Fountains of Wayne songsmith Adam Schlesinger outlines the trade secrets of pop hackery
There are infinite ways to write a terrible song, just as there are infinite ways to write a great song. But there are surefire shortcuts to awfulness. You can mix or match these 10 strategies as you see fit, depending on the degree of awfulness desired. I'd name specific culprits who embody the terribleness of each approach, but I have utilized several of these, so I can't really point fingers.
1. Write something political, without knowing anything about politics.
2. Set your diary entries to music, verbatim.
3. Use big words you don't really understand.
4. Have lots of different "parts" to your song, and don't ever repeat any of these parts.
5. Write a gentle acoustic ballad that explodes into a "loud section" after about four minutes.
6. Combine No. 5 with lyrics reflecting your long-standing interest in mystical shit.
7. Write a song that requires a children's choir in the last chorus.
8. Write ... Read Full Post..
