I was saddened to find Gene Wilder passed today.
But, from someone in the entertainment industry, I think even he would find it gratifying to find something of artistic value while remembering his life.
Rest in peace my friend.
Within the first few scenes of the movie, Hear No Evil, See No Evil, starring Gene Wilder and Richard Prior, I caught something which drew me in.
Gene, playing a deaf person, is trying to cross a street and some guy is yelling, “What are you from Oshkosh or something?”
Boy, I caught that reference.
Oshkosh is a city in my home state.
Now, I realize, for 98% of you, it means squat.
For me, it was like, “wow, who in the cast of hear No Evil, See No Evil knew where Oshkosh, Wisconsin was?”
Drew me in a little closer to the scene and the movie.
And that my songwriting pal…
Is exactly what we want to do in our lyrics.
Draw someone in. Make them identify with our tune.
So, while writing a tune which comes from your own personal experience, be sure to keep it universal enough a listener can say…
“Yeah, that’s me right there.”
One of my favorite Lionel Richie lyrics is:
“Life with me I know for sure it ain’t been easy
But you stayed with me anyway.
and even though you ain’t gonna lose too much by leaving
I’m so glad you stayed”
There’s been things in my life, out of my control, which have caused my wife hardship just by being associated with me.
Maybe we’ll get into that sometime.
For now, that lyric—simple as it is—speaks much for me.
The whole song does actually.
It’s as if I wrote it myself for my wife.
That’s what we want our lyrics to do to our listener.
Nothing much to do with this month’s Tune Booster, but you can get it hear anyway: https://www.tunesmithtips.com/newsletter/