No man is an island

Just to clear up a few loose ends in the matter of songwriting and allied areas, the question arises, 'What do you do when you get stuck and can't solve any one of the many little problems that arise in song-writing?' We all need a fall-back position and someone on your bench, as they say in the US, is very handy, if only to talk out those problems and talk yourself into finding the answer - which is what often happens.


I have two, one for lyrics and one for the music. (As for the arrangements, I'm pretty much on my own or at the mercy of whatever happens in the studio.) When I am stuck for a dazzling rhyme, pithy phrase or just the mot juste, I call up my friend Marie who is a much more interesting and playful lyric writer than I will ever be, but, being a woman, she knows how to flatter a man by letting him think he made a brilliant decision or came up with a great idea. When I am stuck, I call her up and, social engagements allowing, she gives me a few moments of her valuable time. This usually results in her dropping something wonderful into the mix. I can't do this too often in case anyone asks me how I got the idea for that brilliant couplet. But, just occasionally, it will do the trick. 


The problem is that I feel, in comparison to what Marie can do, that I am just fashioning a trashy bauble out of base metal that she can place a gem into. I'll live with it! Getting on the same wavelength is the important thing here. Marie and I honed our relationship over the years when I was adding verses and bridges to old jazz standards to elongate them for performance purposes. We discovered we had similar senses of humour and a no-holds-barred attitude to lyric writing absurdity so we could egg each other on to ever wilder flights of imagination. Being able to spend some time in hilarious laughter while you are being serious is very therapeutic and good for the creative juices. Having someone who doesn't even recognise the concept of box, let along feel constrained to think in or outside of one, is inspiring.


For the music, I turn to my friend Damien, my sometime musical accomplice, a sweet natured guy and all-round good egg. We have known each other for several years and have played together in many different configurations. He knows much more music theory than I will ever do and is well used to my calls out of the blue asking things like 'If a chord has this, this, this and that in it what's it called?' Or 'What can I substitute for this chord or that chord?' Or 'Where can I go from this sequence?' I learn a lot from these sessions and sometimes, it can change the direction of a song in an interesting way. Sometimes in pointing out alternatives, I find that what I had originally is ok anyway but you have to try it to find out if you like it. 


As for most of the rest of it, you're on your own and so am I!