How to Write One Song
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4.5 • 90 Ratings
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An accessible and inspirational guide to bringing the art and creativity of songwriting into your life, from the Grammy-winning cofounder of Wilco and Uncle Tupelo
There are few creative acts more mysterious and magical than writing a song. But what if the goal wasn't so mysterious and was actually achievable for anyone who wants to experience more magic and creativity in their life? That's something that anyone will be inspired to do after reading Jeff Tweedy's How to Write One Song.
Why one song? Because the difference between one song and many songs isn't a cute semantic trick—it's an important distinction that can simplify a notoriously confusing art form. The idea of becoming a capital-S songwriter can seem daunting, but approached as a focused, self-contained event, the mystery and fear subsides, and songwriting becomes an exciting pursuit.
And then there is the energizing, nourishing creativity that can open up. How to Write One Song brings readers into the intimate process of writing one song—lyrics, music, and putting it all together—and accesses the deep sense of wonder that remains at the heart of this curious, yet incredibly fulfilling, artistic act. But it’s equally about the importance of making creativity part of your life every day, and of experiencing the hope, inspiration, and joy available to anyone who’s willing to get started.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A great song, one that sticks in your head or speaks to your soul, can feel like pure magic. But longtime indie rocker Jeff Tweedy is here to tell you there’s no mystical mojo to songwriting. In this succinct guide, the Wilco (and before that, Uncle Tupelo) frontman walks you through pretty much every question you might have about writing a song of your own. From anxiety that you’ll suck—you totally will, at first—to the fear of exposing your inner feelings—accept it, writing songs means getting vulnerable—Tweedy helps you get out of your head and in front of your notebook or voice recorder. Personal stories really drive his lessons home, like the anecdote about how he wrote Wilco’s hit “Can’t Stand It” on a plane after a label exec demanded a catchy single, quickly dispelling the belief that songwriting requires “inspiration.” Tweedy distills all this wisdom into about a hundred pages, making his book like a short but sweet pep talk from a mentor. We found ourselves highlighting and adding bookmarks a bunch.
Customer Reviews
Blown away
It’s so simple, darling.
Fantastic And Insightful Little Book
This book is very insightful and inspiring! Even for someone who has written lots of songs it makes the idea and process of doing so feel new and exciting! There is lots of valuable advice for approaching creativity for both new and veteran writers. I fully recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in adding creativity to their day to day life! Hopefully it encourages more songwriters to discuss their writing process openly and vulnerably as Mr. Tweedy has!
Easy, Fun Read
I’ve been writing songs for most of my life, but this book presented some new ways to approach the process that I hadn’t thought of. Tweedy also cleared up some of my own self-doubt and perception. This is a great book for anyone at any level.