In journalism school, there was a common saying, "Kill your babies."
What it means is, no matter how brilliant that line you wrote is, all that matters if how it fits into the whole. If you want the whole thing to be brilliant, it's about flow. It's about order, and importance.
You just can't cram all the good ideas and expect for it to radiate awesomeness. What it'll radiate is cobbled together'ness.
I'm working on a new song this week. After several frustrating hours of coming up with cool parts that were going nowhere, this great melody jumped into my head.... and the thing that's most important in the writing process clicked into place: I knew what I wanted to say.
It's a song about feeling lost inside yourself, and knowing if someone outside yanks hard enough, they can bring you back.
Here's the thing though. Of the 6 or so stanzas I sculpted, listening back, they're not quite right. The sentiment is right, but the images are wrong. I need something more physical, more forceful, more tangible, less metaphorically poetic. So I'll throw these ones out.
But I couldn't bear to do that without at least printing them here first.
So here are the lyrics I'm leaving behind & some of my thinking about the true direction this song needs to go in.
Just hit me with your sureshot
I need a dose of what you got
Take your aim & I’ll be ok
Just hit me with your heartbeat
Stronger ‘til I move my feet
& I’ll be ok
Just lend me your anchor
Before my ship drifts under
Be my Milky Way & I’ll find a way
Just show me your sweet side
If I could, I’d give you mine
Take me inside & I’ll be revived
Just give me that one thing
The one that keeps me dreamin’
& In spite of everything,
I’ll be ok
here's the new direction.
Smile
Stomp
Heartbeat
Arms hands
Louder
stronger harder tighter all connote intensity
Do you all struggle to leave some of the good stuff on the cutting room floor? II'm with you.
And thanks for reading.
~jessie
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