What to say, and how not to say it!

Okay, that’s a really messed up bunch of words, isn’t it?

What the hell is he saying?

Am I reading your mind correctly? What I want to talk about is how I put out a message, without using the “expected†words for that message. It’s up to you to judge whether I am successful or not, I can only go by feedback I receive to ascertain if my audience has “got it†or if I missed the boat.

Let me first start with some examples. Try this quick quiz:

Name the song:

1. I say, that’s a dang-awful, mean looking moon coming up over them thar mountains…

2. An acrid grey cloud hovered just above the lake…

3. The interlocked metal ringlets…

4. The female humans residing anywhere from San Francisco to San Diego…

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Did you say:

1. Bad Moon Rising? (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

2. Smoke On The Water? (Deep Purple)

3. The Chain? (Fleetwood Mac)

4. California Girls (The Beach Boys)

You might very well say I’ve merely drawn from various song titles and built a sentence to replace them. You’re right, I did just that! (Back off, chASed!) However this is at the very heart of what I am talking about. While I am sure Brian Wilson wasn’t thinking about the girls who live north of San Francisco when he wrote his Beach Boys classic, only he knows how long it took him to think up the phrase “California girlsâ€. And the same could be said with the various writers of the other songs mentioned, and myriads of songs already written.

The principle of saying something by not saying anything is not a new one. It’s been done for years. How many movies have you seen where while the victim lies dead on the ground, the hero prevents the heroine from looking at the mutilated corpse of her father or who-ever. And like her, we never see it either. Just by the hero telling us not to look at it, we understand it ain’t pretty. We don’t have to see it to understand it. Ernest Hemmingway was a master at this style of writing, and there have been many others. Keith Whitely even sand a song about it. (Before Ronan Keating did, kids!)

So how do we do this in song?

I'm glad you asked.

I write down what I want to say, then I take all the words out. What have I got left?

DON'T throw anything at the screen!

Just think about it for a sec. I've got a message, I've got words, and I have writing. Take away the words and I still have the message! All I have done at this point, it taken away the obvious route to my destination. Now it's time to hit the back roads. As anyone who owns an off-road vehicle will tell you, this is where the fun starts!

It will take some practice. Have you even driven along a mountain road without applying the brake? That's right, using the gears to speed yourself up, and to slow yourself down. You need to do the same thing with your writing. Sorry, no easy way, you need to practice. But at least it isn't scales!

One way you can do this, and I do this all the time, is to start talking differently. Yep, talking differently. And I don't mean you guys from Maine to talk like a Texan, or vice versa. A slight adjustment in your everyday speech could pay dividends in your royalties. You can start with one phrase, or sentence if you like, ease yourself into it. Lets start with something we all do, yet some are too timid to mention:

"I'm off to the loo!"

"Goin' to th' head!"

"Off to play king!"

"Shake hands with the unemployed!"

Four different ways to put across one message, and I bet you all know what the message was! It's as easy as that. Ladies, you talk about "...making a brew," "...joining the jigglers,", "...partaking of a beverage" or even "...blending animal with vegetable" (but only if you drink your tea with milk!

Think the message, then step sideways, and maybe even step past, and look over your shoulder. Don't let words come between you and an interesting way of saying something.

I heard a song called "The Truckies Wife" by John WIlliamson (a legend in Australia:

) on the radio the other day, he sang of a woman with "...years of pain running down her cheek". (That may not be the exact line, but isn't it terrific!).

Now when you have something to say, allow yourself the freedom of taking the words away.

That's it for this week. Thanks for coming on the ride. And don't forget to vote for the next installment of Kelisms!

Cheers,

Kel

NB: EMI has blocked that video in Australia guys... sorry Aussies, can't watch it unless you're OS!