Writing Songs
I’ve always been impressed by how some singer-storytellers, like Bill Harley, Christine Lavin, and others, write stories, add music, and perform them. In 2006, I decided to enter the field. Since then, I’ve written 11 songs and registered with the Library of Congress to copyright them. I’ve used most of them in my storytelling performances. What has fascinated me is how these songs came to me.
The first song, ‘Tell Me A Story’ (2006), the theme for my public performances, came to me a week before I performed at the Long Island Storytelling Festival in 2006. I woke up one Sunday morning with the chorus to the song (both words and tune) rattling around in my mind. I got up and hummed the melody into my digital recorder to avoid forgetting the tune. After breakfast, I worked out the chords for the song and then wrote down the words for the chorus. Once that was done, I probably spent an hour or more working out the different verses until I got it to a point where I liked how it sounded. I then shared it with friends of mine for input and revised the words a few times until it became the final version you hear today. After hearing me sing it, a colleague at school told me to get it copyrighted, which I did.
The second song, What Do You Say? (2007), started similarly. I had no words this time, but a tune ran through my mind overnight. Again, I recorded the song so I wouldn’t forget it. This was an excellent idea because I had forgotten the tune within an hour of hearing it. After working out the chords to play on my guitar, the tune sat around for 2-3 days. I had no idea what I would write as lyrics for this tune. Like last time, an upcoming performance spurred me to create the lyrics. This song was designed for younger kids. I had an issue at home with the concept of saying ‘Thank you’ and when to say it. My family and I didn’t always agree on when it should be said. I knew I wanted to write a song or a story that reflected my views on saying such things as please, thank you, and excuse me. The writing of this song took longer. First, I needed to get the words right, and then there were constant revisions based on feedback and my misgivings about how words went together. But I did finish it. I usually perform this song when I’m performing for smaller kids.
Some of my songs have been written based on the theme of the performance I was to do. For example, a PTA theme week entitled “Be Excited About Reading” hired me, so I wrote ‘B.E.A.R.’ (2009), specifically using the initials of their theme and its meaning.
Another technique I’ve used was using familiar tunes and adding new words to them. I did not copyright these. For example, ‘National Parks’ (2013), another school-wide theme, was written to the tune of “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain,” as was ‘Home, Home, Here I’ll Stay’ (2020), which used the music of ‘Home on the Range’ to tell about Covid and being stuck at home.
The hardest part of creating new songs you hope to perform is learning them. I tape myself singing the songs and then sing them repeatedly, aloud, constantly referring to the words or listening to the tape until they become ingrained in my mind. I want to perform them without a cheat sheet.
Now that I haven’t performed in a while, I have trouble remembering the words and chords of many of the songs I have written. I also haven’t been motivated to write new songs except occasionally for our writing groups.
If I’m prompted with a good writing topic in one of these writing groups, I might do my writing in song, even if I don’t record them, like these – ‘Home, Home Here I’ll Stay’, ‘International Do Nothing Day’, ‘The Answer is NO!’, and Lids.
Where will my next tune take me? I’m not sure. There must be other ways to create songs. I still subconsciously wait for music to come to me when I’m sleeping; I’ll take it from there when it does.
