No One’s Picking Up the Phone, Guess it’s Me and Me
January 26, 2010I know it’s an odd way to start off my blog, and actually the header is a song quote from Tori Amos’ “Hey Jupiter” off her Boys for Pele cd. I plan on using song quotes for all my headers (at least for a while). Why you ask? For me I think music is one of the first things that I connected to the writing world when I was growing up. I always listened to music, and had the radio playing all the time. Music lyrics were the first form of poetry that I encountered. The stories that unfolded fascinated me, and sent my mind into spinning oceans and underground caverns. I saw worlds that didn’t exist in my suburban life. While neighbors were walking dogs and my parents were fighting I got caught up in the singer/songwriters of the late seventies and the dystopian steam-punkish worlds of the new wave artists of the early eighties.
This actually leads into one of the biggest debates with many writers – to have music playing while writing or not. Some people need complete silence and others need constant noise. I am of the smallest lot, not only do I need music playing, but I need music with lyrics. I get transported into some strange temporal vortex, and worlds start to form at the edge of my mind. It’s as if I’m in a zombie trance from a black and white horror flick. (Think along the lines of the 1943 flick I Walked With a Zombie). Words just start to flow, and time disappears, and eventually I snap out of it and stare at the screen. A poem or story sits staring back.
As of late, I’ve been in a creative funk, and haven’t had much come out. Then again I haven’t listened to much music lately. Hopefully I will get myself back on track and have submissions ready to go out soon.
How many of you out there listen to music with lyrics? Or is no one picking up the phone again?
I do. I often listen to music when writing. I hope you start writing again soon, I enjoy what I’ve read of your work so far.
You could always join in with my collaboration piece ‘The Vampire Flick’ over on my blog.
And as you’re such a cool guy I’ll add your link here to my list of links I have on my blog. I know, I’m too kind.
Hi, John. I listen to music with lyrics when I write, but it has to be songs I’m so familiar with that they serve as “white noise” rather than as music. If I listen to something new, I pay attention to the words I’m hearing rather than the words I’m writing.
Good luck getting your blog set up the way you want it. I like the format and the colors you’ve chosen.
I listen to everything from Linda Rondstadt’s You’re No Good to Switchfoot’s Beautiful Letdown. You know, maybe I need to find some new titles…
Hey John! I’m so glad you started this blog, and I think you will be too. That in itself will help you find that inspiration again, and you will find it I’m sure.
I’m one who needs either complete silence or only light instrumentals when writing, though I do get a lot of inspiration from songs. Sometimes I’ll listen to one song about thirty-seven times, then turn it off and write the story about it. If I try to write with music with lyrics on I just end up singing and not being able to concentrate on my work. To each his own I suppose.
Have fun with this blog!
Silence for me. Music, especially with lyrics, distracts me from the thoughts floating around in my head. I think of writing as a peaceful sort of meditation. Music does inspire me, just not during the act of writing.
Definitely with music, usually with lyrics. I’m a big fan of mixing up the music so I do AND don’t know the songs.
The lyrics do something to my head when I write – they open up the linguistic part in me and allow me to find words I wouldn’t normally be able to pull.
Speaking of mixes… While cleaning my room, I found the mix tape you made me waaaay back when!