writeandwrong

Hi. In 1985 I co-wrote a song with a guy. In 2013, my current co-writer rewrote the music and I rewrote half of the original lyrics. Copyright law says that 1/2 of the full song is still shared with the first cowriter...so now there are 3 of us. When I write up a lyric sheet or we post the song as a whole, how to we notate the copyright message? Here is an example of how I currently have it: Copyright © 1985 by JLM & CJW. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2013 by JLM, CJW, & BSH. All rights reserved. Is this wrong? Can I have it all on one line as in: Copyright © 1985, 2013 by JLM, CJW, & BSH. All rights reserved. Now that there is the new co-writer, that does not change the original copyright, correct? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks! Jena

** I have started the first two lines of the lyric...to play the game, continue on from where I have left off. Simple :-) ** Verse 1: Here I am sitting at my desk There is something here I must confess

Hi, MakesMeSmile. There are a couple ways of doing this. Some go by syllables...but that's more of a poetic way of doing it...more of a poetry writer to lyricist conversion. I remember your lyric "Empty Eyes" and enjoyed it...so it does work. For me, I usually have a certain set rhythm in my head...I count out stresses...sometimes every line will have 4 stresses, or 3 stresses, or 2...depending on the lyric. The chorus and bridge obviously can be different. Sometimes I play around a bit and mix things around to try something new. Rules were always made to be broken, but within reason. Anyone just beginning should be comfortable with the rules before expanding. I remember with "Empty Eyes" you didn't have a problem with meter and I felt a rhythm to your lyric, so you might want to have fun with it and try it both ways :-) Keep in mind, others critiquing your lyric may have a different rhythm in their head than you do. For the title Someday for instance...one word...some might sing it a SOME-day, some-DAY or SO-ome-DAY or SO-ome-DA-AY, kinda being extreme here, but to show you how one two-syllable word actually can be four syllables with different people having different stresses when they read a lyric. Hope this helps. Jena

Excellent job well done, Mahesh!! Congratulations!! :-) Jena

Great topic! What inspires me? Hmm... Relationships (mine and others), fantasies (mine and others), life, people-watching, Mad Man came from reading a news headline, looking at the photo of the man, and writing about my first impression of him without reading the story itself. My lyric was more interesting than the story because the guy was found to be innocent in the real story lol. Sometimes I ride my exercise bike and crank up music on my silencing headphones to escape life and clear my head. Meditation can also clear my head...finding a nice quiet part overlooking a river or ocean or something, just going somewhere and being out in nature alone...just me and my laptop...phone off...where nobody I know can find me...and in winter when it's too cold to go out and everything is iced over anyway, sometimes just sitting and listening to Pandora or something will set off a moment. All my other moments come to me while I'm sleeping...wake up in the night and it's like someone is poking me until I get up and write it down. I'm glad whoever it is is patient with me :-)

Thanks, TapperMike. Fortunately (since I don't like being a salesman haha), they won't be gigging too much...most of it would be the online gigging, social local stuff, and summer fairs, clubs, etc. The biggest goal is doing the demos and marketing them to other artists. The members of the band have all done the club gigging, getting old and tired of that. Most of the management area will be financials and online marketing, kinda stuff. I'm contacting a producer within the next couple of weeks who I dealt with several years ago who has worked with Perry, Delp, etc. so hoping he can help direct us in the right direction...or maybe take us on himself (my hope)! Trying to cram in a bunch of last minute stuff right now to get all our ducks in a row. A few songs will be radio ready by then we hope with several following soon thereafter.

I hope there is a turn around soon. It was a bit discouraging looking at the Billboards Top 100 Chart this year. It sucked! It will come around again. People will get bored of the "fluff."

Hi, Donna. Thanks! I will check it out. I appreciate it :-)

Thanks, John. During Christmas break we hope to get settled in with copyright registrations, submissions to ASCAP and signing up with HFA (or SGA if self-publishing...a conversation we haven't had a chance to discuss yet). Marketing assistance would be a sure help, mostly online to start. We're okay locally, but would like to have an online presence before taking it further.

Hi...I'm glad I found this part of the board...I was just asked to be the band's manager, promotions, accounting, etc. I have worked with record companies years ago in a different aspect (for a music tv show), majored in business management in college and have managed a business, been self-employed, and and also was a finance specialist at a large company...so I guess I qualify...but I don't want to be one of those "worthless" managers some talk about...or one that isn't needed...I want to be good. I want to be help get them places...so, with that being said...got any tips? What have some of you done that was beneficial to the band? Also, music has changed a lot since I was last in it...I'd love to take a class on simply just these sorts of things as so much has changed. Any suggestions? I am familiar with the Songwriter's Market...maybe I could just get a current one and get myself caught up to date that way? Thanks. Jena

** PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE CHANGED THE RULES TO KEEP IT FUN FOR EVERYONE ** About the game: We come up with a topic...and collaborate on a lyric...funny, loose, etc...non-stop for a time...an hour or two or a day or two...We want people to feel comfortable here. We ask that you stay on the topic in the thread and keep your lyrics tasteful. Keep in mind, there are members on the board who are under 18. Rules of the game: 1. You agree to never share these lyrics with anyone outside the group...unless you've personally written a line or two and wish to use it in a whole different lyric you create elsewhere. 2. You also agree to be nice...tho teasing and gentle sarcasm can be part of the deal, but please, no hating on each other. Most importantly, this time is for us to just relax and work on coming up with quick lyrics. No critiquing here. 3. File uploads of any kind are not allowed. 4. Personal comments: Personal comments in the middle of a lyric linking game interrupt the flow. If you have a comment you would like to make about the lyric, please do so through a personal message, or attached in the same post as your game participation post. Personal comments may be removed or edited if warranted. 5. We ask that you keep the topic tasteful. It is easy to take a topic too far. Rude behavior will not be tolerated. You will get a warning via personal message if you have gone too far. Removal from the game can happen if it is warranted. 6. Please include "Lyric Linking Game" in your topic title.

If the chord progressions show some uniqueness to them and both works are similar...there is cause to look further into the issue. It's not easy to prove tho... If someone has enough money to fight it out in the courts... Lyrics obviously are a lot easier than music to "prove."