How To Write Love Songs (Pro Songwriting Techniques)
Summary
TLDRIn this engaging discussion, Clay Mills from Songtown Studios delves into the nuances of writing love songs, particularly focusing on addressing insecurities and emotions like reassurance, unrequited love, and body image. By analyzing popular hits, such as his own song 'Fall' and John Mayer's 'Your Body Is a Wonderland,' Mills highlights how understanding these underlying themes can make a song resonate more deeply with listeners. The conversation emphasizes the importance of exploring specific angles when crafting love songs to create meaningful and relatable music.
Takeaways
- πΆ Love songs can be hits across different genres, as demonstrated by the song 'Fall' which had versions in country and dance music.
- π The theme of reassurance is common in love songs, where the singer often assures the listener of their enduring love or support.
- π€ Addressing insecurities is a powerful way to connect with listeners in love songs, as seen in 'Your Body Is a Wonderland' which tackles body image issues.
- π The song 'Fall' specifically reassures the listener that they can rely on the singer for support, no matter their troubles.
- π« Long-term relationships often inspire love songs that reassure partners of continued affection despite the passage of time.
- π« It's important to understand and address, rather than exploit, insecurities in songwriting to create meaningful connections with listeners.
- π¬ Songs can express what people wish they could say in real life but struggle to articulate, especially men expressing vulnerability or seeking guidance in love.
- ποΈ 'I Honestly Love You' by Olivia Newton John is an example of a love song that explores the tension of unrequited love and the desire to express love despite the circumstances.
- π Studying the lyrics of love songs can reveal common themes like unrequited love, reassurance, and addressing insecurities, which can inform songwriting.
- π Songwriters are encouraged to identify a singular theme or insecurity they want to address in their love songs to create a focused and impactful message.
- π The conversation emphasizes the value of understanding and communicating with the audience through song, especially in expressing love and addressing emotional needs.
Q & A
What is the importance of addressing insecurities in love songs according to the discussion in the script?
-Addressing insecurities in love songs is crucial as it allows the songwriter to connect with the listeners on a deeper emotional level, providing reassurance and addressing common concerns or fears in relationships.
Can you provide an example of a love song that has been successful across different genres as mentioned in the script?
-The song 'Fall' is an example of a love song that has been successful across different genres. It was originally a country hit for Kay Walker and later became a number one dance hit for Kimberly Locke.
What is the main theme of the song 'Fall' as discussed in the script?
-The main theme of the song 'Fall' is reassurance and support. The lyrics convey the message that the singer understands the struggles of his partner and offers a safe place for her to fall apart, promising to catch her every time.
What does the script suggest about the song 'Your Body Is a Wonderland' by John Mayer?
-The script suggests that 'Your Body Is a Wonderland' addresses the common insecurity of body image, particularly among women. The song reassures the listener of their beauty and desirability, which is a significant aspect of the song's appeal.
What is the role of contrast and friction in creating compelling love songs as per the discussion in the script?
-Contrast and friction play a vital role in creating compelling love songs by adding tension and emotional depth. It often involves the expression of unrequited love or the struggle between desire and reality, making the song more relatable and emotionally impactful.
How does the script relate the song 'I Honestly Love You' by Olivia Newton John to the concept of unrequited love?
-The script relates 'I Honestly Love You' to unrequited love by highlighting the lyrics that express the singer's love for someone who may not be able to reciprocate due to existing relationships, thus creating a sense of longing and vulnerability.
What advice does the script give for songwriters looking to write love songs that resonate with their audience?
-The script advises songwriters to study love songs that have been successful, identify the insecurities or themes they address, and then brainstorm ideas that reassure or address similar concerns in their own unique way.
What is the significance of the song 'Can't Make You Love Me' in the context of the script's discussion on love songs?
-The song 'Can't Make You Love Me' is significant as it exemplifies the theme of unrequited love, where the singer acknowledges the impossibility of making someone love them, adding a layer of emotional complexity to the love song genre.
How does the script suggest songwriters can avoid exploiting people's insecurities while writing love songs?
-The script suggests that songwriters should understand people's insecurities in order to address them in a respectful and empathetic manner, rather than exploiting them for the sake of creating a hit song.
What is the role of vulnerability in love songs as discussed in the script?
-Vulnerability plays a key role in love songs as it allows the singer to express their true feelings and emotions, making the song more authentic and relatable. It helps in creating a connection with the audience by showing the raw and honest side of love.
What is the purpose of the weekly Songtown Plus One Zoom call mentioned in the script?
-The purpose of the weekly Songtown Plus One Zoom call is to provide a platform for songwriters to discuss and learn more about songwriting techniques, share insights, and engage with other songwriters in a collaborative environment.
Outlines
π΅ The Art of Love Songs: Reassurance and Insecurities
In this segment, Clay Mills from Songtown Studios discusses the art of writing love songs, focusing on the theme of reassurance and addressing insecurities. He shares his experience with hits like 'Fall', which has been successful in different genres, illustrating the power of a well-crafted song. Mills emphasizes the importance of sticking to one story and theme throughout a song, using 'Fall' as an example where the singer reassures his partner that he will catch her if she falls apart. The conversation delves into the common thread of reassurance in love songs, which often aim to alleviate the listener's fears and insecurities about love and relationships. The discussion also touches on the idea of writing from a place of vulnerability and the impact of such an approach on the listener.
π Exploring Love Songs: Men's Wishes and Unrequited Love
The second paragraph explores the different angles and emotions addressed in love songs, particularly those that resonate with men who wish they could express themselves more openly. It highlights the idea that love songs often convey messages that people want to hear but struggle to articulate in real life. The discussion includes an analysis of 'I Honestly Love You' by Olivia Newton John, which captures the essence of unrequited love and the tension of wanting something that cannot be. The paragraph also touches on the importance of studying love songs to understand the insecurities and emotions they address, such as body image and the fear of aging. Mills suggests using this understanding to create love songs that are meaningful and relatable, offering reassurance and addressing specific concerns within relationships.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Love Songs
π‘Reassurance
π‘Insecurities
π‘Songwriting
π‘Genres
π‘Vulnerability
π‘Unrequited Love
π‘Song Analysis
π‘Emotional Connection
π‘Stereotypical Presentation
π‘Songwriting Class
Highlights
Songtown Studios creates a warm and cozy environment for songwriting by turning off the air conditioner to avoid noise.
Love songs can be produced in different genres if they are well-written, as demonstrated by the song 'Fall' which became hits in both country and dance genres.
The song 'Fall' conveys a message of reassurance, showing that the singer understands the listener's need for support and is there to catch them.
Many love songs address insecurities, such as long-term relationship doubts or body image issues, by offering reassurance.
The song 'Your Body Is a Wonderland' by John Mayer directly addresses women's number one insecurity, body image, in a reassuring manner.
Understanding and addressing insecurities in songs can make them resonate more with listeners.
Ed Sheeran's 'Shape of You' is another example of a song that addresses insecurities about physical attraction and love.
Songs can also express a desire for improvement in a relationship, as in 'Must Be Doing Something Right', where the singer seeks to be a better partner.
The song 'I Honestly Love You' by Olivia Newton John explores the theme of unrequited love and the tension of wanting something that cannot be.
Songs that convey vulnerability, like admitting love even when it's not reciprocated, can deeply impact listeners.
The contrast between desire and reality in love songs, such as 'I Can't Make You Love Me', adds tension and makes the songs more compelling.
Studying love songs can reveal common themes like reassurance, unrequited love, and addressing insecurities.
When writing love songs, focusing on a singular theme or insecurity can make the song more impactful.
The task of studying love songs and identifying angles or insecurities they address can improve songwriting.
Sweetwater is highlighted as a sponsor providing great customer service and musical gear for various situations.
The importance of understanding and addressing the emotional needs of the listener in songwriting is emphasized.
Transcripts
song town I'm here with Clay Mills
songtown Studios it's nice and toasty
warm in
here we have to turn off the air
conditioner so you don't hear it we we
we do that for you that's for you um so
I've got a topic and um recently I was
in a discussion with some songwriters
and we were breaking down some love
songs mhm and we kind of took a
different approach to it so I thought
I'd talk a little bit about that so I
know you've had some hits that were love
songs what uh give me one example of one
of your hits It's of love songs love
songs have been very very good to me yes
they have I had a song called fall
one-word title um was a country hit Kay
Walker and then later Kimberly lock had
a dance hit a number one dance hit with
it talk about schizophrenic that's I
love that because it shows me that I've
had that happen a few times in my career
where if you write a good song it can be
produced in a lot of different genres if
it's a good song yeah and that's a great
song yeah um so in that song what does
the singer want he wants to let well
I'll just show you he wants to let um it
starts
out oh look there you go
again putting on that smile again even
though I know you've had a hard day so
he's letting her know that
in the verse that he understands that
she gives to everyone else around her
and doesn't receive enough and so the
chorus is like
fall go on and fall
apart fall into These Arms of Mine I'll
catch you every time so the chorus is
all about you can lay all your troubles
and worries and years all on me know and
I'll catch you that's great you're right
it sticks to one story and one theme all
the way through he wants her to know
that she can count on him yeah and it
was really interesting as we were
studying these love songs that so many
of them fell into that category which I
would call kind of reassurance yeah
songs so there's you if you think about
it there's love songs um that are
telling a person you've been with a long
time I still love you like I did when we
first
met well that that's an insecurity that
people have so you're in a long-term
relationship reassuring yeah so you're
in a long-term relationship and you
wonder at times does my partner feel the
same way they did about me in the
beginning or have they kind of are they
kind of falling out of love with me you
know so those songs address that
insecurity and and they're reassuring
yeah let's write that and reassurance
yeah do you still
the way you deal
with just we'll be right back we're
going to write no but that so when we
started looking at okay what is the
singer addressing in the song it was
really interesting because we looked at
like um the song John Mayor song Your
Body Is a Wonderland oh yeah well if you
Google what you know women's biggest
insecurity number one is body image oh
wow so he's addressing an
insecurity and um he even says in the
song This was interesting i' never
noticed this before but he says you know
you're mine you're mine all
mine and so he's he's in a long-term
relationship with this person and he's
what he's saying is I'm still crazy
about how beautiful you are you think he
Googled women's insecurities I don't
know before he wrote it I don't know but
you know so the conversation we had this
morning is like you don't want to
exploit people's insecurities right but
you want to understand them so you can
address them in your songs so you know
there's a lot of people that are
insecure about um you know am I getting
older and they're you know they don't
look at me the way I look they looked at
me before so that's what he's doing in
that song that's what Ed Sheeran did in
the shape of you yeah you know so
there's songs that are addressing that
particular insecurity there's songs that
are addressing the insecurity of you
know do you still love me like you do
did um my song must be doing something
right um we wanted to kind of fight the
stereotypical guy of like he's God's
gift to women and he knows everything
with a presentation of of a man who's
going hey I want to be a great lover for
you but I need your help you know I need
you to show me how to be a better lover
well what woman wouldn't want to hear
that see you're hitting on something a
lot of times
I feel like I've had good success with
songs that say the guy in the song is
saying what men in real life wish they
could say but but they're too Macho or
they're too like um they can't find the
words but they're the words that their
spouse wants to hear that the woman
wants to hear you know Skip eing said to
me one time he's like he was going in
this long thing about what he tries to
accomplish when he writes songs
it was really complicated and Skip's a
brilliant writer but I looked at him I
go skip I just write songs women want to
hear I'm trying to to convey a message
and to to talk to them but yeah yeah
another song we broke down in this um
Zoom I was was in was um I love you I
Honestly Love You the Olivia Newton John
song and I had never paid attention to
exactly the the lyrics but what's
happening in that song is she's saying
hey if if we could have been met in
another place in
time I think this moment could have
ended in a kiss but you've got somebody
and I've got somebody and maybe I
shouldn't even say this but I need to
tell you that I love you I Honestly Love
You Yeah and when you hear that you're
just like oh my gosh you know and so and
it's that that friction and that
contrast of I want to but I can't you
know yes and I think that contrast those
that friction of an idea is deeply
embedded in the best songs yeah and so I
can't make you love me and the list
could go on and on of those kind of
songs that're about unrequited love so
it it's wanting something you can't have
um if that song had just been um without
that friction it's just like two people
and she's going you I love you I
Honestly Love You right it would have
been okay nice but but there's not that
the tension where we feel it and we go
oh she can't have him but she's being so
vulnerable MH and you know so those are
the kind of things if you study love
songs you'll find that that there's
often insecurities or there's that
unrequited love or there's that
reassurance going on and then you can
start thinking about well what kind of
reassuring love song would I want to
write to my partner mhm and brainstorm
ideas like what okay what would I say to
my wife that's reassuring that addresses
maybe insecurities she has about our
relationship or getting older or
whatever it might be you know and so
those can be in instead of just going
you know I'm going to write a love song
um right I think it changes the way you
think about it if you go okay what am I
what do I want to address in this love
song and you find that one singular
thing you want to hit home with of like
I still think you're beautiful or you
know I'm still in love with you or i'
have to tell you that I love you even
though we can't be together kind of you
know that kind of thing so I think um I
gave the class the task of you know go
study some love songs and and figure out
what other angles or insecurities are
being addressed you know but it was
really interesting discussion yeah so
guys we appreciate you tuning in like
subscribe comment below
if you're into this kind of stuff that
Marty's talking about he does a weekly
songtown plus one Zoom call um you can
email us about that and we can get you
on that call thanks to our sponsor
Sweetwater those guys are great um great
customer service and they will get you
hooked up with any kind of musical gear
for any situation any last words see you
soon I love you Martin thank you do you
honestly love me I do okay but we can't
kiss no we we sh okay cheers y'all
[Music]
Browse More Related Video
Song of Songs Summary: A Complete Animated Overview
Car Seat Headrest's The Gun Song: A Musical Conclusion
MiΕoΕΔ od pierwszego wejrzenia w "Nad Niemnem" (Eliza Orzeszkowa)
15 Signs She Is Scared That She Loves You & Afraid Of Commitment (How Does She Feel About Me?)
15. Chastity with God 1: To love God above all else ["Theology of the Body" series]
how to write RELATABLE music
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)