Songs with staying power

[Cornflake]

I was listening to rough mixes of my current CD project, which has been stalled at 90+ percent done for several months. I've recorded about 27 songs and expect to cut it down to about 16 songs.

As I listened to some of the ones that will get jettisoned, I noticed a common problem with them. They're songs that sound pretty good at first but that just don't hold up the tenth or fifteenth time you hear them.

My group recently decided to resurrect a song we played a whole lot a few years ago and then quit playing. As I ran through it for the first time, I realized why we quit playing it. You get everything it has to offer the first time you listen (or perform it).

I have no idea why some songs hold up well under repeated listening or performing and others don't. All this reminds me of why I decided years back never to record or perform a brand-new song, no matter how much I loved it. I wish I'd been smart enough not to break that rule as often as I have.

[Deleted]

I haven't written any songs, much less recorded them. But, I do understand what you are saying. Some songs can be heard and enjoyed many times over while others lose their luster after the first hearing. And it's not that the short lived ones aren't pretty or lack meaningful lyrics.

Maybe it's that the opnes with staying power offer some new nuance or meaning or application to ones life the the short timers give you everything they have the first time through.

Sort of like the difference between a Sports Illustrated calandar and a Hustler centerfold.
'


So I've been told, or given to understand from those who have actually seen one. Not me of course. Not that there's anything wrong with that. (whew, let me out of here)

[billhammond]

Whenever I ponder the songs that I never really get sick of, the common ingredient in all of them is that they have really strong, great melodies. I think that many, many amateur songwriters don't devote enough time, energy and concentration on fiddling around with melodies, trying this and that, or listening for an "inner voice" melody in their heads in moments of quiet and STARTING the compositional process from that point, instead of adding it onto chords, words and rhythms.

[Marshall]

I'm practising the tunes for my Sunday gig. I just played one I've done for 10 years. I realized at the big powerful conclusion line, if I hold back on the intensity of the vocal, I'm actually able to pack more emotion in it and control some of the errant tones that spill through the part over the last 10 years I've done the tune.

(How's that for a run on sentence. Edit that ! )

(please)

[billhammond]

Here ya go:

I have been doing the tune for 10 years. Only today did I realize that if I hold back on vocal intensity at the big powerful conclusion line, I'm actually able to pack more emotion into it, and control some of the errant tones that used to spill out at that point.

[Deleted]

Something else I have noticed is that sometimes when a song is done by a different artist, it can take on a new life sort of, and capture my interest all over again. An example of this for me is Gold Dust Woman. Originally done by Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac. I like the song but it faded for me after a while.

Then I happened on to a copy of the same Gold Dust Woman done by Stevie and Jewel, the Indigo Girls and some other artists at a Lilith Fair. The song gained so much value for me because of the additional voices and emotion they put into the song. It continues to be one of my favorites.

Just an observation.

[Cornflake]

"I think that many, many amateur songwriters don't devote enough time, energy and concentration on fiddling around with melodies...."

I think you're right, Bill, but I think most songwriters don't work hard enough on anything. When I hear original material, there are almost always a lot more good melodies than good lyrics.

"...listening for an 'inner voice' melody in their heads in moments of quiet and STARTING the compositional process from that point, instead of adding it onto chords, words and rhythms."

Nicely put and I know what you mean. Not that I do it anywhere near enough.

[Doug]

I don't know what does it, but you sure are right.
I've got one written over 25 yrs ago that I'm still performing, that at the time I thought was second rate, but it stll keeps working.