"Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then."
Although I've scoured my lyric-loaded brain for a while, I haven't yet been able to recall another lyric that captures the loss of innocence quite as tersely as those ten words for the ages. What would you nominate in place of Bob Seger's succinct phrase from Against the Wind?
One of the clear benefits of initiating this series almost six years ago has been how much more closely I've paid attention to the craft of writing lyrics. Keeping my ear tuned in to unearth these cogent, aphoristic, self-contained gems has continually reminded me how much wisdom can be packed into few words. And that insight has, in turn, helped my own songwriting immeasurably.
As always, I'm curious to know what you've unearthed lately. What terse, stand-alone lyrical gem with a kernel of universal truth stops you in your tracks like Seger's words do to me?
Good afternoon, Pat. Sorry to use a song lyric that I have used in previous comments, and I know I have used in one (or was it 2) of your classes, But one of my all time favorite lyrics has always been: 'Doesn't mean that much to me to mean that much to you'. The meaning of the lyric, the way it flows, and the way it fits perfectly in that song ... Amazing.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, there are others. But I always come back to this one.
Be well,
Bob
Bob, redux; You have indeed cited that pithy Neil Young lyric from "Old Man" previously on my blog. No matter, because you doing so again reminds me to keep a close ear out for a Neil lyric that I want to memorialize via this series sometime in the future. I haven't (yet) unearthed another one that nails the essence of what I'm going for here: A lyric that can stand alone (i.e., one without additional words that help the phrase rhyme, etc.), one short enough to be easily recalled, and finally, a statement revealing a universal truth. Sooner or later, I'll stumble across one from Neil, an important songwriter/lyricist I haven't (yet) used.
DeleteHere are a couple of terse song lyrics that come to mind:
ReplyDelete"We are the lonely all together, all together we're all alone" - John Prine, "We Are the Lonely"
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" - John Lennon, "Beautiful Boy"
Chris; Thanks for the comment. I knew you would be intrigued by this and likely come through with at least one terse lyrical phrase I hadn't thought of. So happens I used the John Lennon words from "Beautiful Boy" in the second iteration of this series on June 11, 2017. But no matter, you've supplied me with another. That John Prine lyric - which I was not familiar with, BTW - clearly fits my criteria for words for the ages. You're the shit.
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