Source for inspiration for your best songs?

[Sreyashi Mukherjee]

Hello, folks 

 

Here's another question for you (I'm full of them ), if you wish to answer:

 

Many of you have been making music for years and probably have a whole lot of songs (or at least skeletons of them) churned out. Some of them may be your personal favourites, irrespective of whether others like them or not. What kind of songs are they and what was the source of inspiration behind them?

 

It would be interesting to know how random or specific ideas or events etc. lead to creations that give us a sense of satisfaction or fulfilment.

 

Sreyashi/Sumi

[Dazzyt66]

Hi. Good question!

 

Although I'm just an amateur I've been writing poems/lyrics/songs for years. Now I have the ability to put music to my stuff, firstly with my guitar but nowadays more and more with VSTi, it's taking me in new directions which adds more to my stuff. I've also started revisiting old 'in progress' stuff as when I'm experimenting with sounds I often come across something that fits something else (or I write something completely new) if that makes sense?

 

My inspiration can be literally anything, but is usually based on my own experiences/observations. Because of this some of my favourites have a personal thread to them so although it's good if other people like them, I like them because they tell a story of a part of my life or something I was thinking at the time.

 

A good recent example of this was my wife and I went out for an afternoon lunch earlier in the summer which resulted in a song called 'Afternoon Buzz' - I'm still working on it and I'm sure I'll post it here when it's ready 🎙 Every time I work on it it really reminds me of a hot afternoon in the sun with a cold beer and a beautiful woman by my side. My wife laughed at the time cos I wrote most of it while we were out using notes on my iPhone! 

 

Now we've moved house and I actually have a 'studio' (my first ever!) to work in I'm sure my creativity will flow even more!!

 

😀

[MonoStone]

On 14 October 2017 at 6:16 AM, Sreyashi Mukherjee said:

Many of you have been making music for years and probably have a whole lot of songs (or at least skeletons of them) churned out. Some of them may be your personal favourites, irrespective of whether others like them or not. What kind of songs are they and what was the source of inspiration behind them?

 

A few examples -

 

I wrote 'Saunton Sands' when my Uncle Died.... but made it mostly a happy song (by my standards) because it's more about the happy childhood memories at his place...at Saunton Sands.

 

I wrote 'Born' after seeing Graham Nash explain a guitar tuning Stephen Stills used, that gave me the sound (the fact that I totally missed the CS&N mark doesn't matter to me), and the sound felt spiritual to me... as the lyric says, another sound closer to god... whilst the rest of the lyrics were inspired by a conversation with my brother who'd remained very positive and spiritual through an extremely difficult time ...and then a conversation with a friend who was on a downer and mentioned that he'd heard that 'happiness is a clear horizon' and he couldn't see any clear horizon at all.... so all these things make it into the song.

 

'Moston Lane To Kingsley Avenue' was written after I took my daughter to see where I grew up...which was a very tough place when I was a kid....I was surprised that it had been partly demolished and replaced with modern housing which had quickly become a slum far worse than the old place I remembered, a different kind of 'tough' where seemingly nobody cares about anything at all. The events in the song are cryptic or vague deliberately but all simply memories.

 

'Beneath The American Dream' is a song about a friend of mine in the USA who lost everything and decided to go live in the wilderness rather than on the streets. 

 

But my favourite songs of mine have meaning and inspiration that eludes me. Sometimes words just come out. Sadly not so much these days as they used to.  Literal, story, type words irritate me after a while... the more vague ones can change in meaning even to me, so they don't get old so fast.

 

Occasionally I'm influenced by other songs by other artists to do something that feels similar to me... but no one would guess the influence because I totally missed the mark, and I'm happier that way...it makes something that seems more unique to me so I won't share those specifics   

 

Great opportunity for me to talk about myself like I'm being interviewed lol ... like anyone is interested! 

 

 

[MonoStone]

5 minutes ago, Jenn said:

plz write a book 

 

I know nobody would read it but... one day I might. When my Gran died we found she'd hand written her life story...she didn't tell anyone, she just kept it in her flat presumably knowing that one day it would be found... I'm grateful she wrote it, so maybe one day I will.... and maybe we all should! Imagine if you found a life story by a relative written 200 years ago...

[MonoStone]

Just now, Jenn said:

... Dek, I was listening to your music in the car today and it's sooooo good. I think I kind of forget how good you are and how much I love it. Damn.. if you ever tour, please let me know. Given that, I would read your book!!! 

And that's amazing and purely a talisman.. I mean I've kept a journal for the past 4 years but it's far from eloquent of any standard. 

 

Oh yeah... I'll be touring the States soon, didn't I mention? All sold out though...soz!

 

Thanks Jenn, I'm glad you like the music. 

 

 

[Richard Tracey]

Hmmm, I don’t tend to write to anything specific, I mostly feel the lyrics and go with what feels right for the style of song.

 

Sometimes I will think of an idea and write round that, or choose a title and write round that, but I don’t tend to write from anything happening in my life or things I have seen or read.

 

I did write the lyrics for a song called ‘War Between Leaders’ when the gulf war was on. I was watching the news and the reporter happened to say “jets are flying through the air” or words to that effect, but I wrote this song about how we fight for what our governments want, but does that make it right.

 

I don’t like being political in song and as Dek said, I like abstract lyrics and if I write a love song, I tend to stay away from the cliche as much as possible.

 

I have said before and I’ll say it again, I feel the art of lyric writing is going downhill. You just have to listen to the majority of songs that are released at the moment to see that. We have dumbed down for the YouTube generation. Some artists are still writing wonderful lyrics that convey feelings and meaning, but everything else is starting to sound the same.

[Sreyashi Mukherjee]

Wow.. interesting stuff, folks. Sorry, not able to get much time or contribute better to the topic since I'm on the brink of a long-needed, long-planned break/holiday from work. I'll come back with my own observations once I'm back fresh. Till then, keep brainstorming.. if you wish to  .

 

Btw Dek, great interview, as always