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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.

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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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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

Frettie, Know The Row, Write Like A Pro

Your Song’s First Line Really Needs This!

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Imagine yourself in a dark movie theater.  The movie starts to play, but there is just sound- no picture.  You’d be upset, right?  Then why do we often write songs that way?

Why don’t we give our listeners some pictures right at the beginning of our movie/song?  After all, the hit songwriters know how important this is, and they do it consistently.

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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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I think the movie analogy is an appropriate one for songwriting.

Songs are basically 3-minute movies.

And just like someone making a movie, we want to hook our audience immediately.  We want to draw them into our story as quickly as possible.  And you know what does this extremely well?

Imagery.

Well-written imagery quickly lets the listener know the setting for our story or gives them a sudden emotional punch.  Or it builds mystery or interest.  And, along with good melody and production, that will keep the listener listening further into the song.

The main job of your song’s 1st line is to make the listener want to hear the 2nd line.

Here are the first lines of a few of my songs that have been recorded.

You left your Bible on the dresser, so I put it in the drawer – “Monday Morning Church” sung by Alan Jackson

Sunday morning was a fight, I was runnin’ from that clip-on tie – “Every Head Bowed” sung by Alan Jackson

Past the cotton fields and the old Spring Mill, we laid a blanket out where the world was still – “Crickets” sung by Joe Nichols

There’s a towel on the bathroom door, a t-shirt in my dresser if you like – “Last Night Last” sung by Lady Antebellum

But don’t just take MY lyrics for it.  Here are the first lines of 9 of the current top 10 songs on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart.

I believe kids oughta stay kids as long as they can, turn off the screen, go climb a tree, get dirt on their hands – “Most People Are Good” sung by Luke Bryan

I ain’t heard you laugh like that in a long time – “Singles You Up” sung by Jordan Davis

Baby, lay on back and relax, kick your pretty feet up on my dash – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

She wants to get married, she wants it perfect, she wants her grandaddy preaching the service – “Marry Me” sung by Thomas Rhett

Don’t think I’ve ever seen your kind of pretty wandering ’round this midnight mad house city – “The Long Way” sung by Brett Eldredge

Like a rainy Sunday morning makes me wanna stay in bed, twisted up all day long – “You Make It Easy” sung by Jason Aldean

This is perfect, come kiss me one more time – “Heaven” sung by Kane Brown

When the devil’s knocking at my door, when I’m broken and I’m battle worn, down in the valley, on my knees – “She’s With Me” sung by High Valley

Seen my share of broken halos, folded wings that used to fly – “Broken Halos” sung by Chris Stapleton

The song in the #10 spot, “All On Me” by Devin Dawson, doesn’t have an image in the first couple lines, but all the rest do.   That’s 90% of the current top 10, and it’s something you should pay attention to.

And note that not all the images are literal.  In “She’s With Me” and “Broken Halos,” the images are more metaphorical.  But they STILL put a picture in the mind of the listener.  So you don’t have to JUST paint a literal picture of the situation.

But in case you aren’t quite convinced yet, here are a bunch more first lines from other hit country songs over the past several years:

Doublewide Quick Stop midnight T-top Jack in her Cherry Coke town – “American Kids” sung by Kenny Chesney

Quarter in the payphone, clothes drying on the line – “Automatic” sung by Miranda Lambert

Those high heels with that sun dress, turquoise heart hanging ‘round your neck – “My Eyes” sung by Blake Shelton

Summer comin’ through a rolled down window, tearin’ down an almost two lane back road – “We Are Tonight” sung by Billy Currington

Sun shines, clouds rain, train whistles blow and guitars play – “It Just Comes Natural” sung by George Strait

I’ve packed a cooler and a change of clothes – “Want To” by Sugarland

Driving through town, just my boy and me. With a happy meal on his booster seat– “Watching You” by Rodney Atkins

I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house– “What Hurts The Most” Rascal Flatts

She’s a yellow pair of running shoes, a holey pair of jeans– “She’s Everything” Brad Paisley

I could do this for days. Now, I know there are examples out there of purely emotional songs that do well. But if you look at the songs that are not written by the artist or by the producer or by an established hit songwriter, I think you’ll see a trend.

Put images in your song’s first lines to draw your listener in.

One more great example is from a recent CMA and ACM Song Of The Year:  “I Drive Your Truck,” written by Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, and Jimmy Yeary and recorded by Lee Brice.

“89 cents in the ashtray, half-empty bottle of Gatorade rolling on the floorboard”

It’s like the opening shot of a movie that starts with a close-up of change in the ashtray, panning over to a Gatorade bottle rolling on the floorboard.  The song follows the camera as it moves over to the dash, the backseat, etc.  This pulls us in.  It also gives us clues about the truck’s owner.  It’s such a well-written song!

If you’re interested in writing commercial songs- if you want to give your songs their best chance to succeed, I have a great opportunity for you.  In May, I’m hosting Frettie’s “Know The Row” with one of the writers of “I Drive Your Truck,” Jimmy Yeary!

Not only did Jimmy write this Song Of The Year, he’s also written hits for Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen, Rascal Flatts and more.

And this is YOUR chance to sit down face-to-face (online) with a real-deal professional, hit songwriter.

You and I BOTH want to learn what Jimmy has to share.

Here’s the deal.  You can join us online from anywhere in the world on Thursday, May 24, 2018 from 7pm-8pm Central time.  And this special event is FREE to members of Frettie.com!  (But don’t worry- you can still purchase a ticket even if you don’t want to take advantage of all of Frettie’s membership benefits.)

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS & MEET HIT SONGWRITER JIMMY YEARY.

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 & a top 10 in Texas… so far.

The C.L.I.M.B.

The C.L.I.M.B. #49: A Spork, A Twinkie, and Warner Bros. Records

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On today’s episode: KFC, Randy Travis, Twinkies, Dierks Bentley, Sporks, Tim McGraw, and how unusual images can make your song – and YOU more interesting!

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast Episode 49 is live and ready for download!

In this week’s episode, Johnny and I discuss the value of putting unusual images in your lyrics – and how they can make both your song AND you more memorable.  (Be sure and subscribe so you never miss another helpful episode!)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON STITCHER (for Android)

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ON THE C.L.I.M.B. WEBSITE

The C.L.I.M.B. stands for “Creating Leverage In The Music Business,” and that’s the goal of this podcast- to help singers, indie artists and songwriters like YOU to create leverage in the music business.  What is leverage?  It’s “strategic advantage; the power to act effectively.”  We want to help YOU make stuff happen in the music biz.

It’s exciting to see how folks are digging the show- and being helped on their CLIMB.  If YOU like it, we’d really appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave a rating or review on iTunes.  Positive ratings and reviews help us to climb the iTunes rankings so more people become aware of the show and we can help more singers, songwriters, and indie artists like you make The CLIMB!The CLIMB iTunes review 3

CLICK HERE TO LEAVE AN iTUNES REVIEW

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

If you aren’t on iTunes, you can listen to the show at our website:

TheCLIMBshow.com

If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe to the show on:

Stitcher

Thanks for your time. It means a lot to me, and hopefully it’ll be a lot of help for you!

God Bless and keep C.L.I.M.B.ing,

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.

Think Like A Pro

Hey, I Remember That!

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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…

all about the listener

“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.

Randy Travis- Every Head Bowed

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.

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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.

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Craft, Cut Study

A Spork, A Twinkie and Warner Bros. Records

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Man vs Row

Ever imagine having a music industry pro pull a lyric out of one of your songs (from memory) and quote it back to you? And to tell you they love it? Let me tell you, it feels GREAT. And it opens doors.

In my last post, I revealed how great imagery can give your songs that slight edge that can bring big opportunities [CLICK TO READ]. Today is the example of one of those opportunities…

Brandon Kinney and I wrote a song called “Every Head Bowed,” written from the point of view of a little boy in church. It was a funny song, and we packed it with imagery from both our imagination and memories of growing up in church.

The song went on to get recorded by legendary country artist, Randy Travis, on his “Around The Bend” album on Warner Bros. Records. It was a huge thrill to have a song recorded by an artist of Randy’s stature. Unbelievable. And what really tickled me was the fact that the song contained the word “spork.”

Spork? Yes, spork. Those plastic spoon-fork things at KFC.

spork pic

The end of the song takes place after church as the family is having lunch at KFC, and the dad tells the singer to “put that spork back down” while the family prays. It’s such an odd, specific word, but it’s exactly what you use there- and it fits the fun vibe of the song.

Here’s where it gets even more fun. I kinda knew some of the A&R folks at Warner Bros., but now I had a cut on one of their artists. That definitely took me up a notch in their eyes. Even more, they LOVED the spork line.

As I’d bump into a couple of the A&R folks, and we’d talk about the song, they’d always mention that line and how it was their favorite line in the song or how it was so funny.

A&R people hear thousands of songs- more than they can remember. But if you can give them an image they love, they’ll remember your song and YOU.

This simple thing gave me a calling card. I was the guy that wrote “the spork song.” It gave the A&R people a little something positive to remember me by. It’s a goofy line, but it no doubt helped me get more pitch meetings there. And the song even helped me and Brandon land a cowrite with Randy Travis himself!

Randy Travis cowrite

A great image can really set the identity of a song in the mind of a listener- just like it’s another hook or an alternate title. Don’t believe me? How many people called “Something Like That” by Tim McGraw “BBQ stain?” How many people know you’re talking about the Dierks Bentley song “What Was I Thinkin’” when you call it “little white tank top?” The right image, as simple as it might be, can make your whole song memorable. And memorable is valuable!

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Another quick story involving “Every Head Bowed.” I was out a couple months ago, and I ran into one of Randy Travis’ band members. I said, “Hey, you’ve probably played one of my songs.” “Which one?” he asked. When I told him it was “Every Head Bowed,” he nudged his wife and said, “Hey, this guy wrote ‘Every Head Bowed”- we love that song!”

She looked confused, like she didn’t remember it. Then he said, “Oh, you know- the Twinkie song!” Then she gave a big smile as he told me they always call it “The Twinkie Song.”

Yep, there’s a line about a Twinkie in that song, too. Again, giving your listener one strong image (or more) can set your song in their memory more than even the title does.

I want to help you put winning imagery into your lyrics. Here’s a quick video that might serve you…

MvR Video

What about you? Do you have any songs that you or your friends call by a different title- one based on an image? Or a particular image that comes to mind when you think of a certain song? Leave a comment!

Since strong imagery is such an important part of professional-level songwriting, I’ve put together a course on imagery. It’s called, “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” and it’s available now. By the end of the course, you’ll have the basic skills to:

  1. Effectively use both literal and figurative imagery.
  2. Make your story come to life using imagery.
  3. Prove your character’s personality using imagery.
  4. Make your listener connect to your character’s emotions using imagery.
  5. Hook your listener in the song’s first few lines using imagery.
  6. And to begin more songs (more easily) using imagery exercises as the start of your songwriting process.

Click here if you’re ready to “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” or click on the image below.

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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.

Man vs Row