Songs You Wish You Wrote

[Cal Scotland]

As a songwriter, there are always songs that I hear that I want to claw my eyes out and drop my pen because I will never amount to them. So I made a list of the top 5 songs I wish I wrote and I would like the see what songs some of you guys place in this category.

It's alright, Ma (I'm only Bleeding)

-Bob Dylan

I'll follow you into the dark

-Death Cab for Cutie

Buffalo Soldier

-Bob Marley

Hallelujah

-Leonard Cohen

Lithium 

-Nirvana 

[glissongs]

Shape of a heart- Jackson Browne

Georgia Rain-?

The House That Built Me-?

[Punkupine]

Every single thing that Ben Gibbard has written for Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service. As far as lyrics are concerned the man is a genius

[Topaz]

Sad Beautiful Tragic - Taylor Swift

A-Team - Ed Sheeran

Autumn Leaves - Ed Sheeran

All too Well - Taylor Swift

Save me San Francisco - Train

[James Anderson]

i must admit there is a lot of songs out there that i really like but i have never wished i had written them to me that would not make sense

[AnthonyCeseri]

As a songwriter, there are always songs that I hear that I want to claw my eyes out and drop my pen because I will never amount to them. So I made a list of the top 5 songs I wish I wrote and I would like the see what songs some of you guys place in this category.

It's alright, Ma (I'm only Bleeding)

-Bob Dylan

I'll follow you into the dark

-Death Cab for Cutie

Buffalo Soldier

-Bob Marley

Hallelujah

-Leonard Cohen

Lithium

-Nirvana

I'm curious what your thoughts on Lithium are, in regards to this list?

[Cal Scotland]

In regards to Anthony,

There is just something about how Lithium contrasted a somewhat angry, melancholic, satirical message with a rather joyous melody. I just really envy it's simplicity and its ability to give you a smile as well as an internal rage. I'm a bit obsessed with contrast and balance and Cobain hit the nail on the head with that song.

[Cal Scotland]

i must admit there is a lot of songs out there that i really like but i have never wished i had written them to me that would not make sense

Well what I mean by "wishing I wrote that" is admiring a great song and being humbled by it and maybe even being jealous of it. I haven't posted many of my songs on here for anyone to reference to I guess, but every time I think one of my songs I've written is amazing and that it's perfect, I put it on the shelf for a few days, play and sing it again and then put on "It's Alright, Ma" and I soon start working on the second draft. That song humbles me as a songwriter by making me realize that I can always get better and that there will always be, at the the very least, a few people better than me at what I do.

[AnthonyCeseri]

In regards to Anthony,

There is just something about how Lithium contrasted a somewhat angry, melancholic, satirical message with a rather joyous melody. I just really envy it's simplicity and its ability to give you a smile as well as an internal rage. I'm a bit obsessed with contrast and balance and Cobain hit the nail on the head with that song.

Cool. Fair points. Thanks. 

[MonoStone]

Jeff Buckley - Lover you should've come over.

The words, the performance, pure unhinged emotion. I don't wish I'd written it it's his song and couldn't be mine, but I'd like to be able to turn emotion into something so powerful and beautiful without holding back at all.

[wtf audio]

Lou Reed -Satalite 

 

Talkingheads - this must be the place

 

 Anything by the kinks

 

 Carole Bayer Sager, Marvin Hamlisch -Nobody does it better

 (Although I prefer the Radiohead version)

[Kel]

I don't even know most of the songs mentioned so far! Geez!

 

Me & Bobby McGee - Kris Kristofferson

Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison

Viva Las Vegas - Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman

Baby's Gotten Good At Goodbye - Tony Martin & Troy Martin

Take it Easy - Jackson Browne & Glen Frey

 

Happy Birthday - somewhere in the world, it gets sung every day!

 

Cheers,

Kel

[Kel]

• "1999" - Prince.....for the pure, unadulterated genious & foresight involved in crafting a song that was destined to be a huge hit not just once, but twice! Wow!!! Think about that for a moment.

1. His choice of topic & title....making it a party-song
2. the fact that.....in order for the plan to work properly, the song itself would have to be strong enough to rise to the top of the charts the first time. If it never charted intially, it would have impossible to revive.
3. The timing of the intial release
4. The advance marketing reminding everyone of it....and getting the ball rolling again come the year 1999 

Regardless of whether I liked the song or not....based strictly on the genious of the concept itself and his ability to make it all work, it had to make my list. Gotta give it to Prince....he is one brilliant guy!

Funny really, it didn't work at all for Frankie Laine when he wrote "Battle Of New Orleans"!, But then it seems to have worked for Tchaikovsky (excuse spelling, please!) about the same year... 1812!

[gregdek]

A Good Year for the Roses.  Jerry Chesnut.  George Jones and Elvis Costello versions are both great.

[Rudi]

I wish I'd written all the half finished ones lingering in my *W.I.P. file.

 

*(Work In Progress)

[Escape]

A good chunk of John Mayer's discography.  Some very clever and smooth lyricism going on there, not to mention to extremely hooky melodies.

 

I also agree with Hallelujah by Leanord Cohen, though I think I'd rather have Jeff Buckley's voice on his performance of that song if I had to choose.

 

So many more...

[Alistair]

I could list dozens but my *wish I'd...* is more often I wish I could play like that or I wish I could sing like that.

[Escape]

I could list dozens but my *wish I'd...* is more often I wish I could play like that or I wish I could sing like that.

Same for me.  I enjoy playing other people's songs that move me just as much as my own, but like many people, I'm not a huge fan of my voice.  If I could have a great voice or great songwriting talent but not both, I'd probably take the voice and do my best to make as many great songwriting contacts as possible.  I have a good friend with one of the best voices I've ever heard (not just people I know personally but all around) and I die a little inside every time we do a gig together and I know I should just be sticking to strictly harmonies while we play because his voice puts mine to shame.  And mine isn't even that bad, it's just not great like his.  Oh well, guess I'll keep practicing guitar...

[tabinyc]

Oh my where do I start?!  Off the top of my head .....

 

Anna Nalick - Break Me Open

Kate Voegele - Sandcastle (I love the line "I got this 6-string religion" meaning the guitar)

Carrie Underwood - I Know You Won't 

Mariah Carey - Outside

Mariah Carey - I Wish You Well

 

and of course everything by Disney and broadway composers.