Friday, June 29, 2007
I'VE NEVER ASKED my niece or my nephew to write a pop song. But if I did, I imagine it would go something like this:
"OK, let's write a song."
"No!"
"Oh, come on. It'll be fun!"
"Um, all right, Uncle Bill."
"Now, what's the first line? What do you want the song to be about?"
"I dunno."
"Just think of something -- anything."
"Um, everybody gonna dance tonight."
"Good! Now we need another line."
"Um, everybody gonna feel all right."
"Keep going!"
"Everybody gonna dance around tonight."
"Good!"
"Everybody gonna jump and shout. Everybody's gonna sing it out. Everybody's gonna dance around tonight." Who knew Elizabeth and A.J. were as talented as one of the greatest songwriters who has ever lived?
If writing about music is like dancing about architecture, what's singing about dancing? OK, OK, it's sort of the essence of rock 'n' roll, but perhaps Sir Paul could do it with more skill than a 3- or 4- or 5-year-old when he's 64? And a song about dancing is one thing, but dancing around? Dancing around is what you do when you have to go pee real bad. Now, that's something my nephew and niece would know about.
Back when I wasn't old, John Doe and Exene Cervenka weighed in on appropriate subjects for songwriters:
It's about time, it's about space
It's about some people in a strange place
Woody Guthrie sang about B-E-E-T-S, not B-E-A-T-S
I must not think bad thoughts
"OK, let's write a song."
"No!"
"Oh, come on. It'll be fun!"
"Um, all right, Uncle Bill."
"Now, what's the first line? What do you want the song to be about?"
"I dunno."
"Just think of something -- anything."
"Um, everybody gonna dance tonight."
"Good! Now we need another line."
"Um, everybody gonna feel all right."
"Keep going!"
"Everybody gonna dance around tonight."
"Good!"
"Everybody gonna jump and shout. Everybody's gonna sing it out. Everybody's gonna dance around tonight." Who knew Elizabeth and A.J. were as talented as one of the greatest songwriters who has ever lived?
If writing about music is like dancing about architecture, what's singing about dancing? OK, OK, it's sort of the essence of rock 'n' roll, but perhaps Sir Paul could do it with more skill than a 3- or 4- or 5-year-old when he's 64? And a song about dancing is one thing, but dancing around? Dancing around is what you do when you have to go pee real bad. Now, that's something my nephew and niece would know about.
Back when I wasn't old, John Doe and Exene Cervenka weighed in on appropriate subjects for songwriters:
It's about time, it's about space
It's about some people in a strange place
Woody Guthrie sang about B-E-E-T-S, not B-E-A-T-S
I must not think bad thoughts
