Music!!!

[Bramblethorn]

Music is awesome. Everyone agrees on that. If people want to respond, this thread has two parts to it.

First, what is your relationship to music while you're writing? Does it help you work? Does it inspire you?

For me, music and its stories inspire me to write, but I can't listen to it while I'm writing. It is the great Shakespearean tragedy of my existence!! I get too distracted by lyrics and tunes to focus, so I have to write in silence...

Similarly, I have a lot of musical references in my stories but music with lyrics gets too distracting. Dark ambient can be useful when I want music that's not going to take too much of my focus.

Second, what is your favourite song at the moment and why? I'd love to listen to some.

Hard to choose just one. Coil's "The Hellbound Heart" is beautifully creepy and dissonant; Type O Negative's "Black No. 1" is ridiculously sexy without taking itself too seriously.

 

[Cagivagurl]

I am a musician, an amateur one, but a serious one. There is always music playing in my home. I am never without it.
What I find when I'm writing is the words often flow with the cadence of the song I was listening to subconsciously.
I've written several stories based on the music industry, bands, life in bands...
Cagivagurl

 

[UnquietDreams]

With music, it changes regularly. A lot of time I have classical or instrumental music, so I don't get distracted by lyrics (Vivaldi, or Dvorak, of late). Other times I will have something that gets to the heart of what I'm writing. With my sadder or more romantic, I end up with a lot of The Airborne Toxic Event playing, but more often while I am composing in my head than writing directly.

I have learned not to play Ani DiFranco when I am writing. I get depressed when I realize I will never write a story that gets half the emotion across that she does in two lines. "I am writing graffiti on your body/I am drawing the story of how hard we tried."

 

[mildlyaroused]

(swoon!)

Nick Cave was always the one who did it for me.

Interestingly enough (and he's said this himself), I wouldn't call him a technically brilliant 'singer' as with Jay Kay. He isn't singing circles around people so much as writing and performing them. The emotion, story and soul is what I'm here for.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Nick Cave was always the one who did it for me.

Interestingly enough (and he's said this himself), I wouldn't call him a technically brilliant 'singer' as with Jay Kay. He isn't singing circles around people so much as writing and performing them. The emotion, story and soul is what I'm here for.

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Yes I definitely cannot deny the sex appeal there. (fans self) Arty creative types are almost always hot when they are confident in their own unorthodoxy. They are trail blazers as opposed to followers and that is sexy. Men in uniform and anything soldier like turn me right off. Give me artists and rebels every day of the week.

As for singing, natural talent is not a necessary ingredient for good singing. Debbie Harry is one of my favorite singers. Technically she's awful. Her attack is poor, she's pitchy, she has no idea how to breathe, but she always nails the character of the narrative. She always understands exactly the mood and emotion that she is conveying. In that sense she's a natural performer, even though she has no real technical talent.

 

[MrPixel]

Vivaldi, or Dvorak

Gosh. I couldn't do either. Vivaldi sets my nerves on end, as does most Italian baroque. Dvorak? Nothing like the extended English horn solo in his 9th that will make me stop typing and concentrate on the execution. For some reason.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

"And I sure would like to handle what's between your ears..."
- "Hey, Julia," Robert Palmer

I know that song. I have that record. Good choice. Every line of lyric in that song is terrific. No filler.

 

[SimonDoom]

Sorely missed. If you haven't already come across his non-Soundgarden work (Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, solo), worth checking those out too. TPR's "Only Love Can Save Me Now" was written after he died, but it feels like it was written for his voice all the same.

Thank you for that recommendation. I will check those out.

 

[nice90sguy]

I find it almost impossible to write when the music in the background has lyrics. Anything that makes you want to dance or tap your foot/fingers (Django Reinhardt) is also trouble. Otherwise Bach organ works are great, or instrumental works such as done by Leo Kottke, John Fahey. Ragas can be evocative.

Ditto to all of that!

I play piano every day, for an hour or so. It's my Yoga. Twenty years as a gigging musician have made me stop using music as backgound. I avoid stores that play it -- and don't get me started on the TV news.

Music is, and will always be, the magic that keeps me desiring more life. It's one of the few things that I avoid analysing -- I don't want to break its spell by analysing it.

 

[samhasstories]

I like to have some music on when I write, unless it's nice enough to sit outside. Some sound helps to cut out the chatter. I also usually do something ambient or instrumental, not so much whatever my favorite album of the moment might be. Something that sits comfortable in the background of my mind and doesn't try to push itself forward.

 

[UnquietDreams]

I know that song. I have that record. Good choice. Every line of lyric in that song is terrific. No filler.

It's a great album. I have in on vinyl and CD. And it seemed to fit the vibe here.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

It's a great album. I have in on vinyl and CD. And it seemed to fit the vibe here.

Speaking as a lyricist myself, let's just dissect the brilliance of these lines.

Here's the first verse. Notice the rhyme license that is incredibly clever and allows for such unique rhymes.

Hey, hey julia, (a)
you're acting so peculiar (a)
I know I'd never fool you (a)
in a million years (b)

A horn section you resemble (c)
and your figure makes me tremble (c)
And I sure would like to handle (c)
what's between your ears (b)

Ju-lia, pecu-liar, fool ya (although Robert does pronounce it fully as 'you') then re-sem-ble, trem-ble, han-dle. Yes, handle is a bit of a stretch but this is so clever already that we don't care.

Notice rhyme scheme (letters in brackets - you poets out there don't need to be told but for the rest of us) is quite restrictive. This isn't your standard a-b-c-b stanza. The other thing is the rhythm, the a-lines and c-lines all have a full meter, but the b-lines have a truncated meter that gives a pleasant sum-up of sorts to the stanzas. On top of that, not only do the b-lines rhyme, but their inflections are perfect: 'a-mil-lion-years' and 'be-tween-your-ears' which draws everything together into a perfect package.

That's the technical parts, on to the narrative. So he likes this girl Julia, and he is basically listing all the reasons that attract him. First she is odd or unique in some way (so peculiar). Next she is clever or smart (never fool you). She has a bold style (resembling a horn section - which is an especially very cool and uniquely imaginative metaphor - that's a dynamite line). At this point, despite the fact that he's clearly hot for Julia he has said nothing overtly sexual. Then he finally admits that she's sexy (figure makes me tremble). First, instead of saying how hot she is, he is saying how her hotness affects him, which makes a difference. Not only is it much less objectifying, but the timing of the compliment after all of her other charms removes all creepiness. What he is saying is, "I like a whole lot of stuff about you, and yes I admit you're really hot too," rather than saying the standard "Hey sexy girl, yada-yada-yada," so these lyrics are very charming and original.

Now the verse B.

You're a temptation to a man
I could not resist you and I won't if I can

You're so unexpected
and whatever you injected
made me feel how I felt when I sang

I don't need to get into the technical side of things anymore because it's more of the same rhyme license brilliance which you can all see for yourself.

The first two lines are really a change in the rhythm and there is a small change to the chord progression here which just provides a break from the groove. Then we get back to the same rhythm for the last three lines.

There is no chorus in this song so we just go to the next verse.

Hey, hey julia
you're acting so peculiar
I know I'd never fool you
in a million years
You're a strain on my eyeses
and you're full of surprises
Love materializes
soon as you come near.

It's more of the same but just gets better and more charming. Eyeses, sur-prises is just plain cute which sometimes could be a problem but because we are so charmed by the first verse it works wonderfully. It's just so playful. Then we are hit with materializes. These lines just keep twisting so sweetly. How can even the blackest death-metalhead not swoon here?

Verse b again.

There's a sensation you create,
Robs me of my sleep and I've forgotten the date

My head started spinning
soon as you started singing
And like a fish I just rose to the bait.

A third verse, and there's more!

Hey, hey julia
with your crazy sense of humor
You turn fact into rumor
soon as you come near

Wow, this girl is really something. She can twist reality, and we believe it!

A horn section you resemble
and your figure makes me tremble
And I sure would like to handle
what's between your ears

And our final verse-B

You're a temptation to a man
I could not resist you and I won't if I can

You're so unexpected
and whatever you injected
made me feel how I felt when I sang

And a repeat stanza with different lyrics to finish.

Julia, you're a danger
just like giving sweets to strangers
And I think it's time I took you in hand

That last line is just so sweet. He really likes her in every way and he has decided that he's going to make a move.

It's a sweet charming story, honestly cleverly and masterfully told. It's sweet but not fluffy and it's sexy but not objectifying. A lesser writer would have just driveled on about some hot girl.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

I love listening to music when I'm writing, especially Enya and Neil Diamond. Many of my stories are titled based on song titles or song lyrics. In fact one story, "A Lovely Day," was inspired by the announcement of Bill Withers' death in June 2020. I outlined the story then, but didn't get around to actually write it until November 2022. It revolved around a four day weekend with one Bill Withers song featured each day as well as the title.

One series name, "Until It's Time For Me To Go," was based on a Neil Diamond song, "Until It's Time For You To Go." The three stories in the series are all based on Neil Diamond Titles which also influenced the plots of the stories: "If I Never Knew Your Name," "And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind," and "Done Too Soon."

Other stories I've written are named after song titles: "My Chevy Van," "I Fought the Law ...," and "Lady in Red."

Several other story titles are based on lyrics from songs titled for the MC for the story. "Your Silver Nights and Golden Days," "Throwin' Pennies in the Bay," "No More Perfect Kisses," and "Like Butter on a Summer Day."

Music inspires me when I'm writing. In my story, "I Fought the Law ...," one line, "Please don't go," spoken by Chris to Terry as Terry was dressing to go after some hot sex, made me hear hear the KC and the Sunshine Band song by the same name in my head which perfectly set the mood for what was happening.

So, I guess I really need music to write.

 

[jerfer]

Music for me is a universal language that can evoke emotions, memories. Whether you're listening, playing, or creating, it has the power to uplift, inspire, and unite people from all walks of life. distrokid is a popular digital music distribution service that can help independent artists easily get their music onto streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and more.

 

[lovecraft68]

I need it loud and obnoxious. You'd think that it would be hard to focus through black metal or even most heavy metal, but thanks to my stellar childhood I do my best in chaos, silence and 'calm' music and situations are when I feel antsy.

 

[Helgamite]

got this going while I write. got 3 stories being written right now lol. need all the relaxing I can get!

 

[THBGato]

First, what is your relationship to music while you're writing? Does it help you work? Does it inspire you?

For me, music and its stories inspire me to write, but I can't listen to it while I'm writing. It is the great Shakespearean tragedy of my existence!! I get too distracted by lyrics and tunes to focus, so I have to write in silence...

"Always music in our house, we do the dishes with the Sluts of Trust on the stereo". (I will be astounded if anyone gets the reference.)

Music - radio, spotify, you tube - is constantly playing in our house, and influences and inspires what I write massively.

My series "Love is a Place" is named after a Jaime Wyatt song which encapsulates how the protagonist ends up feeling.

Another series, "The Third Date", features musicians and public performances of songs feature heavily... though nowhere near as heavily as my 750 word short "Coda: 10 Songs", which follows a musician on tour.

I have a plan for another story which will revolve around listening to Desert Island Discs, with each song triggering a flashback for the main character. I'm desperate to write it, but I need to finish my current series first.

 

[THBGato]

Currently trying to work this song into a story:
https://youtu.be/eUNxVX8_Ljg?si=ctZ-CrlL3xkmQqqm

 

[orangecurious]

There are lots of musical references in my stories....

"Suburban Sweetheart" is a song title and ended up being a story series.
"Why'd You Ever Have To Say Goodbye" came from a line in a song and other lines in the song formed part of the final speech by one of the characters. I was intrigued by the line and the story came from why someone would say that... ended up being a monster story that got out of control.

otherwise, various lyrics and titles are dotted here and there.

Currently listening to Young Fathers a lot, off to see them at the end of the week too, one of the best live bands out there.

 

[Cali_Love]

 

[gunhilltrain]

I listen to music, but it doesn’t inspire me; it encourages me to reflect on some events I’ve taken part in, bringing back memories of times, good and bad. It helps me relax, particularly on those evenings when I’m alone. It clears my mind and allows me to come to terms with some things I’ve done. I never listen to music when I’m writing. In that context. It’s too much of a distraction.

I like many different genres of music, as long as it’s what I consider being good. My current favourite is ‘Love’ by Lana Del Rey. I suppose because, really, it’s just me.

M.
xxxxx

I like that Lana Del Rey wrote a song about my neighborhood. She did go to Fordham University, so it's possibly autobiographical. The printed lyrics are wrong however. She definitely says "crack house" not "gray house."

 

[Seadog777]

I love listening to music when I'm writing

I always end up singing and "dad dancing" when I try to listen to music when I write.

 

[gunhilltrain]

There are lots of musical references in my stories....

"Suburban Sweetheart" is a song title and ended up being a story series.
"Why'd You Ever Have To Say Goodbye" came from a line in a song and other lines in the song formed part of the final speech by one of the characters. I was intrigued by the line and the story came from why someone would say that... ended up being a monster story that got out of control.

otherwise, various lyrics and titles are dotted here and there.

Currently listening to Young Fathers a lot, off to see them at the end of the week too, one of the best live bands out there.

This song will be referenced in my next story. The original song writer was the late Townes Van Zandt.

Oh well, I can't get the link to work.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Okay, this version works.

 

[orangecurious]

This song will be referenced in my next story. The original song writer was the late Townes Van Zandt.

Oh well, I can't get the link to work.

Not Townes... one is Josh Rouse, the other A Girl Called Eddy... although you could write many stories using just one of TVZ's songs!