Readers Ask: I have a fairly decent song I wrote in one sitting. Lyrics and music. I was amazed at how well it came to me. Should I leave it alone or should I try and rewrite?

Great question.

From a professional songwriting perspective, the answer is almost always a resounding “yes”. Professional songwriters are constantly looking for the best possible lyric, melody, or combination thereof.

Yet the surest way to answer the question yourself is by asking another more accomplished songwriter you respect to listen to your song and ask him for feedback. You’ll learn very quickly your divinely conjured song needs some work.

Why?

The big issue usually comes in the form of new songwriters. The young songwriter too often writes on emotion only and views ‘rewrites’ and song structure considerations as something contrived and commercial.

While many sterile radio songs support their argument, they miss an important point - even the biggest rebels in every music genre are acutely aware of song structure and the importance of hooking listeners in the best way possible.

Some examples:

Nirvana, even in most of their heaviest songs, have melodies you can hum. Did you know their song Smells Like Teen Spirit actually has a hummable melody?

Elliott Smith - an alt-indie musician poster child - was someone who rewrote incessantly. He was constantly honing his songwriting skills, hacking out unnecessary words, and turning complex Beatle-esque song structure on it’s ear.

Nineties alternative band Soul Coughing had a songwriter named Mike Doughty who was reknowned for his fascinating, yet seeming “stream of consciousness” lyrics. In interviews, Mike has repeatedly stated his frustration with listeners who assumed he just wrote whatever came out of his mouth. He stressed in many interviews that he spends alot of time on his lyrics, weaving common themes and structures throughout. (Editor’s Note: A little more on Mike Doughty’s writing style here and here.)

So rewrite. Definitely.

What are some things you can do?

• Hack out useless words.
• Hack out verses that say basically the same thing the last verse said.
• Doublecheck your melody is actually melodic, and doesn’t merely follow the chord progression.
• Grab a thesaurus and see if there are more colorful words you can use instead of some of the common ones you wrote on the first try.
• Grab a rhyming dictionary and see if you can get rid of some of those common overused rhymes.

Whatever you do, don’t assume the first thing you write is best. While the song, title, or main line of the song might be rooted in raw emotion, it takes skill to hone that raw emotion into something memorable. The same is true with novelists, painters, poets, sculpters, and potters - why shouldn’t it be the same for songwriters?

Granted, in some cases you might come up with a stellar line at the most random time. You might even hum out a memorable melody when you least expect it. But rarely - if ever - will you write a great and memorable song in completed form in one take.

That was the long answer. The short answer is, yes. Rewrite.

Happy songwriting!

Elliott Smith on Amazon.com
Soul Coughing on Amazon.com
Nirvana on Amazon.com