songwriter's blues

By Todd Stadler · Friday, March 16, 2001 6:29am

You know, I've been wanting to write song lyrics for years now to accompany the slowly growing collection of tune sketches I have. Because it's hard to make a song go without lyrics. At least, if you imagine the song to have them.

I've especially been wanting to write lyrics in the past month, since Julia and I started dating. You know, if you can't write songs about love and girls and such, then you're sunk, right? And yet, it's no easier for me. I try writing down things I want to write about, phrases I like and such, but to no avail.

Is it that I innately fear rhyming, metered poetry? That I think it sounds cheesy? Sure, I do when it comes to most printed poetry. And song lyrics are nothing but a vocal version of that.

Maybe my problem is that I'm given to long, rambling prose, the likes of which don't translate well to any style of lyrics except perhaps political rap. Shudder. Or maybe I just have a hard time being serious about anything.

It's easier to write songs about intentionally goofy stuff than it is to earnestly write about the girl you love. Because somebody might make fun of you when you're trying to be serious. Sigh.