Songwriting #2: I have nothing to write about

This is a tough one. I remember expressing this thought to someone in my younger years and the answer I got was “Write about truth”.  Awesome, thanks….  The real answer is, you don’t have to write about anything. David Byrne of the Talking Heads has said that he wrote some of his lyrics for no reason other than he liked how the particular words sounded together, and they were actually meaningless. I believe Jon Anderson of Yes did the same. The bottom line here (that I have to remind myself of, too) is that writing is something you practice; it’s a skill you sharpen and improve, so just write and chalk up the weak stuff to exercises. The cream will rise to the top eventually. Some songwriters use headlines, google searches and news stories to write about.  Another tip that I frequently have to remind myself of as well is that lyrics don’t have to be “wordy”. That’s one of the beauties of melody, you can stretch words over time, utilize melisma or repetition to get the job done. Furthermore, it’s often times good to be vague. After all, you want the listener to connect their own experiences and emotions as you guide them through this aural experience, so don’t forget to give them room.