the bastard, he must have lied. Anyway. complaining here I come!

[plywoodcarjohnson]

All this time, and he didn't even know what he was doing?!? Well that must be the trick then.

[ericheine]

Bruce Springsteen got lyrics from me in 1974, 1975, and 1982. My standing agreement with Bruce from the time I was fifteen years old was in his words-"I'll tell you what I'll do I'll take the songs and I'll pay you if I use them depending how good they are." Bruce had hits with lyrics I wrote. Bruce welched on his agreement. So I think Bruce Springsteen's best advice on how to write hit songs is
"Steal them from Eric Heine."
Bruce is a rip-off and a fraud.
Bruce Springsteen is the personification of everything that is wrong with the music industry. Bruce's is a song shark. How much of the food on his plate did I pay for?
Bruce has never even bought me a cheeseburger and a Coke. How Bruce can stand up in front of anybody and feel good about himself speaks to his character. He ripped me off and I'm the person who helped him make it. Springsteen doesn't care about anybody but himself. He thinks his success is all about him when the truth is that it's really about you the audience. Bruce I hope you read this and I believe you will pay me. I always have. I bet on you in the beginning. I've never known a man that could outrun his past. So what were those lyrics worth Bruce.
Way more than $500 a song.
Be my friend and show the world you have a heart. Keep your word.
Take care and be well..