Fun With Charts & Graphs

JR's Songwriting Tip of the Week #3

You need to think about who you're writing for - the singer or group that will perform it. Like when I wrote "Mississippi Girl" for Faith Hill, which was like, her massive #1 comeback song... anyway, I knew my subject... she's a lil country girl from Star, Mississippi, where they only wear ballcaps and frequently ride their kids around on their backs because there's nothing else to do. And Faith's career had fallen off so bad, man, she was probably on her way to working at a nail salon or something until I brought her back onto the map. -JR


Not actually written by John Rich. Please don't assault me, John.

Badass-o-meter 2

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Kenny Chesney Parody

Living in Bass Ackwards
(Parody of Kenny Chesney's "Living in Fast Forward")

The body's a church house, well most of them are
But I've treated this 'un like a trashy strip bar
Gap-toothed blonde dancers and loud Motley Crue
My mama would beat me but she ain't got a clue

I been livin' in bass ackwards
Bud drinkin' sadsack out of control
I'm living in bass ackwards
Now I need to get off parole

My bar tab is up, my hair's matted down
Under trailer arrest on the outskirts of town
I worked at the Quik-Mart, until they caught me
Scratchin' off lotto, stealin' skin magazines

I been livin' in bass ackwards
Bud drinkin' sadsack out of control
I'm living in bass ackwards
Now I need to get off parole

I'm always runnin'
Police are comin'
I've been on Cops, yeah it's true
And the way that I'm headed
Might end up dead if
It's left up to my I.Q.
Uh huh ...

(Repeat Chorus 2x)
Yeah I need to get off parole
Oh, I still got two trials to go

Odds & Ends