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C4X, Cut/able Songwriting, Write Like A Pro

One Way To Tell If Your song Is “Dated”

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What does it mean when someone says your song is “dated” or “not appropriate for today’s artists?”  

Recently, a member of the Songwriting Pro community asked me about feedback he recently received from a music publisher.  Regarding this writer’s song, the publisher said:

* The idea comes across as a little too old fashioned for most artists in today’s market.
*The melody is technically good, but doesn’t sound current enough to pitch in today’s market.

What does this mean, and how can you figure out if your song is dated?

Read on.

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

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First of all, I know this can be a very frustrating piece of feedback.  I’ve been there. 

Your song obviously doesn’t sound “dated” to you, or you wouldn’t have bothered to send it in to a music industry professional.  You believe your song has worth, and let me be the first to tell you:

Your song may be good, but not all good songs are commercial songs.

You can write a very well-crafted and emotional song.  That’s great- and it’s not easy to do.  But if that song sounds like it just popped out  of a time machine from 1985, it’s probably not going to get recorded by a major artist TODAY.

Yes, you may find a few exceptions here and there.  There may be some throwback artists or tracks out there.  But even most of those songs bring in some new element so it doesn’t just sound like an old song.  And there may be some indie artists that are retro.  But in any case, aiming for the fringes or small niches is not a great way to start off your career – or for a publisher to make a living.  So most won’t be interested in dated-sounding songs.

Put your song in a playlist of current hits in the same genre.

If you’re a country writer, make a playlist of several current country hits by mainstream artists.  Then add your song somewhere in the middle.  Does it feel like it would be right at home on a radio station playing those songs?  Or would it stick out like a sore thumb?  And why is that?

Is your song lyrically dated?

Does your lyric contain phrases that just aren’t found in current hits- and haven’t been heard on the radio in years?  Does it tell the type of story that went out of style years ago?  Does it use archaic language- words that aren’t used in normal conversation these days?  These can all make your song feel dated.

Is your song sonically dated?

My first inclination is to say, “well, if you can’t hear it, I can’t explain it.”   And part of that might be true.  It’s like what one judge said about pornography.  “I can’t tell you what it is, but I know it when I see it.”  Can you HONESTLY hear a current artist singing this melody?  Would it REALLY fit in on their current album?  Are you using instrumentation that hasn’t been on the radio in years?

You have to be honest with yourself.

What other ways have you found that make songs sound dated?  I’d love to hear from you.  Leave a comment!

Knowing how to avoid mistakes like this can make a big difference in YOUR songwriting.  Keeping your songs current will help them have a competitive advantage in the market.

If you want to dive into songwriting craft; if you want learn how to write songs that will get you noticed in the music business, I have a great opportunity for you.

Every Tuesday night in April, I’m hosting The C4 Experience.  It’s an exclusive, live online event where I help 10 writers like YOU create explosive growth in your commercial songwriting.  I want you to win, and I’m going to help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play and fans want to hear.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN THIS EXCLUSIVE ONLINE EVENT!

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, Ray Stevens and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 Single of the Year in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4

C4X, Write Like A Pro

Songwriting Success Is All About… Location.

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It’s true for real estate, and it’s true for songs.

I want to talk about the 3 most important things in real estate (which are also really important in songwriting):

Location, location, location.

Read on.

________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

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In probably any town, certain neighborhoods have certain personalities. One neighborhood is full of SUV-driving soccer moms. Another is mostly middle-class country folk. Another is college kids, another is hipsters, etc.

Musically-speaking, most artists put down roots in one neighborhood.

They spend most of their time there, only venturing out to the adjacent neighborhoods every now and then. This is another way of talking about branding. An artist’s brand says, “I live in THIS neighborhood. I’m like THESE people, and I sing about them and for them.”

For example, an artist’s music may be most “at home” with the good ‘ol party boys. Most of his music is for those good ‘ol boys- bonfires and tailgates. The “good ‘ol party boy” artist doesn’t usually venture into the soccer mom neighborhood, where the music is more about family, lifelong love, kids, etc.

Most songs are also “at home” in certain neighborhoods. Some songs are built for the rednecks, some for the high school girls, some for their moms, some for the blue collar dads, etc.

But remember, most ideas can be built to fit in any of several neighborhoods.

It just depends how you frame the idea (pun intended). The choices you make will determine your song’s neighborhood.

For example, Craig Morgan’s “Redneck Yacht Club” and Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” are basically about the same thing- getting out on the water. But the songs (houses) were built in different neighborhoods and attracted a different kind of artist. Even though the basic ideas of the songs are similar, Little Big Town wouldn’t feel at home moving into Craig’s neighborhood, and vice versa.

When you think about where to build your song, it’s wise to think about the property values in the different neighborhoods.

Are the houses in the “good ‘ol party boys” neighborhood in high demand? Are the houses in the blue-collar-working-man in low demand?  What type of song are artists cutting?

I was blessed to have Joe Nichols cut a song of mine on his most recent album. The song became the album’s title, “Crickets.” We built the song in Joe’s neighborhood, and I’m glad he liked it enough to move in!

But what about “Crickets” put it in Joe’s neighborhood? Well, first off, it’s country. Pretty dang country. Joe’s done some more modern stuff here and there, but he has a deep love for country songs that are really country. Also, Joe has also recorded several songs that are funny or tongue-in-cheek, such as “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.” He’s not afraid to poke a little fun at himself, either, so “Crickets” seemed like a really good fit. I’m glad Joe thought so, too!

The concept of “Neighborhoods” is important if you want to write commercially-competitive songs.

If you want to dive into songwriting craft; if you want learn how to write songs that will get you noticed in the music business, I have a great opportunity for you.

Every Tuesday night in April, I’m hosting The C4 Experience.  It’s an exclusive, live online event where I help 10 writers like YOU create explosive growth in your commercial songwriting.  I want you to win, and I’m going to help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play and fans want to hear.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN THIS EXCLUSIVE ONLINE EVENT!

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, Ray Stevens and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 Single of the Year in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4

C4X, Cut/able Songwriting, Write Like A Pro

One Single Line Can Cause Your Whole Song To Fail

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Wanna know how just ONE LINE in your song can really mess up its chances for success?  Here are a few ways…

As you may know, each line in your song is important.  Every line needs to be “on point.”  Every line needs to point to the central idea, theme, and vibe of your song.  Every line needs to pull its weight.  Each line has a job to do.

And sometimes, one single line can mess up your song’s chance to get recorded or connect with your listener.

Read on.

________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

Yes.  Sometimes, one single line can mess up your song’s chance to get recorded or connect with your listener.

And I’m not talking about, “Oh, this line or that line was off-topic or was a little confusing.”  Sure, those are things to be avoided because they DO hurt your song.  But I’m talking about a few other types of lines…

The Cornerstone / Stumbling Block

It’s a mistake to make one line of your song TOO important.  “If the listener misses this one line, they’ll get lost,” is a dangerous way to write.  Don’t hang too much of the weight of your song on one line.  Sadly, you can’t expect too much of the listener’s attention.

Listeners usually won’t give your song their full, undivided attention.

I write EXPECTING that the listener will zone out on at least a line or two while they get/send a text, honk at a bad driver, or get some notification on their phone.  If that text comes during that ONE LINE they have to “get” or they won’t “get” your song… they won’t “get” your song!  What you built to be the cornerstone of your song just became a stumbling block to your listener.

And this doesn’t have to be the line that provides “the big surprise twist ending.”  It can be a line in the first verse that sets up that the singer is a single mom.  Or is in prison.  Or just got his heart broken.  Whatever it is.  Don’t hang too much on one line.  Pepper that information throughout your song.

The Wait-For-It Line

This one usually IS the twist, surprise or otherwise killer line where you think, “if the listener will just listen until we get to THAT line (usually in the 2nd verse or bridge), I’ve got ’em!”  Well, I hate to tell you… they probably won’t stick around.

The danger with a Wait-For-It Line is that you CAN’T make the listener wait for it.  Every line needs to keep the listener’s attention.  You can’t put clichés throughout the lyric, expecting the Wait-For-It line to save your song.  The listener will tune out (literally or figuratively) before the line ever gets there.

Keep the listener’s attention with EVERY line.

The Crossed-That Line

This will really depend on your genre, but your song can be chugging along just fine, making the A&R person bob his head and tap his pencil, when all of a sudden you drop an F-bomb that has to be an F-bomb because it’s the rhyme, or you say something really negative about women, or something else that is a cut-killer. (Again, depending on genre.)

Another example of this is when a happy love song has a line that reveals that the singer is a parent or a grandparent.  Nothing wrong with this, but it limits which artists can sing it.  It might even be very important that the singer BE a parent or grandparent.  But just realize the tradeoffs involved.

Those are a few cut-killing and connection-killing lines.  Do you have a few more that you’d like to add?  Have you put some cut-killing lines in your songs (admit it- we all have).  I’d love to hear from you.  Leave a comment!

Knowing how to avoid “lyrical landmines” like this can make a big difference in YOUR songwriting.  Successfully side-stepping them will help you write market-smart songs: songs that have a competitive advantage in the market.

If you want to dive into songwriting craft; if you want learn how to write songs that will get you noticed in the music business, I have a great opportunity for you.

Every Tuesday night in April, I’m hosting The C4 Experience.  It’s an exclusive, live online event where I help 10 writers like YOU create explosive growth in your commercial songwriting.  I want you to win, and I’m going to help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play and fans want to hear.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN THIS EXCLUSIVE ONLINE EVENT!

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, Ray Stevens and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 Single of the Year in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4

C4X, Cut/able Songwriting, Write Like A Pro

Cut/able Songwriting: FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE & “TALK YOU OUT OF IT”

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Florida Georgia Line is climbing the country singles chart with their new song, “Talk You Out Of It.”

Alysa Maria Vanderheym, Hunter Phelps, Jameson Rodgers and Michael Hardy are the songwriters behind “Talk You Out Of It,” and they use several techniques that help the song stand out- and stand a chance of getting cut.  In short, they made this song “Cut/able.”  Here are a few of those techniques.

YOU GOTTA TALK TO HER.

This song is all about the sexy.  And that type of song is perfect for direct address.  That’s when the singer sings directly TO the listener.  In this case, he’s saying “I just wanna talk YOU out of it.”  The writers could have written the singer to sing “I just wanna talk HER out of it,” about how his girl is getting ready to go out on the town and how she looks so good.  But, you know what?  Talking ABOUT your love interest isn’t nearly as powerful as talking TO your love interest.  This is especially true for sexy songs.  The difference between “you” and “her” can be the difference between “hit” and “miss.”

________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

PAINT THE PICTURE.

They use some great imagery in this song, and it really helps the story to come to life. They give us so much to “see,” from the downtown lights to the bottle in a bucket of ice to him watching TV.  And that’s just in the first verse!  The chorus is also full of imagery.  The “playlist you play when you’re in the shower” brings in not just a visual image, but the audio image of music.  It’s important that you don’t forget your other senses.  Visual imagery is important, but sound, smell and other types of sensory images can really bring an authenticity to your lyric.

DOUBLE THE MEANING, DOUBLE THE IMPACT.

Country songs love double meanings, and this song is no exception.  The chorus starts off with “I talked you into…” getting ready to go out.  And they could’ve just said, “you look so good, I want to talk you out of it,” meaning, “I want to talk you out of going out on the town.”  But the writers brought the chorus to an image of her in “that fine little dress.”  Now, when the singer says, “I just wanna talk you out of it,” it means, “I wanna talk you out of going out on the town” AND “I wanna talk you out of that dress.”  It adds another twist on this hook, making it a lot more powerful.  You want your hook to land with impact, and a well-crafted double-meaning can help you do that.

THE VIBE MATCHES THE LYRIC.

Last, but certainly not least, the vibe (melody, groove, production) fits the meaning of the lyric.  Now, you can have great success with sad songs that feel happy, for example.  But for sexy songs, it really works when the lyric and vibe match.  And it certainly does here.  A big fun melody/groove might’ve still been cut/able, but it sure wouldn’t have been sexy.  And that is definitely the goal here: sexy.  So the vibe reflects that.  There’s a focus to this song.  The writers know what they want the listener to feel, and everything moves in that direction.

Knowing pro techniques like this can make a big difference in YOUR songwriting.  Applying them will help you write market-smart songs: songs that have a competitive advantage in the market.

If you want to dive into songwriting craft; if you want learn how to write songs that will get you noticed in the music business, I have a great opportunity for you.

Every Tuesday night in April, I’m hosting The C4 Experience.  It’s an exclusive, live online event where I help 10 writers like YOU create explosive growth in your commercial songwriting.  I want you to win, and I’m going to help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play and fans want to hear.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN THIS EXCLUSIVE ONLINE EVENT!

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, Ray Stevens and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 Single of the Year in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4

C4X, Write Like A Pro

Are your songs road-ready?

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If you want your songs to have a better chance at commercial success, you’re smart to care about what people want to hear on the way to work.

Let me tell you a little story about a meeting from early in my Nashville days.

I was sitting down with Ralph Murphy at ASCAP. (If you’re unfamiliar with Ralph, look him up. He’s great.) I played either a slow song or a sad song… but most likely it was a slow AND sad song. Ralph looked at me and asked, “who wants to hear this on Monday morning on their way to work?”

Great point, Ralph.

________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

Ralph schooled me in “Murphy’s Laws.”

First thing on a Monday morning, most folks are heading off to either a school or a job they don’t particularly like. Their coffee hasn’t kicked in yet, and they sit droopy-eyed behind the wheel, dreading the next 9 to 10 hours.

Now is not a good time to hit them with a funeral march. (They likely already feel like they’re on one of their own.) Radio wants to give them something to put a smile on those dreary faces.

Don’t believe me that radio wants to put a smile on your face? Then riddle me this. Are the most popular morning DJs deep and quietly thoughtful, gloomily sharing the most negative news from the night before? No.

The most popular radio DJs are… FUNNY.  There’s a songwriting lesson in that.

They make the listener smile. They give off a positive vibe. Do you think those DJs are in a hurry to kill the positive energy by playing a bunch of slit-your-wrist negative songs? No way!

Sure, they may play one or two “downer” songs, but it’s going to be a small minority of the songs they play. So that’s morning drive-time radio.

What about the other drive-time? What about the drive home? Now the listener is probably worn out or stressed out after a long day of work they didn’t enjoy.

The listener has their own problems- who wants to hear about the singer’s problems?

Maybe they want songs to help them forget about the day or songs to help them blow off some steam. Odds are, they don’t want songs to send them into a deeper funk on their drive home.

Or maybe the listener had a good day, and they want to celebrate. Well, that’s definitely time for a positive song!

Any way you look at it, radio is mostly looking to play positive songs – songs that make their listeners feel good, feel empowered, and generally open to listening through the next round of commercials.

When in doubt, write positive songs.

Knowing simple truths like this can make a big difference in YOUR songwriting.  Applying “cut/able” techniques will help you write market-smart songs: songs that have a competitive advantage in the market.  

If you want to dive into songwriting craft; if you want learn how to write songs that will get you noticed in the music business, I have a great opportunity for you.

Every Monday night in October, I’m hosting The C4 Experience.  It’s an exclusive, live online event where I help 10 writers like YOU create explosive growth in your commercial songwriting.  I want you to win, and I’m going to help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play and fans want to hear.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN THIS EXCLUSIVE EVENT!

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, a #1 in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas.  His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4

C4X, Write Like A Pro

A pro songwriter’s job is NOT “to write songs.”

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When I signed my first staff songwriting deal, I thought it was so cool to “have a job writing songs.”  But I was wrong.  Writing songs was NOT my job.

Wait.  What?  As a staff songwriter in a publishing deal, isn’t “writing songs” exactly what they pay you for?

No.  They aren’t paying you to write songs.  Want to know what they are really paying you for?  Read on.

________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

A pro songwriter’s job is NOT just to write songs.

I was signed to Major Bob Music for 3 years.  During that time, I turned in about 250 songs.  That’s an average of about 83 songs per year.  Yeah, I was writing a LOT.

Of those 250 songs, about 70 are demoed and 60 have a guitar/vocal recording.  So a little over half of my Major Bob songs are in a form suitable for pitching to an artist or label.

And during those years, I had a bunch of holds ranging from Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, and more.  So I was getting some holds.

And some artists recorded my songs, too.  These included a great signer named John Pierce on RCA who cut my song, “Ring On The Bar.”  The legendary Randy Travis recorded my song “Every Head Bowed.”  And a new act called Lady Antebellum recorded two of my songs, “A Woman Scorned” and “Last Night Last” for their debut album.

250 songs, 130 demos or guitar/vocals, many holds, and a few cuts.  And I lost my publishing deal.

I lost my publishing deal because I didn’t do my job.

So what the heck was my job if it wasn’t writing songs, making demos, getting holds and getting cuts????

A pro songwriter’s job is writing songs… that make MONEY.

Those 250 songs I wrote?  Most of them never made a dime for Major Bob.  (That’s the case for 99.9% of songs written for publishers, by the way.)  The demos?  The ones that didn’t get cut by a fairly big artist actually cost Major Bob money.  They had to pay the musicians, studio, etc.

So what about my cuts?

The John Pierce record never came out.  The Randy Travis record didn’t come out until about a year after my Major Bob deal was over. And the Lady Antebellum songs were cut the week My deal ended, so it was too little too late.  (They went on to become bonus tracks that have made a little money, but nothing life-changing.)

Bottom line:  my catalog didn’t make enough money to keep my gig at the publishing company.

Now, I’m not sharing this to complain.  I’ve been blessed to have some songs that have done quite well.  And I’ve had several songs that have brought in a little cash here and there.  I went on to have other publishing deals.

I’m sharing this because you need to know the truth about being a professional songwriter.

If you want to be a pro songwriter, simply writing songs is NOT enough.  Heck, even writing really good songs is not enough.  Your songs have to make money if you want to do this for a living or even as a good side gig.

I had a blast writing songs at Major Bob.  I keep in touch with the folks there, and I appreciate the investment they made in me and my career.  If I could go back and change anything, I would’ve focused less on “writing songs” and focused more on “writing songs that make money.”

I would’ve paid a lot more attention to the business parts of writing: writing market-smart, pitching my own songs, building a stronger team of cowriters, building a stronger business network, and making decisions in my songs that made them more commercially relevant.

I learned an invaluable lesson in a painful way.  And I want to help YOU avoid that same pain.

Knowing what a pro songwriter’s real job is- and writing like it- can make a big difference in YOUR songwriting.  Applying “cut/able” techniques will help you write market-smart songs: songs that have a competitive advantage in the market.  

If you want to dive into songwriting craft; if you want learn how to write songs that will get you noticed in the music business, I have a great opportunity for you.

Every Monday night in October, I’m hosting The C4 Experience.  It’s an exclusive, live online event where I help 10 writers like YOU create explosive growth in your commercial songwriting.  I want you to win, and I’m going to help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play and fans want to hear.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN THIS EXCLUSIVE EVENT!

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, a #1 in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas.  His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4

C4X, Write Like A Pro

Cut/able Songwriting: Old Dominion & “Hotel Key”

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Old Dominion has the key to a hit song with their new single, “Hotel Key.”

Matt Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and Josh Osborne are multi-hit songwriters, and it shows on “Hotel Key.”  They use several techniques that help the song stand out- and stand a chance of getting cut.  In short, they made this song “Cut/able.”  Here are a few of those techniques.

WIN BEFORE YOU SPIN.

This song starts winning before the it’s even spinning. “Hotel Key” is a fresh title that hasn’t been done to death. It’s an image, so it puts a picture in the listener’s head immediately.  And, for me at least, it opens a loop. It’s a title that almost asks the question, “what happened in the hotel room?” And that makes me curious. Already, I’m getting invested in the song before I even hear it.

________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

SAVE THE WORDS, SAVE THE HOOK.

Notice how the songwriters never say the words “hotel” or “key” until the hook. But they still let us know it’s in a hotel right from the first verse. Terms like “do not disturb” and “checkout was supposed to be at noon” let the listener know that this takes place in a hotel.

Two things are important here. 1) They let us know it takes place in a hotel so we aren’t confused when the chorus starts with “she kept the hotel key.” 2) They didn’t steal the thunder from the hook by using “hotel” or “key” until the hook. This kept those words fresh so they had more impact at the top of the chorus.

PAINT THE PICTURE.

They use some great imagery in this song. They give us so much to “see,” from her slipping the hotel key into her purse, to her sitting “indian style” on the bed – not JUST sitting on the bed – sitting INDIAN STYLE on the bed. So much more clear and unique.

We also see him pulling up a song on his phone and them dancing by the TV- which was never turned on, by the way. This image of the TV always-off reminds us of how small hotel rooms are and how there’s not many places to dance. It also reinforces how they were too wrapped up in each other to chill and watch TV.

DOUBLE THE MEANING, DOUBLE THE IMPACT.

The chorus has a great line right before the hook: “we both know we can’t open the door no more.” Not only does it lead right into the thought of the hotel key, it lets us know that this was a one-time fling. But this isn’t a line just thrown in as a cool line. No, that thought is supported by lines in each of the verses such as “neither of us looking for three little words” (they aren’t looking for love) and “this isn’t one of those stories that ends up that way” (they aren’t running away together).

This line also has a literal meaning- hotel keys stop working after you check out. They physically can’t open that door anymore. But it also means they know it was a one-time fling. The singer and the girl can’t “open the door” to that relationship/romance again. They doubled the meaning and doubled the impact of that line.

2ND VERSE, NOT THE SAME AS THE 1ST.

While the first verse was setting up the intoxicated, buzzy, fuzzy state they were in when they hit the hotel, verse two moves the story and the imagery forward. It gives us a view into the room with her half drunk smile, talking about Austin, etc.

The first verse was mostly outside the hotel room. The second verse was all inside the hotel room. They didn’t just give the listener more of the first verse- they moved the story to a different place and let us know the characters a little more.

BRIDGE TO THE LAST CHORUS.

They did something different in the bridge which really helped shine a spotlight on that last chorus. They focus on what all they left or she left. They left the lights and the crowd and the world. She left a picture in his head and a night he can’t forget.  BUT… she TOOK the hotel key.

Nowhere else in the song do they contrast “left” and “took.”  So it’s a new thing in the bridge, giving it more of a reason to be there. This bridge shines a little different light on that hook line, and it lets the listener hit the chorus in a little different way than before. This gives us something new while we head into the now-familiar chorus.

GROOVE GROOVE GROOVE.

Last, but certainly not least, the song just plain grooves. It feels great. Even though the song is maybe a little bittersweet, the singer is too busy remembering it with a grin on his face to feel sad. They had a great time, and the song FEELS like a great time.

Knowing pro techniques like this can make a big difference in YOUR songwriting.  Applying them will help you write market-smart songs: songs that have a competitive advantage in the market.

If you want to dive into songwriting craft; if you want learn how to write songs that will get you noticed in the music business, I have a great opportunity for you.

Every Monday night in October, I’m hosting The C4 Experience.  It’s an exclusive, live online event where I help 10 writers like YOU create explosive growth in your commercial songwriting.  I want you to win, and I’m going to help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play and fans want to hear.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN THIS EXCLUSIVE EVENT!

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, a #1 in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas.  His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4

C4X, Write Like A Pro

Here’s how it feels to hear your song on the radio…

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I’ll never forget the first time I heard one of my songs on the radio.

“Monday Morning Church” had just been released by Alan Jackson, and it was starting to get some spins.  It was to be featured on a local (Nashville) radio station’s song-vs-song challenge (a “Friday Night Knockout” kind of thing).  They kept promoting it, so I knew it was coming on around 8pm that night…

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

A good friend had just arrived from Little Rock, and was in the bathroom when the opening fiddle started playing on the radio in the living room.  I yelled, “It’s on!” and she came bolting out of the bathroom- tugging up her sweatpants and almost putting on an indecent display as she tried not to trip over herself in her excitement and hurry.

The song was cranked up, and we were totally amped up.  We laughed, hugged, and paced around the living room as the song played.  I had FINALLY heard my song on the radio!  It was an unbelievable feeling.  “Wow… he REALLY released it!  It’s REALLY on the dad-gummed RADIO!”

I want YOU to have that feeling, too.

Don’t say that it can’t happen to you.  Sure, the odds are long.  The chance of success are small, I won’t deny that.  But I’m just an ‘ol boy from Arkansas.  I didn’t have any special connections in the music business.  I barely knew anybody when I moved to Nashville.  All I brought with me was a dream, a knack for words, and a good work ethic.  And I brought a song that filled one of the G.A.P.S. in Alan’s catalog.

What does G.A.P.S. mean?

G.A.P.S. is a memory device I use to remind me where to aim when I’m trying to get a song on an artist’s album.  It points out where there might be opportunity- where there might be an empty space (a gap) that my song can fill.  It stands for:

G:  Growth
A:  Achievement
P:  Preaching / Positioning
S:  Songwriting

In short, “Growth” reminds me to write based on where the artist is GOING.  Artists change over time, they evolve, and it doesn’t do me much good to write a song that fits where they’ve been.  They need songs that fit where they’re going.

“Achievement” reminds me to try and write something that will take the artist’s career up a level.  Most artists are always trying to climb the ladder of success, and they want songs that aren’t just going to maintain their current career.  They want songs that are going to win awards, raise their visibility, and grow their career.

“Preaching” is when an artist speaks to THEIR crowd, THEIR listeners.  It’s the old saying of “preaching to the choir.”  They want songs that their established fans will love.  “Positioning” is when a song identifies who an artist is- what their brand is.  It says, “I’m a so-and-so kind of person/artist.  If you want this kind of music, come to my show.”

“Songwriting” reminds me to be aware of what kind of song the artist writes himself, and what kind of song he records that somebody else writes.  I have a much better chance of getting a cut if I write the kind of song that the artist doesn’t write, but is looking for.

In the case of “Monday Morning Church,” it filled one of the G.A.P.S. in Alan’s catalog.  It was a topic and emotion he hadn’t covered before.  It was some new material that still fit within the general scope of what he does.  It was Alan’s kind of country sound, but the lyric content was new for him.

So the next time you’re writing a song specifically for an artist (or figuring out which of your existing songs to pitch for an artist), think about how you can fill the G.A.P.S.

If you want to take a deeper dive into G.A.P.S. as well as some other ways to increase YOUR chances of getting a song recorded, I have a great opportunity for you.

Every Monday night in April, I’m hosting The C4 Experience.  It’s an exclusive, live online event where I help 10 writers like YOU create explosive growth in your commercial songwriting.  I want you to win, and I’m going to help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play and fans want to hear.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN THIS EXCLUSIVE EVENT – BUT THE DEADLINE TO JOIN IS THIS WEEK!

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, a #1 in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas.  His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4

C4X, Write Like A Pro

Kenny Chesney & Lee Brice hits use this songwriting trick. Do YOU know about it?

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If you write songs that do this ONE thing wrong, it makes you look like an amateur.  But if you do it right… it just might be a hit.

Kenny Chesney did it right in “Don’t Blink.”  Lee Brice did it right in “Love Like Crazy.”  And both songs were massive #1 country hits.  These songs were written by pro writers who applied this technique correctly. But I see this technique become a mistake in a whole lot of songs- and it makes the writer look like a rookie.

Want to learn this hit songwriter technique and make sure you aren’t doing it wrong?  Read on.

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

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The technique is to sing ABOUT the main character in the verse and then to sing AS the main character in the chorus.

Sounds simple, right?  You may already do this without thinking about it.  But it’s HOW you pull it off that can make your song either much more commercial or much less professional.

Most of the time you shouldn’t mix your pronouns at all.

If you’re singing ABOUT him in the verse, you should sing ABOUT him in the chorus.  If you’re singing TO her in the verse, sing TO her in the chorus. If you mix your pronouns (“him” to “you” or “you” to “her”), you run the risk of looking like a sloppy amateur.

The pros (publishers and songwriters) know how to keep their pronouns consistent. If you mess them up- especially if you do it in more than one song- they’ll assume you either don’t pay enough attention to the details (sloppy) or your craft needs to improve (amateur).

Additionally, it might confuse your listener. If your “you” turns into “her” or “him” becomes “you,” the listener may think a new character has been introduced. Even if they figure it out, it takes the listener’s heart out of the song because their head is busy figuring out your pronouns.

Save them the work and get pronouns right before they hear it.

But sometimes it is commercially wise to mix your pronouns / point-of-view.

For example, in Kenny Chesney’s “Don’t Blink,” written by Chris Wallen and Casey Beathard, the main character is an old man turning 102.  Kenny obviously didn’t want to sing the whole song AS that character.

However, that chorus just sounds SO much better in the first person!

The Lee Brice hit, “Love Like Crazy,” written by Tim James and Doug Johnson, had two main characters.  The first verse tells of a man who had been married 58 years.  The second tells of a man who started a home computer business.  Brice isn’t passing himself off as either one of those guys, much less BOTH.

But that chorus sounds SO much better coming from the first person point of view!

So how did the songwriters pull off singing ABOUT the character in the verse and singing AS the character in the chorus?

They built in lyrical turn signals.

In “Love Like Crazy” they built their turn signal into the first pre-chorus:

“Just ask him how he did it; he’ll say pull up a seat

It’ll only take a minute, to tell you everything…”

And this one into the second pre-chorus:

“Just ask him how he made it, he’ll tell you faith and sweat

And the heart of a faithful woman, who never let him forget…”

In “Don’t Blink,” the songwriters built this turn signal into the end of the verse, right before the chorus: “

Asked him what’s the secret to life

He looked up from his old pipe

Laughed and said ‘All I can say is…'”

In the second verse, the quote happens right in the beginning:

“I was glued to my TV when it looked like he looked at me

and said ‘Best start putting first things first'”

Using the lyrical turn signal is a simple thing, but it’s critical.  If you just expect the listener to know the turn is coming without you telling them, there’s a good chance they’ll miss it.  And if they miss that turn, you could lose them for the rest of the song.

If you confuse the listener, you lose the listener.

This POV turn signal is a great way to get the best of both worlds. The singer doesn’t have to become the main character in the song, but the chorus still has the impact of first person point of view.

Knowing pro techniques like this can make a big difference in YOUR songwriting.  Applying them will help you write market-smart songs: songs that have a competitive advantage in the market.

If you want to dive deeply into point of view as a songwriting craft; if you want learn how to write songs that will get you noticed in the music business, I have a great opportunity for you.

Every Monday night in April, I’m hosting The C4 Experience.  It’s an exclusive, live online event where I help 10 writers like YOU create explosive growth in your commercial songwriting.  I want you to win, and I’m going to help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play and fans want to hear.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN THIS EXCLUSIVE EVENT!

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, a #1 in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas.  His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4

C4X, Think Like A Pro

Don’t ignore the songwriting “chain of demand”

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If you write songs and aspire to get cuts- to get them recorded in a way that makes you money- then you’re in the music business.

Notice, I didn’t say you hope to get into the music business. I didn’t say you aspire to get into the music business. You ARE in the music business. Congratulations!

And now that we’ve established that you’re a small business owner, let’s talk business.

________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

Businesses make money when they make a product or service available, and somebody wants it enough to pay for it. If there is no demand for what you supply, no money changes hands. If there is great demand, but you don’t supply the product they want, then no money changes hands.

In the music business, it gets a little complicated since we, as songwriters, don’t usually go direct-to-consumer with our product (our songs). Songwriters compete to get a middleman (the artist) to present our product (our song) to the consumer. If that artist gets the consumer (the listener/fan) to buy the song, money changes hands and some of it eventually gets to us in the form of royalties.

This brings us to the “Chain of Demand.”

The listener wants songs that move them in the way they want to be moved.

Mostly, it’s songs that make them feel good; sometimes songs that make them sad. If radio plays songs they like, they keep listening. If not, they may switch to another station or listen to music on some other device or service (Spotify, smartphone, etc.).

Radio wants songs that keep the listener listening.

The more listeners a station has, the more they can charge for advertising, which is how they make money. Therefore, radio wants songs that keep the listener feeling good and listening through the commercials.

The artist wants radio airplay.

Airplay is still the main channel by which the audience hears new songs.  The artist wants a hit so their song is exposed to more listeners, listeners who may buy the single, the album, a concert ticket, a t-shirt, etc. Therefore, the artist wants songs that they believe will both get played on radio and will motivate the listener to buy something from that artist. The artist also wants songs that fit them artistically.

The songwriter wants artists to record their songs.

They also want those songs to get played on the radio, and for the listeners to like those songs enough to buy them.

Easy, huh? Yeah… about as easy as threading a needle from across the room with the ceiling fan on.

Knowing this reality should make a big difference in YOUR music business.  Applying the chain of demand will help you write market-smart songs: songs that have a competitive advantage in the market.

If you want to  learn more about how to write songs that will get you noticed in the music business, I have a great opportunity for you.

Every Monday night in April, I’m hosting The C4 Experience.  It’s an exclusive, live online event where I help 10 writers like YOU create explosive growth in your commercial songwriting.  I want you to win, and I’m going to help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play and fans want to hear.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN THIS EXCLUSIVE EVENT!

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, a #1 in Canada, and a top 10 in Texas.  His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4