Songs Of Home

What makes a home is different to almost everyone, but we still can relate to some basic ideals. The subject of the place we take our shoes off, the one where our parents live, or a place we hope to live in someday touches everyone on some level, so is a great topic to write music about. Here are some prompts to get you recording something on this theme.

YOUR CHILDHOOD HOME

You don't have to write about your actual home, it could just be the one you'd like to have lived in. Writing about a home your neighbor had, one you visited on a trip, or one you have seen in a book or magazine can all work for this exercise. Give the listener an idea of what it was like to sense this place-smells, textures in touch and looks, was it hot or cold or always just right, how did it smell when clean, or was it ever? How did the cooking taste? What was in the yard? Did you have pets, a vegetable garden, a favorite tree or a swing set? Was there any sort of scenic view, or was it near a highway with all the bustle of traffic, or even a nearby train that whistled? Could you see the stars at night, or was there a blinking old neon sign visible from a window that kept you from sleeping? Did your dad snore? Did mom snore? Just sit down and do some serious free writing, here, and get it all down. Once you have some general ideas, try recreating some of the feel for this musically, and/or see how poetic you can be with some lyrics. You can even try using a little-kid voice and describe it as you would at that time. Mentioning some major event of that period can help set the piece, too, and give your listener more goodies to relate to.

YOUR DREAM HOME

This is a popular song theme. A couple of my fave musicals feature the female lead singing about the place she wants to live in someday. For a guy, it can be pretty austere, but it might be fun to mention what would make an ideal refuge from the daily grind. Think of what would make for a cozy living space. Use your five senses, and do another free write on this, then see if some ideas would make good poetic turns of phrase. Can you recreate the feeling you want with certain chords or instruments? What sorts of furniture would it have? What color and type of flooring? How big a kitchen? Would you have a hot tub or pool? Any pets? How big a yard, and any special features or views, again? It can just be a place that gives you a general feeling, but describe those feelings, and why the home would give those to you. Again, the more detailed and personal, the better people will probably relate to it, since others probably have your same tastes and longings. Have a little fun with this, and think of your dream studio while you are at it, or even the silk sheets you've always wanted. It's your dream, so get wild with it. You can always edit it later, and tame it down a bit.

Go To Page: 1 2