Sing (And Write?) For Your Supper

 Today's post is from our friend HIM. 

I am going to side-step a portion of what this could possibly be about in favor of a wider view. What, you ask? Singers who sing songs they didn’t write (or, in some cases, barely had any input into at all).

 

The most recent hub-bub regarding this relates to Dee Snider and his new solo effort. He admitted it. Didn’t write a single line on the album. He felt that Jasta and Co. captured his spirit; thus, he became the storm, or the hurricane, or what have you. I respect him for that. He owned what he didn’t own, so to speak.

 

Online scolds went ballistic. Sell-out. Lazy. You get the picture. Now, to be fair, some of us on this site have already discussed the quality of the songs on For the Love of Metal. But that isn’t my point. My point is: is there anything necessarily wrong with a singer not writing what he or she sings?

 

Obviously, there are shades of gray here too. Some singers provide minimal input (“God bless you all!!) and we still, more or less, regard them as standard-bearers for metal. Others are called in at a moment of crisis (sometimes called, caught in a mosh) and don’t really get a chance to make their mark . . . if they ever did or even wanted to do so. Still others own the writing process and/or collaborate with the rest of the band on getting the lyrics right (which results, one would assume, in more firepower overall).

 

Snider added a bit of dig in subsequent interviews: he noted that some of the people you thought wrote the lyrics for their songs didn’t. That is a bit more expansive, as it applies to a group that boasts they did, when they didn’t. And we obviously know, as fans of the genre, that a host of established bands (again, not just the singers) hired outside writers to polish up their songs. You wanted the best, you . . . well, you hired someone who was known for their song- and lyric-craft.

 

My take? It relates back to what I initially swatted away. The quality of the song, overall, is what matters. And some people listen to lyrics. I certainly do. Others don’t pay as much attention. I also think that some people are better at interpreting other people’s words and music (just as some covers are better and some worse). Dio’s songs are his lyrics. Diamond Dave is what he sings.  That said, I don’t fault Stanley for finding that the best part of waking up, was lyrics in his cup (I couldn’t resist).

 

I think Snider deserves a pass on this latest tempest in a teacup. Others don’t, however. Your take?

Comments

[Kixchix]

Is Pavarotti any less a singer cuz he sings crap someone else wrote in a language I don’t understand? No.

Jackson Pollack splatters paint on a board and people gave him money. Art? To me, no.

Chill out and do whatcha do. And Dee will do what Dee do. Dee do do do, Dee dada da is all I have to say to ya.

I defer to Alex Lifeson and his immortal speech at the RRHOF. “Blah, blah. Blah blah blah blaaah blah.......” & to Bill Murray in Meatballs “It just doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t matter, It just doesn’t matter!!!”.

Peace

[Rita]

True songwriters carry more weight in my book than singers (that is, great voice but no artistic ability in the way of penning great songs). Because of this, I have much greater admiration and respect for those artists who are true songwriters, and also have a great voice. Jani Lane for example is one of these people, or was, I suppose.

Jani wrote amazing songs and had a great voice as well. Joey Tempest is another guy who comes to mind in a similar vein, although I don't know how much input others had with his material. I could be wrong.

While I won't knock an amazing singer who doesn't write the songs, I do have a little more awe reserved for great songwriters who happen to be great singers too. All else being equal, the writers trump the singers. For me.

Dee can carry a tune, but he is not a great singer, as I see it anyway. But good for him. At least he didn't lie about writing the new songs. That counts for a lot. I loathe liars.

[Shawn]

In reality if we really knew who wrote all the songs we love we would find that a bunch of songs were written by outside writers or collaborations with said song writers. Jani Lane was an exception to the rule in my opinion one of the best in the genre. G n R another great song writing team with Izzy.

In the case of Dee honestly don't care who wrote the songs I don't like the new stuff. I love the Crue but I don't think Vince ever wrote a line and it doesn't bother me one bit.

I don't care that Desmond Child wrote all of the songs for Bon Jovi and a ton of others - the great Aerosmith included.

True song writers are really impressive in my opinion but in the end it comes down to personal taste and weather a song is a great song.

[Bryon]

Good on him. The writer is obviously a pretty important part of what makes a great song, but it's only part of it. Musicianship & delivery are just as important, and very few people are able to front a band like Dee Snider can.

Not to mention that Snider has written a number of hugely popular songs in his career, so this particular criticism of his latest album seems unfair to me. But it's the Internet, so there's always someone happy to criticize.

[fletch]

And I could write so much right now, but to simply add a throwaway line (which I wrote): Intellectual property, who owns it...the ones who wrote it, or the ones who live it?

Bon Jovi/Desmond Child

[Gary]

@ Kixchix 😂👍👍 Good post!!
Shawn pretty much hits the nail on the head IMO. As a musician for about a millennium now, as much as I admire and appreciate incredibly good singer/musician songwriters, the general public could give a rats dirty posterior who penned a song they like. Elvis was probably the most successful singer of his era. How many songs did he write? (hint,it rhymes with hero) Go back a generation to Ole Blue eyes, Frank Sinatra,who ruled his era. How many did he write solo? (Hint. It rhymes with gun) I love Ozzy to death, but the guy probably can't write his name anymore, let alone pen a song. Also, Please don't tell me "but he writes the melodies". That'd be like me painting a urinal in the Sistene Chapel, and the declaring that "Michelangelo and I painted the Sistene Chapel Together.... lol

[fletch]

That, Gary, is gold.

[Shawn]

@Gary you had me rolling buddy :)

[Kixchix]

Gary!!!! Your post was ...hint rhymes with lawsome!!!

[Bkallday]

Don't care who wrote it but it sucks for sure.

[Metalboy!]

Another great subject just as we have come to expect, HIM!

Gary, killin’ us as ever! And good point about Elvis. I was thinkin’ the same thing.

Of course, the ultimate irony is Barry Manilow’s “I Write The Songs”, which was actually written by Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys.

But, alas, BK is right. As much as I want to like Dee Snyder’s new one, he would have been better off writing the stuff himself. Not one song, save for a little bit on the title track, is good — as in catchy, memorable, smokin’ or any other superlative we wish we could apply.

p.s. There won’t be anything from this album on the DJ’s playlist at our Heavy Metal Wedding Reception, Rita!

[Him]

Rita and Metalboy!, can I be the ring bearer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dafOfAJctA

Kixchix, Pavarotti is certainly less a singer nowadays! I kid. And Ed Harris will always be my Pollock . . . save when it is served on a bun with some tartar sauce. I kid, again. It was a good movie, though. Just saying.

Fletch: "Hands off, this is intellectual property . . ." Is there anything that Halford hasn't sung or thought? Oh, wait.

Gary: you surely have heard of Marcel Duchamp? He certainly focused on one part of your argument.

Cheers everyone! Awesome posts, one and all.

[Rita]

Ha ha Metalboy! And what a party that would be 🤘🤘❤️

[bdailey@touchrate.com]

Pollack was a genius.

I know we don’t put much value on success relative to actual dollars and sense around here but it is interesting to note that a Jackson Pollack work is believed to be the most expensive painting in existence, having been sold by none other than David Geffen (I bet some of that G’nR money has helped him amass quite a collection over the years).

p.s. Rita! Who should we get to perform live at our Heavy Metal Wedding Reception?! I was thinkin’ AXL/DC!!! \m/