April 16,2011
It’s almost midnight, and I’ve been trying to finish this new song I’m working on for what seems like days. When I sat down with my guitar in my hand a little over 4 hours ago, I really thought it would be a quick write. I had the idea, I had the music, had the beginning guitar riffs, had the perfect ending, and then I realized there was a big hole in the middle where the rest of the song ought to go. It started great, first couple lines, and I was sure this was going to be a smash hit song. You see back when I first started writing music several years ago, a couple of music legends that I used to tour with and play guitar for told me that for a song to be great it had to draw from personal experience, It had to reach into the listeners very being and grab them. They also told me that every break-up is worth a couple hundred thousand dollars to a songwriter in the form of material for the songs. Well with the luck I have with relationships, then I guess I must be the richest man in the world, I just haven’t been able to cash it in yet. But back to the song. I was on a roll, I was writing a song that could reach in and grab that listener, but unfortunately after the first couple of lines or so, it let go. Now I’m back to square one, with some really great guitar parts and music and a big empty page of words. Kind of like a painter with an empty canvas, all I got to do is put the picture on it. Unluckily for me this evening this painter has run out of paint. Maybe it was all the distractions. Let’s see there was the dog barking, and the neighbor yelling, and the T.V blasting, and the phone ringing, and the kids crying, and doors slamming, and the roof leaking, and wind blowing, and the washing making that real funny screeching noise. But all those things should have been the perfect inspiration for a great country song. And it would have been great, and when I finish it, it will be great. Don’t get me wrong, I have written several great songs, and they are all my favorites, and whenever I’m ask which one of my songs I like the best, I always reply with “The next one I write. That will be my favorite until I write another one.” And this would have been no different. It would have been my favorite for today. But like all great writers, today I have developed the dreaded writers block. So the only thing to do is to walk away from it and pick it back up at a later date. Who knows, by tomorrow I may keep the music and go off in a different direction on the words. I have done that a time or two and actually written a much better song. Maybe I’ll keep the title….It’s a serious love song called “Get Your Tongue Out Of My Mouth Cause I’m Kissing You Goodbye….”
Terry Wooley
It’s almost midnight, and I’ve been trying to finish this new song I’m working on for what seems like days. When I sat down with my guitar in my hand a little over 4 hours ago, I really thought it would be a quick write. I had the idea, I had the music, had the beginning guitar riffs, had the perfect ending, and then I realized there was a big hole in the middle where the rest of the song ought to go. It started great, first couple lines, and I was sure this was going to be a smash hit song. You see back when I first started writing music several years ago, a couple of music legends that I used to tour with and play guitar for told me that for a song to be great it had to draw from personal experience, It had to reach into the listeners very being and grab them. They also told me that every break-up is worth a couple hundred thousand dollars to a songwriter in the form of material for the songs. Well with the luck I have with relationships, then I guess I must be the richest man in the world, I just haven’t been able to cash it in yet. But back to the song. I was on a roll, I was writing a song that could reach in and grab that listener, but unfortunately after the first couple of lines or so, it let go. Now I’m back to square one, with some really great guitar parts and music and a big empty page of words. Kind of like a painter with an empty canvas, all I got to do is put the picture on it. Unluckily for me this evening this painter has run out of paint. Maybe it was all the distractions. Let’s see there was the dog barking, and the neighbor yelling, and the T.V blasting, and the phone ringing, and the kids crying, and doors slamming, and the roof leaking, and wind blowing, and the washing making that real funny screeching noise. But all those things should have been the perfect inspiration for a great country song. And it would have been great, and when I finish it, it will be great. Don’t get me wrong, I have written several great songs, and they are all my favorites, and whenever I’m ask which one of my songs I like the best, I always reply with “The next one I write. That will be my favorite until I write another one.” And this would have been no different. It would have been my favorite for today. But like all great writers, today I have developed the dreaded writers block. So the only thing to do is to walk away from it and pick it back up at a later date. Who knows, by tomorrow I may keep the music and go off in a different direction on the words. I have done that a time or two and actually written a much better song. Maybe I’ll keep the title….It’s a serious love song called “Get Your Tongue Out Of My Mouth Cause I’m Kissing You Goodbye….”
Terry Wooley