Background: In the early to mid-2000s, we saw an increase in shows that used breaking the 4th wall as a narrative device.  This happens when one of the characters looks and/or talks directly into the camera, acknowledging that this is indeed a TV show.  It has also been done to humorous effect in movies like Spaceballs, in which the characters are looking directly at what’s happening in the movie at the same time we are.  But what about doing this in song?  In my opinion, it’s okay to do it if you’re going to commit to it.  If it’s just a filler line, it feels to me as the listener like you could have put in a little more effort as the writer.  For example, in Brad Paisley’s “She’s Everything,” he lists off a handful of things that she is (metaphorically,) and then ends the second verse by saying, “She’s the song that I’m singing.”  With the title being what it is, that’s an unnecessary line.  So we’ll look at songs that completely commit to breaking the fourth wall.

Background: There are some songs that are timeless, and they work because they deal with the human experience, and not a trend: A midnight train, something that cuts like a knife, or a mountain that won’t keep me from getting to you. But sometimes, we use outdated visuals to get our point across, and somehow the song still holds up. The focus of this blog will be songs that have been popular (if not “hits,” as defined by my Billboard rules), while still using those outdated visuals.

Background: Now you may have read the title of this blog and thought, “There’s absolutely no rhyme or reason for it!” My friend, Mark, who is not a songwriter, but an appreciator of music, asked me when I was going to be writing about rhyme schemes. Mark suggested it and I thought it was a great idea. So I will be breaking down the rhyme schemes of four different songs, and how they affect the rest of the song, melodically and structurally.

In an earlier blog, we talked about how to develop characters within songs, through either personal experience, making up a character, or making up details about an existing character.  All the other blogs since then may have seemed a little bit out of character for me, so I figured I’d revisit this topic in this blog.

Object Writing can be an incredibly useful tool for curing writer’s block. When I say writer’s block, you might be picturing an aspiring songwriter, who just can’t bring themselves to write as often as they’d like.

Let’s talk about a way to paint a picture within your songs: Metaphors. As a grammar nerd, I’d probably roast you for not knowing the difference between a metaphor and a simile. But when discussing music, I tend to use them interchangeably.

Let’s talk about a way to paint a picture within your songs: Metaphors. As a grammar nerd, I’d probably roast you for not knowing the difference between a metaphor and a simile. But when discussing music, I tend to use them interchangeably.