Jun 25, 2012

John Rich's Songwriting Tips #60





When you're writing a hit country song, you should appeal to all the senses. That would seem like common sense, but most songwriters don't have the common sense to know I need a bottle of ketchup when they bring my Denny's order. You should be able to use all 5 senses, at least in your imagination, when you hear a song played 15 times a day.


Don't just tell me the beer is good. Let me taste that Coors piss-water rolling cold and smooth like a Rocky Mountain river down my hard-work-parched throat. Don't just say it's a big truck. Make me feel tiny and insignificant in the presence of the full body rebel flag wrap, 37" mud grappler tires and 6" lift. Have me hear the crickets chirping in the night woods while your speakers are blaring Waylon, Willie, Johnny, Hank and Skynyrd. I wanna check that girl in cutoffs for ticks with my bare damn hands! Let me smell exhaust, sweat and teenage desperation! 


Hell, even go for a sixth sense …just being able to predict you're gonna get some from that little country cutie in a few short minutes! Yeah buddy, I'm all jacked up now and I didn't even write the song… I just told your lazy ass how to! 


Now get to it before I do! That's a platinum selling single in the making right there, you jackoffs.




*Not actually written by John Rich

3 comments:

  1. Just out of curiosity: Has a John Rich - written song become a hit in the last 3 years or so? I know Big and Rich haven't had a hit in years, that John Rich's solo album didn't light the airwaves on fire. But has any other artist hit say the top ten at radio with a John Rich tune since 2009 or so? I know he had a lot of hit songs for other artists in the back in the day but is he still writing the hits?

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  2. I don't think he's had a hit since B&R's "Lost in this Moment." He's been too busy doing reality TV, I guess. The new B&R song looks to be a smash though.

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  3. I thought he just wrote songs using lines he read on bumper stickers... Ie "save a horse..."

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