It’s not about you. It’s about the listener. What’s in it for the listener?
As we began discussing a few weeks ago (READ IT HERE), successful songwriters know it’s not about us- it’s about the listener. When it comes to your song, what’s in it for the listener? What’s going to make them stick around till the end and hit “repeat?”
If your song doesn’t have something in it for the listener, there’s no money in it for you.
Yep. I’ve said that over the past few weeks, and I’m gonna keep saying it till I finally run out of this series!
So I’ve been pointing out some things you can build into your songs that can connect with your listeners. So far, we’ve discussed “It’s What I Want To Hear” and “It’s What I Want To Say.” and “That’s Who I Am.” and “Give The Listener Great Advice!” This week, let’s talk about…
“Hey, I remember that!”
A powerful way to connect with a listener is to push the nostalgia button. Take the listener back to a point in their past that they recall fondly. Use your song like a time machine.
When you do this effectively, your listener isn’t so much connecting to your song as connecting to their own past THROUGH your song. This can be very powerful. Let’s look at a few examples.
“Boys Of Fall”
by Kenny Chesney (written by Casey Beathard, Dave Turnbull). This song takes me back to playing high school football. It takes me back to running through a banner, the taste of grass in my mouthpiece, all of it. It makes me miss those days. Love that song. It makes me think of my teammates like Steve Caughron, Willy Kuykendall, and Brian Krug. Good times.
“19 Something”
by Mark Wills (written by David Lee, Chris DuBois). This song describes a lot of my formative years. Big hair, parachute pants and Stretch Armstrong all conjure up childhood memories. It’s fun to remember when getting a microwave was a big deal. The Challenger disaster is definitely NOT a feel-good reference, but it takes me back to intermediate school, watching it on a big TV rolled into the classroom on a big cart.
“Every Head Bowed”
I dug into my own history and nostalgia for a song I had recorded by Randy Travis, “Every Head Bowed” on Randy’s “Around The Bend” album.
Twinkies, corduroy coats, clip-on ties and “I Surrender All” each make me recall growing up going to Calvary Baptist Church back in Batesville, Arkansas. And I know my cowriter, Brandon Kinney, had a lot of the same experiences at his home church back in Texas. Mining our nostalgia made the song more real, which helped it connect to Randy- and hopefully to a lot of other people, too.
“Old Alabama” “Doin’ It To Country Songs”
by Brad Paisley (written by Brad Paisley, Dave Turnbull, Chris DuBois, Randy Owen) and “Doing It To Country Songs” by Blake Shelton (written by Marty Dodson, Jacob Lyda, Paul Overstreet) each use nostalgic artists to bring an extra “smile” to the songs. Paisley, of course, builds his song around classic Alabama hits. Blake doesn’t reference The Oak Ridge Boys in his song, but they add their distinctive sound to the record.
Most longtime country fans probably don’t hear Alabama or Oak Ridge Boys music that often these days, so these newer songs remind us of hits like “Mountain Music,” “Elvira” and others.
So one way to make your song more “cut/able” is to have your lyric connect the listener to his or her own past.
So here’s your homework. Turn on the radio or your favorite playlist- or dig through your stack of favorite albums. Find a song or two that answers the question, “What’s in it for the listener?” with “Hey, I remember that!” Please leave a comment and let me know what you discovered!
If you want your songs to be more “cut/able” – able to be cut – then you should definitely check out my new, expanded and upgraded version of “Cut/able: Lessons In Market Smart Songwriting.” It’s five powerful lessons will help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play, and listeners want to hear! CLICK HERE TO WRITE CUT/ABLE SONGS.
God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
Brent
Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.
