Author: Todd Christoffel

NOTE FROM EDITOR: This is companion piece to Are You a Liar?, an opinion piece submitted by David Guilbault. If you haven’t read that piece yet, we’d suggest you start there, then come back here. It is our sincere hope that you will read both pieces and then respond via email to info@songwritersinseattle.com. Lucid responses may be published. 

Am I a liar? You bet! I lie with regularity in songwriting. Well… exaggerate, make stuff up, talk about things that I can only dream of, fantasize about imaginary gobbledygook.

Here’s the deal – there is nothing like songwriting to key into the listeners emotions with stories real, made up, or imagined. I would not want to limit myself to one style, and I sure do love having my artistic license that I like to use to my own advantage.

Just thinking back to some tunes, I’ve written songs about capturing a Wombat, about the Bigfoot, a coyote, a seller at Pike Place market, and on and on. I’ve also bared my soul with pain and sorrow and written some mostly biographical goofy stuff.

Here are some lines from 4 different songs:

• “We’ve got brains as big as meatloaves but they do not think a thing.”
• We held a rock above our gleaming eyes and then we had a thought that made the monkey wise”
• “We could turn these stars to monsters or to glimmers in our eyes”
• “I said oh yeah I can I can be your Kahoona Woo Hoo.”

Hey – and that’s NOTHING.

As for love…

Yeah, love is a fantasy, The most marvelous, all-consuming, terrifying, and most captivating of all the emotions, in my humble opinion, and so is a never ending source of song inspiration, both real and imagined.

I choose both fiction mixed with truth and pure fiction without truth. Sorry folks, I just want to surprise you, or tell you something, or even tear your heart out. That’s songwriting to me.

How about your songs? Are they honest are they fantasy? I’d ‘love’ to hear what you think…

We don’t often talk about this in Songwriters in Seattle but let me remind you… songwriting is an art form, and you are an artist. This is an essential truth about songwriting.

So I would recommend that you don’t be too hung up on writing your songs “correctly”. In much the same way as a visual artist can play with shape and form and structure so can you!  Remember that your art form is to form a connection or to convey a message to your audience. The beauty of music is that you can convey a deep emotional meaning in your songs.

I have personally found songwriting my most satisfying form of expression. When people ask me how I write a song I often refer to a song like a sculpture. The song in its infancy has an inherent form and shape. The artist hears it and appreciates it for its beauty. That form is then worked on, smoothed and perfected into a final form which is often more complex and more beautiful than its original form. However, you can overwork a song so beware! As an artist it’s your responsibility to bring your song forward in its most gorgeous form.

When you’re done you can present it to the world in its entirety much like hanging a masterpiece in a gallery. But your masterpiece! In our SIS showcase gallery…

I have been very fortunate to be able to witness all the varied talents that SIS brings forth. It always amazes me how many talented people we have in our midst with many more artists yet to come forth. Don’t try to copy others. Your voice is unique and appreciated.

Don’t forget… You are an artist!