SONGWRITING
WHEN THERE ’ S NOTHING TO SING ABOUT | Kevin MacDougall
People often refer to “ the one that got away ” in matters of love and relationships .
In the artistic craft of songwriting , each song you write represents a moment of intense love and prayerful consideration . A moment of introspection , or a moment of mystery and wonder and transcendence . In that sense , a songwriter is someone with many loves that didn ’ t get away .
Unless , of course , a song doesn ’ t materialize .
And in songwriting , it ’ s not so much “ the one that got away .” It ’ s more like “ the one that was never going to happen at all .”
If a song gets away , it never really existed . But that ’ s no comfort . It doesn ’ t make it any easier when you ’ re present and passionate and you struggle to write something worthwhile and … nothing happens at all .
That ’ s the worst .
There are also times that you have a set of
lyrics you really like but can ’ t find music that suits them to save your life . Or maybe you have a rich and detailed sense of where a piece of music wants to go , but the lyrics and themes elude you entirely .
The . Worst .
Okay , Story time .
John Lennon famously came up with his song “ Nowhere Man ” in an unconventional way . It was the Fall of 1965 , and he was up against an album release date a month away . The only problem ? The Beatles were still short a significant number of songs , with little time to write and record them . Between a record contract requiring two full , 14-track albums per year ( not to mention separate singles ), a relentless international touring schedule , and a couple movie releases , it had been a hectic period for John and his band . He felt drained , and it was hard to keep up with all that was expected of him .
After a whole night spent awake , trying to get some songs written — trying to find anything worth recording — John had nothing . Everything he was coming up with felt too safe , too boring , and too uninspired . And as the sun dawned on the next morning , John finally decided to give up and admit defeat . He put his guitar down and headed to bed , conquered , and beaten by the craft .
It was only as he laid down to sleep that the thought crossed his mind : “ He ’ s just a nowhere man , sitting in his nowhere land .” An incredible song was born .
John was in-tune with something crucial that day , and “ Nowhere Man ” represents an important milestone in The Beatles ’ catalog : It was their first song that was not about love or relationships . In frustration and defeat , John had touched upon something more honest , and began to chronicle his precise feelings in the moment . It wasn ’ t just a huge shift for The Beatles , but for popular music in general . It opened the floodgates for what could be done . It raised the bar . It changed what other artists wanted to do and be with their music . Even