Of the many things I have learned over the years as a songwriter, one of the most important is the art of re-writing.

Re-writing, or self-editing, as some choose to call it, can really make a difference whether or not you are successful in making a point or concept clear in your song. Once you get into the habit of re-writing you'll be amazed at how easy it becomes with practice and how mentally and emotionally rewarding it can be.

When I first began writing songs years ago I had no concept of self-editing. What came out was it! The sum of my artistic expression. Back then I had a certain way of saying things that seemed to intrigue the listener enough. But in my desire to communicate my ideas in a more commercial manner I started digging in a little deeper for lyrics. I learned if I took time to "tweak" a line here or there that I could satisfy my need for artistic expression and also connect with the listener in a more perfect way.

Today I find re-writing as exhilarating as that first blush of inspiration. It's akin to solving a puzzle finding words that help convey the story line or message that I'm trying to put into song. And how fortunate you are to find the right words that just sing right with your melody. That's a big plus.

On the more practical side of re-writing, sometime you have to update good songs to fit the times. You may find an old lyric you wrote years ago that is pretty good but pretty dated. Instead of letting the song fall by the wayside, take the parts that you can still use and update the other lines for the times. Bring those out-dated, out-of -fashion lines up to speed.

For example, I recorded a song entitled "LOVE WAS (ONCE AROUND THE DANCE FLOOR)" in 1975 on my "LOVE, YOU'RE THE TEACHER" Album. The first verse went like this:

    "Well, I was just 18 and he looked like Steve McQueen
    And I was pretty green and ripe for love
    He took me out to bars; we went parkin' in his car
    And every night he showed me what Love Was"

That's fine for 1975. Steve McQueen was alive and well and the drinking age was 18. But now times have changed. Steve is remembered but not quite revered as he ought to be and the drinking age is 21.

Those lyrics became inappropriate over time to me. But I love the overall concept of the song and I play it so differently than I did in 1975. It's Rock-a-Billy!! Baby! And this is how I rewrote the first verse:

    "Well, I was 21 and lean and he looked just like James Dean
    And I was pretty green and ripe for love
    He took me out to bars; we went parkin' in his car
    And every night he showed me what Love Was"

I only had to re-write the first line. Changing my age and the Hollywood Icon, and adding more personal information for the listener to identify with. And the big plus……..it sings better than the original line.

Since songwriting can be so subjective, more often than not, it sometimes helps to step back and a look at each line objectively, asking yourself the following questions.

1.    Does this line add meaning to the line before it and lead in well to the next line?
2.    Is the song logically sound from beginning to end? That is, easy to understand.
3.    Is there anywhere to economize on the words without sacrificing the melody? Or vice versa.
4.    Is the content emotional enough to connect your listeners? Maybe a word change or musical inflection can make that ever important emotional draw.
5.    One little world of caution. Be ware - be aware - of the over-write. Learn when to stop before you over-write the spark that originally lit up those words. Don't sacrifice soul for slick.

These are only a few suggested questions. I'm sure if you think about songwriting and the crafting of words a lot that you'll find your own set of keys to the highways of your inner mind and unlock those gold and silver words that strike deep in the hearts of us all. You may be a writer, but are you a re-writer? A re-finer of those weightier gold and silver words.

Linda