Posted by Article on June 22, 2008, 9:15 am
Board Administrator
Looking outside your own songwriting for songs
I see so many CD's that look good and sound good but after listening to them you can't remember one of the songs a week later. This is because of the songs chosen. They seem to be a watered down version of whatever is popular at the moment. Most of the problem is the original idea behind the songs say nothing new. Most of these songs either say "I Love You And I Am Happy" or "I Lost You And I Am Sad" and they do not say it as well as Carrie Underwood or Alan Jackson just finished saying it on their last albums.
Remember when you are picking your songs that the better the song the cheaper it is to promote it. If you wrote a song that is kind of like the last Tim McGraw single why would a music fan want to buy it when they can have the Tim McGraw song ? You need to be honest with yourself.
Think of all the country artists that have worked for years off the strength of one "Hit" song. Everyone knows that Dave Dudley sang "Six Days On The Road" and that Billy Ray Cyrus sang "Achy Breaky Heart" now try to name me another song they sang ? I can't and I have been in the music business most of my life. Would you rather music fans think of you as the artist that had a monster "Hit" or as the singer that wrote every one of the songs on all of their albums but the fans don't remember the title to any of your songs.
It is pretty easy to tell if you are writing songs that are potential "Hits". Has anyone other than you ever "Cut" one of your songs. Now that is an honest question you need to ask yourself if you are serious about cutting a CD that someone may want to buy. "If I am such a good songwriter why am I the only one who wants to cut my song" ?
Why not pick out 3 or 4 of the songs you wrote and use them on your next CD and go outside your own catalog for the other 6 or 7. If you really are the next Kris Kristofferson you still have your songs for the next CD and you will by then have the whole world clamoring for more of your original songs if you really are writing hits. I am betting this ain't gonna happen but you will still have 6 or 7 other songs on your CD that are gonna probably be pretty good songs because you are going to be a lot more critical of other writers than you ever will be of yourself. This makes for a stronger CD and remember it is still YOUR CD and you get the money when one of them sells. I always remember the truth in the statment Erin Hay made "Let those songwriters and publishers have their 9 cents, I'll take the $12.95 for the CD sell." That pretty much sums up why I believe it is to a singers advantage to look beyond their own songwriting and try to find a song that will help them sell their album.
Lonnie Ratliff
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