Songwriter's Toolbox - Multiple Meanings (Bruce Springsteen)

How does a great writer layer meanings in their lyrics?  In "Into the Fire", Bruce Springsteen gives us a fantastic example.  Also, today is the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC.  I'm sharing this amazing song (and the story behind it) as a remembrance of those who died that day - from office workers to passengers to police and fire fighters - and in the spirit of giving comfort to those who lost loved ones in those attacks.

SongToolbox_Fire_Springsteen.mp3

Songwriter's Toolbox - Are Titles Massively Important? (Roseanne Cash)

I always knew that a song title was important. I just didn't realize how massively important! In this podcast, I share one of the most astonishing things I've learned about songwriting ever.

If you're interested in checking out the title categories (and maybe suggesting some of your own), I've posted this list on our website, artofthesong.org on the "Forum" page.

Songwriter's Toolbox - A Chorus Tool (Bruce Springsteen)

Here's a great tool to streamline the process of writing a powerful chorus. Bruce Springsteen uses it and so can you.

Songwriter's Toolbox - Universal Human Experience (Dolly Parton)

What makes a song emotionally powerful? Most often, the impact comes from a special combination of melody, chords, groove and lyrics. With Dolly Parton's song "Coat of Many Colors", one element seems to stand out most: the lyrics.

By the way, thanks so much to all you podcast listeners who've emailed me to let me know how much you're enjoying this podcast. I'm so psyched it's valuable to you. It's truly inspiring to me and actually helps encourage me not only to keep writing the Song Toolbox but also to keep writing songs myself!