Study Songs and Writers: The Competition

[fletch]

One of my favorite songs is the song "Why" by Nicole. She is an amazing artist.

peace,
Chris

[ande]

isn't she
I'm gonna go check it out

folks also feel free to add more songs and writers to this list

ande

Originally Posted by fletch

One of my favorite songs is the song "Why" by Nicole. She is an amazing artist.

peace,
Chris

[ande]

thought I would bump this

ande

[BobbyJoe]

Where's good ol' Al D these days? He's probably writing with CJ and pitching a few and otherwise having a good time. If you're reading this, Al, a big HI to ya, paisan.

[ande]

who are your favorite artists and songs

[fletch]

I'll throw a group out there I have heard mentioned on this board and I think they are two of the best songwriters to "EVER LIVE".

The Indigo Girls! If you have heard their curfews album which is a collection of live songs you are really missing out. They are gifted at wrapping concepts like melody, harmony, and literature into songs in a such an amazing way.

Their styles really compliment each other wonderfully. For me songs like "Galileo" or "Virginia Wolf" are at the pentacle of songwriting.

Peace,
Chris

[Thisoldhouse]

One of my all time fav lyrics...

Indigo Girls - Closer To Fine


I'm trying to tell you something about my life
Maybe give me insight between black and white
The best thing you've ever done for me
Is to help me take my life less seriously, it's only life after all
Well darkness has a hunger that's insatiable
And lightness has a call that's hard to hear
I wrap my fear around me like a blanket
I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it, I'm crawling on your shores.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains
There's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.
The closer I am to fine.

I went to see the doctor of philosophy
With a poster of Rasputin and a beard down to his knee
He never did marry or see a B-grade movie
He graded my performance, he said he could see through me
I spent four years prostrate to the higher mind,
got my paper and I was free.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains
There's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.
The closer I am to fine.

I stopped by the bar at 3 a.m.
To seek solace in a bottle or possibly a friend
I woke up with a headache like my head against a board
Twice as cloudy as I'd been the night before
and I went in seeking clarity.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains
we go to the doctor, we go to the mountains
we look to the children, we drink from the fountain
Yeah, We go to the bible, we go through the workout
We read up on revival and we stand up for the lookout
There's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in a crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine
The closer I am to fine
The closer I am to fine

[fletch]

I can't believe that there aren't more fans of the Indigo Girls on this web page. You "ALL" should be forced to listen to them over and over again for days.

I think they bring to the table what A LOT of songwriters don't. They have the ability to play and sing what they write (and do it well). This may seem trivial but I believe there really is something to the gift of being able to write play and sing your own material. I think lyricists (sometimes, maybe a lot of the time) don't know what it is like to be a singer and what it feels like to sing something. Singers will know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that some songs are fun to sing. Maybe it is the phrasing, the melody, whatever.

By the same token, some singers who write but don't play often struggle keeping songs inside of a timing pattern that makes sense to musicians. They forget that you have to create space for music etc........

The Indigo girls are great because they get it from all angles.

Peace,
Chris

[Lijemtu]

Chris, are you sure you aren't really Butch? I'm not going to disagree. I think I only heard the Indigo girls about 12 years ago, I guess. My daughter had a CD. I don't remember loving what I heard. Have you got some links? I'd be happy to revisit them. As to the bigger picture, though, it's my impression that writing lyrics, writing music and singing are 3 very distinct and different skills. I think there are very few people who are great at all 3. I find usually that self contained acts, who do everything, usually leads to mediocrity in one or two parts. How many great singers to we hear anymore. I'm going to see Tony Bennett next week so that's a little on my mind. There were so many great singers in the past who only sang. And they sang the best songs they could get their hands on.

Originally Posted by Bill Osofsky

As to the bigger picture, though, it's my impression that writing lyrics, writing music and singing are 3 very distinct and different skills. I think there are very very people who are great at all 3.
I figured i'd respond since you mentioned me in your post

I find usually that self contained acts, who do everything, usually leads to mediocrity in one or two parts. How many great singers to we hear anymore. I'm going to see Tony Bennett next week so that's a little on my mind.
Did he ever find his Heart in San Francisco?

There were so many great singers in the past who only sang. And they sang the best songs they could get their hands on.
Define "best" smart guy

something Bill Osofosky wrote?

.