51
Future in writing strictly lyrics?
QUESTION:
If I write strictly lyrics, do I have a future in the
songwriting business?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Yes. As a lyricist. This is something I have addressed
already here -- you will have no success trying to market
your lyrics just as lyrics -- you need to find a collaborator
who can set your words to music. Once you have completed
a full song -- words and music -- you can then make demos
of your songs, and attempt to market them as songs. The
fact that you wrote only lyrics and not music is not a
problem --many great lyricists have had stellar careers
writing words only, not music --but this success is directly
related to the fact that they teamed up with a great composer
or composers. Sammy Cahn is one of the most famous songwriters
of all time, yet he wrote only words, not music. Teaming
up with Jimmy Van Heusen and Jule Stein and other great
composers allowed him to transform his lyrics into great
songs. Or he would use his genius with words to write
lyrics to existing melodies. Similarly, Bernie Taupin
has written countless classics with Elton John but also
has written fine songs with other composers, such as Martin
Page. As a lyricist you are in the fortunate position
of being able to come up with something composers desperately
need: words. I am someone who writes both words and music,
but have found that there are more composers in need of
lyrics than vice versa, and I have collaborated with many
other songwriters in this regard, generally writing lyrics
to their melodies, or lyrics that they set to melodies.
So you certainly can have a very full career as a lyricist
--but it all depends on your ability to find a good collaborator.
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52
I'm ready to start marketing
QUESTION:
Hi Paul,
I'm just starting out. I made a demo CD last year for
my friends, containing 13 original songs. Right now I
have about 70 songs altogether. I have "copyrighted" the
CD (i.e. mailed myself a registered copy of a tape, here
in Canada), and now I have a Web page (http://www.netcom.ca/~mcook)
set up and I'm ready to start "marketing".
How do I go about:
1) protecting the copyright?
2) finding a publisher?
3) getting people interested in individual songs?
4) getting paid?
Thanks,
Mike Cook.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Hello Mike. Well stated and organized question. And a
big one, I might add, as it covers many different areas.
First of all, copyright. I will admit I am not well-versed
in Canadian copyright law. In America, the author of the
songs owns the copyright as soon as it is put into a "fixed
form," which means a tape or notated manuscript. That
copyright needs to be registered with the Library of Congress
by filing a PA form. Mailing yourself a sealed envelope
doesn't generally hold up in court and will not protect
the copyright. You would be best to register the copyright
and that will afford you the protection you need. If --and
I hope this doesn't happen -- there is a copyright dispute,
you will then be able to use that for proof of authorship.
To find a publisher, get the excellent Songwriter's Market
1999 book published by Writer's Digest book -- it gives
you very sound information on each publisher, and you
can call the ones that are interested in the style or
styles of music that you write in, and see if they will
allow you to send a tape, or meet them in person. It is
the job of the publisher to get your songs recorded. You
can also try to get songs yourself to artists, but this
is a tough thing to do --- better use of your time would
be to attempt to get one or more publisher interested
in your material, so that they will put their time and
effort into getting your material recorded. Don't get
me wrong -- this isn't easy. But this is the way to go.
If a publisher likes your songs and wants to get them
recorded, and then actually succeeds in this endeavor,
then you get paid by earning performance royalties on
these songs, which are paid for the public performances
of your songs (as if they receive radio play) and mechanical
royalties, which are paid for the sales of records.
Good luck.
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53
Standard Operating Procedures
QUESTION:
I am a lyric writer with copyright. I now am ready to
try and get my lyrics to music artists. How do I get to
the actual performer (e.g.. Madonna, Celine Dion?) and
what if any are the standard operating procedures?
Diana Hill
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Please refer to previous questions/answers about making
a career as a lyricist. If you write words, you will have
no probable success sending these lyrics to music artists
such as Madonna. For one thing, Madonna writes her own
lyrics. Before you send anything to anybody, you have
to determine which music artists write their own material,
such as Madonna, and which ones do accept outside material,
such as Celine Dion. But before you even need to be concerned
with that, you have to find a collaborator who can supply
music for your words, therefore creating a SONG, and then
make a demo of that song and get that demo to publishers.
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54
Sticking to proven song forms
QUESTION:
Hi Paul... I've appreciated your forthright and useful
answers to the previous questions on the web site. My
question:
There are song forms that are used again and again (12
bar blues, for example, or country songs with a I, IV,
V turnaround). While some songwriters get outside those
"nine dots" and produce great songs, they are often ignored
by the record companies and never make the charts.
Do you recommend that beginning songwriters stick to the
"proven" forms of songwriting to start out?
I wonder if Joni Mitchell would have had the luxury of
producing such diverse and innovative stuff as she has
if she had not already had a following. It's tough to
tell a starving artist to produce what is unlikely to
sell.
Dan <-- "stroking the star-maker machinery behind the
popular song"
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Hi Dan. That line, by the way, is "stoking the star-maker
machinery," not stroking, which suggests a whole different
dynamic.
This is a huge question and not a simple one to answer.
You seem to suggest that songs written in traditional
and conventional song forms are not liable to be good
songs, and I would disagree. Almost all of the greatest
songs that we know were written in conventional song forms,
by that I mean verse-chorus-verse or verse-verse-bridge-verse
or similar structures. Even songs that were quite experimental
when they first emerged , such as Lennon/McCartney's "A
Day In The Life" or "Strawberry Fields" still utilize
traditional song structures.
How a songwriter uses these structures is an entirely
different issue, and has to do with the experience and
talent of the songwriter. But often we have seen that,
as Krishnamurti said, "Limitation creates form." The very
limitations of these structures forces the songwriter
to be creative within them, and songwriters from the Gershwins
through Dylan and beyond have shown us abundant ways of
writing great songs within these forms.
Even Joni Mitchell, who like Dylan has written what I
consider to be extended songs, in that they have six or
more verses as opposed to the usual three, is using convention
song structures. She's stretching and expanding these
structures --and has come up with enormously inventive
and brilliant music and words to use within these structures
-- but still will rely on the familiar use of the repeating
chorus, for example, of the verse that has a single melody
that is applied to a series of different lyrics.
Part of this issue has to do with who you are writing
songs for -- are they for yourself to sing or for a different
singer? If the answer is the latter, that you are a non-performing
songwriter, then it is important for you to realize as
I think you do that you are in a highly competitive, commercial
field, and that publishers are looking for songs that
will make money for them. This generally means that a
more formulaic song, one that doesn't attempt to stretch
the boundaries of songwriting, might very well have a
better chance of getting accepted by a publisher than
an experimental, artistic song. Publishers are often looking
for something imitative, something that sounds like something
currently on the charts.
Therefore my recommendation would be, first of all, to
write that which moves you, so as to learn the elements
of songwriting. There is no way to learn how to be a songwriter
except for doing it. Then, after you've got many songs
under your belt, and this includes finishing bad songs
too -- they are often stepping stones to good ones --
then you can concern yourself with marketing these songs.
And if at that point your aim is to get other singers
to do your material, you must determine if any of your
existing songs are commercial enough for a publisher --
which means a big strong hook on the title line, and other
formulaic songwriting techniques such as a big build in
the verse that releases in the chorus -- and if you have
no songs that are that commercial, you can then decide
if you want to attempt to consciously write commercial
songs, which does mean being aware of the formulas. If
your aim is to be an artist, regardless of if anyone records
your songs, then feel free to stretch the forms all you
like. If you are a starving artist, get a job!
Songwriters need to eat -- this is important -- so don't
depend on songwriting at this point in your life to made
you money. Hopefully that can happen for you, and maybe
happen sooner than later. But in the meantime, make sure
you have some kind of work so as not to starve. Songwriting
is not a get-rich-quick kind of profession, and if you
are coming to it for that, look elsewhere. But if you
can support yourself through what can be a trying process
-- attempting to market your own songs --then at least
you'll have a fighting chance.
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55
Rating importance of rhymes
QUESTION:
How do you rate the importance of rhymes in lyrics ?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
They are extremely important. There are great songs with
no rhyme schemes whatsoever, such as "America" by Paul
Simon and many others. And there are also many great songs
that use false rhymes. But there are also countless songs
that benefit tremendously from the use of good rhyming,
like much of Dylan's work. And as Dylan told me, rhyming
can be fun. And it can trigger lines that might not have
ever been born were it not for the attempt at a rhyme.
A wise songwriter learns everything about the use of rhymes
--both masculine and feminine rhymes.
I tend to be a stickler for real rhymes -- meaning that
rhyming GIRL with WORLD just doesn't make it. But as Jackson
Browne said, you can only rhyme "unfurled" with "world"
so many times, and according to him meaning and impact
is more important than the use of a true rhyme. Jimmy
Webb, who I was happy to interview again just recently,
stresses the importance of real rhymes in songs. And then
he goes on to admit that he has written one of the most
famous false rhymes of all time, from "Wichita Lineman"
"And I need you more than want you/And I want you all
the time/And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line."
This is a good example, as is Dylan's "Shelter From the
Storm" and most of Randy Newman's songs, of a good use
of a false rhyme. I would tend to avoid these if possible
--but sometimes striving to get a perfect rhyme is not
the most important element. So it comes down to each songwriter
to decide for yourself how important rhymes are. But all
songwriters would be well advised to pay attention to
how the greats have used rhymes --and see if you can do
it yourself. Because a great rhyme adds a beautiful completion
to a line that nothing else can replace. And the use of
inner rhymes, another issue altogether, also adds a great
richness to lyrics.
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56
When to stop rewriting
QUESTION:
When do you know when the lyrics for a song you're writing
are final. How do you know when to stop rewriting and
rewriting and rewriting?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
You don't. That is a hard one. Often songwriters have
said that it was a deadline that made them finish a song.
They simply ran out of time. I think what it comes down
to is asking yourself this question: Is there any element
at all in this song that could be better? If the answer
is yes --whether it be words or music, the song is not
done yet. When people just start writing songs, there
is a triumph to finishing any song. But as you write more,
you realize that only your greatest songs are going to
be of any value. So if you can improve it in any way,
you should. Rewriting is often not fun, but it can be
the most important factor in separating the good songs
from the great ones. Many great songwriters, such as Dylan,
have rewritten their songs even after they have been recorded.
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57
Songs about famous people
QUESTION:
What are the legalities in selling a song about a famous
person and using their likeness on the packaging?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
The legalities are complicated. Like most legal issues,
this is not a black and white area. It has to do with
the issue of whether you are exploiting that person or
not. To write a song as a tribute is one thing, but to
then use the person's image on packaging is entirely another
issue. It also has to do with who the person is and if
they are still living. Writing a song about Myrna Loy
or Houdini can be less problematic than writing one about
Madonna or David Letterman, for example.
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58
Staying on topic
QUESTION:
When we write songs(my band I mean), we always seem to
run out of things that go along with what we are trying
to say. It's not easy to start with because we are alternative,
and we write ridiculous songs. Like this song we are trying
to write now is called Bob Dole and it's about, well,
you guessed it, Bob Dole. My question is how do we stay
on track with what we are trying to say?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
I think some people have more talent for coming up with
abundant lyrical ideas than do others, and you might simply
want to work with other lyricists. I do think it is very
important that when writing you do what Randy Newman suggests
in my book -- Never let the critic become bigger than
the creator. What this means is to do it --write every
idea down you have --brainstorm -- and do it in a way
that is not self-critical. If every line you come up with
is shot down because it sounds stupid or meaningless,
you won't get anywhere. So you have to let the song lead
you sometimes --let the music lead you and suggest words
that fit. Do you write the music first? Are you writing
lyrics first? Also - before settling on a theme, like
Bob Dole, you might want to give more thought to a subject
-- is this something you can write a whole song about?
I am not saying there isn't a song to write about Bob
Dole --I think there are many that could be written about
different aspects of who he is, what he's like, what people
think about him, etc. One mistake I have made when trying
to write a song about an actual person --and I have written
many of those -- is to try to tell their whole life story
in one song. It is better to write about one part of their
lives --the more specific you can get, the better. And
for specifics, I suggest research. Go on the Internet,
look up every article you can about Dole, and pore over
those for any phrases or events or ideas that might be
there. You might be surprised with what you find. Good
luck.
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59
You DON'T sell your songs
QUESTION:
A few singers are interested in buying my songs and the
copyrights. What steps and forms do I need to begin the
selling process and what is the price range I should sell
a copyrighted song for?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
NEVER EVER sell your copyright. Your copyright to the
song is proof of ownership and authorship of that song.
You can get your song published, in which case a publisher
essentially buys all or part of your publishing rights
to the song but you always retain your copyright. Otherwise
somebody is essentially buying authorship of the song
from you, and if the song goes onto to earn money in the
future, you will receive no royalties at all. If singers
want to record your songs, fine, but they have no right
or need to buy your copyright.
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60
Poetry and songs
QUESTION:
I want to submit my published poetry for consideration
in songwriting. I do have a music attorney. He informs
me that I need music with it, which means hiring a songwriter.
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Wrong. Not hiring a songwriter. It means finding a collaborator
who writes music. And composers need lyricists as much
as lyricists need composers. People often think that if
they write poetry, that poetry can be turned into a song.
But song lyrics are different than poems, they are meant
to be sung. The singability of the words and phrasing
is as important as any other element. So you need to concentrate
on writing song lyrics --words that will work within the
framework of a song. However, if you do wish to hire a
songwriter as opposed to finding a collaborator, please
give me a call.
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61
Lyric first, riff first, chords first, track first, melody
first?
QUESTION:
I don't know about you, but the way I write songs is by
coming up with a riff/progression on my guitar, then write
a melody with lyrics that fit over that. How do you do
it?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
Every way there is. Lyric first, riff first, chords first,
track first, melody first, music and words together, etc.
As time goes on, songwriters try every method there is.
And none of them are easier than others. If you have found
one method that works for you, then by all means keep
doing that as well as you can and write as many songs
as you can that way. Sometimes I find that when one method
does not work for me, it's beneficial to switch around
to spark some new ideas. Writing songs in different ways,
just like writing them on different instruments, can lead
you in new directions.
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62
Do I really need a publisher?
QUESTION:
I plan to simply write and sing my own songs and self-distribute
a professional, finished product (in other words, the
DIY route). But if another artist asks if he/she can record
a song of mine, it's no problem with me as long as the
song is copyrighted. Unless really necessary, I wouldn't
need a publisher. Am I correct?
ANSWER
(by Paul Zollo):
You can always self-publish your own material. There is
no obligation for any songwriter to have somebody else
publish your songs. However, there are also certain benefits
in having an outside publisher, if that publisher can
get your songs recorded more than you can by other artists.
If you do self-publish, you will of course retain all
publishing rights to the song and will ultimately earn
more money if the song is successful, either by yourself
or by a different artist.
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