[Lyrics] What inspires you to write lyrics?

[MarkMono]

I've been writing pretty much continuously since I started my detox and I've had a far clearer grip on what I've been writing about, rather than having to wait until I was in just the right state with the right balance of drugs to hammer out a tune.

Even before that I was thoroughly inspired by seeing Dave Hughes live. His tunes are so simple and unfussed on the surface they're accessible to just about everyone, while containing enough depth and authenticity to stand up up to repeated listening. (He'll love me saying this, so tell him he's a cunt to balance things up.) Obviously this is just not an option for me as I'm possessed of all the subtlety of a rottweiler with a dismembered baby in its mouth. With aids. But listening to his music has really inspired me to try and rein in some of the vitriol to make the remaining angry spite all the more effective. I owe Dave a lot in this respect, as he pretty much seems to have altered the course I've taken in music singlehandedly, just by being good at what he does and enjoying it. I think my tunes have benefitted, but I'm aware that me liking them more doesn't necessarily make them better.

I get treated like a second-class citizen in a couple of places in Govanhill, so sensibly I try and avoid them. But one is the shop at the end of my block where I get on really well with the younger generation of the family that own it and its only the older ones who treat me like some sort of neo-nazi thug. It might be the German parka, it might be the shaved head, I really have no idea and I have no patience with racists anyway. It feels horrible being treated like dirt for the colour of my skin and I've come quite close to just screaming PAKIFUCKWOGNIGGERCUNT at the rude dour-faced bastards many times just to live up to their obvious expectations. Obviously I'm far too nice for that, but even that gets me thinking about the double standards of political correctness and how they don't actually change a fucking thing. Maybe forty years ago when we still had to educate the ageing survivors of the Boer war it served a purpose, now it just divides people into artificial social groups we really shouldn't need by this point.

Many folk may have noticed I'm a miserable misanthropic bastard. I really can't help it, it comes naturally to me and to behave otherwise would make me feel like I was being dishonest. Telling people to cheer up is fucking moronic anyway. Yeah, that'll work. See, there I go again. But I like making people happy, I like the odd occasion when I get to be happy myself. Some times I even entertain the possibility of being a cheery, happy-go-lucky type, with a glow stick in either hand, and a kind word for everyone. Its not me, at all, but I do try. On new year I sat in the house having a quiet evening until about 2 in the morning when I snapped, went out and hit a couple of parties, rocked out like a motherfucker and came home around 2pm the next day. This sort of schizophrenia seems to be pretty much endemic of my character.

Last but not least, this:


Aye, haha, its of two guys kissing, but I fucking love this piece. Totally unremitting loveless passion, which is what 99% of my sexual encounters have consisted of. Its incredibly inspiring to have visual proof of how beautiful passion can be, with or without the presence of love.

Still don't think the wife would let me buy it.


So, after my walls of text, what inspires you to write lyrics?

[AWESOMEUS MAXIMUS]

Everything.

[MarkMono]

Maybe narrow it down, pick one or two examples?

For instance, I just picked the things that inspired me to write the lyrics to the last three songs I recorded.

[Dec]

I'm having a real hard time writing lyrics right now, I can never decide what I'm actually wanting to write about. Maybe I should just talk shite and pretend I'm being abstract.

[MarkMono]

I tend to write less and less abstract stuff as I get older, I assume its just because I'm getting better at writing lyrics.

I still have no idea what half the Yer Maw songs were about.

[Bunnylingus]

I'm odd with lyrics - I hate writing them before I hear a melody.

I'll get something in my head though and write it down in my phone - I never full shape a song until I know what kind of pattern I want from it.

Also, I tend to write songs when I've calmed down from being angry and everything's a wee bit clearer, or after a relationship/general event where I can look back and really see what was going on. If that makes any form of sense.

[CHUCK LIDELOL]

Remembering my potential and proficiency for spewing out diatribes of garbling nonsense.

[I'm Your God Now]

Death, Disease, Murder, Struggle, famine, Rape, fighting and Haribo.

[MarkMono]

Metal, basically.

Originally Posted by Bunnylingus

I'm odd with lyrics - I hate writing them before I hear a melody.

I'll get something in my head though and write it down in my phone - I never full shape a song until I know what kind of pattern I want from it.

Also, I tend to write songs when I've calmed down from being angry and everything's a wee bit clearer, or after a relationship/general event where I can look back and really see what was going on. If that makes any form of sense.

Aye, distance gives you a little clarity on your feelings generally.

For years I used to just rant and try and fit it to music. Lots of fun, and can be really evocative, but is ridiculously disposable and pretty much guaranteed to be embarassing as fuck as little as a year after writing it.

[DoNotResus]

My life.

And a few other things, newspaper articles, history, friends, conversations down the pub, storys that are soon to be forgotten.

That kind of thing.

"Describing where music comes from is like talking about sex, can you actually do it? Should you do it?" - Bruce Springsteen, Storytellers.

[Dec]

Originally Posted by MarkMono

For years I used to just rant and try and fit it to music. Lots of fun, and can be really evocative, but is ridiculously disposable and pretty much guaranteed to be embarassing as fuck as little as a year after writing it.

See me RE:thewilliamson.com. Great fun, really developed my skills in a few areas, but I am unable for the most part to listen to my lyrics back then (With the exception of Girl Called Ellie).

This thread inspired me to sit down and write and record some vocals, I'm about 3/5 of the way through now, cheers Mark. I'll send you a copy tomorrow for yer delectation.

[MarkMono]

Yas

(I still like Dear You as well.)

Originally Posted by DoNotResus

My life.

And a few other things, newspaper articles, history, friends, conversations down the pub, storys that are soon to be forgotten.

That kind of thing.

"Describing where music comes from is like talking about sex, can you actually do it? Should you do it?" - Bruce Springsteen, Storytellers.

"I try not to talk about the lyrics, as they have their own voice, and my descriptions get in the way of that. - Mike Patton

I half think that musicians that refuse to talk about how they craft lyrics are cool as fuck, and I half think that they're just worried they'll be found out as being utter hacks. This is probably at least partially because I know I'm a lot less of a hack nowadays and as a result I'm a lot more comfortable talking about songcraft.

[DoNotResus]

I just feel a bit like a berk talking about my songs sometimes.

Although, on the other hand, I've been thinking about doing a gig set up like a Storytellers thing. Take an hour and only play six songs or so and say where they came from. That'll probably just stay a pipe-dream for now, or until I do my 6 page Rolling Stone interview about my long awaited 6th album on Columbia showing a maturer sound. Something like that.

[MarkMono]

Again, its 50/50. Half of me enjoys the opportunity to share where some of the lyrics come from, and the other half of me thinks I sounds like a pretentious tit and that I should shut up and play.

That bit of self-deprecation keeps me honest, hopefully.