How To Write Songs

Tag: metaphor

  • Metaphor in songwriting is alive and well, thanks.

    Many years ago, while living in LA, I heard a Big Shot Industry Dude (cue Beethoven’s 5th…) say: “Songs shouldn’t have metaphors in them. I can’t think of a good song that has a metaphor.” To my great relief, and with a giddy sort of rebellious delight, all of us songwriters gathered afterward, as if…

  • Writing Tips from George Orwell

    One of the most incisive essays I have ever read on the art of writing is the short and stunning piece, ‘Politics and the English Language‘, written by George Orwell in 1947. Here, Orwell described a cliche as a ‘dying metaphor’. Orwell follows up with a succinct list of guides to follow: Never use a…