Lyrics, I have none

I've always wanted to be a songwriter or lyricist. I've tried on many occasions, a few even being serious attempts...all have been dismal failures. I've written poetry before but I can't force it or write anything of significant quality upon command - it's something that just happens when it happens. And when I *do* write poetry, it's not lyrical at all. Much of it is reminiscent of e e cummings work, which really doesn't lend itself to any lyrical style I'm familiar with or that's easy on the ears.

It's not so much the rock star image that appeals to me, or the free women and beer (although that's not *all* bad), but the communicative aspect - ideas and concepts just sound great via song and lyric rather than prose. It has such a powerful impact on how we view things. Think it's not true? Tell that to John L. Williams when he cashes his royalty checks and commission checks. Not sure who he is? I guarantee you've heard his stuff. Ever watched the Olympics? That's his theme song. How 'bout Star Wars? ET? Raiders of the Lost Arc? Superman? Yup. All him. Try watching any of those movies w/no background music or score and see how different of an experience it is. I'd be willing to wager that heart rate and blood pressure are statistically different with and without the music. And that's just MUSIC...not even words!

Then there's the actual lyricists, the ones that put into words so many ideas that I think of but only know how to write in paragraph form. They convey them (what seems like) effortlessly while strumming a guitar and make people so clearly understand what was going on in their head and heart. I'd love to be able to write a girl a song someday just for her, but that's just not one of my gifts or talents. I'd love to be able to tell my boss "Take this job and shove it..." with a country twang, but, simple as that lyric is, when it comes to songs, I can't come up with anything that sounds even half-way descent to me. Music just seems to move so many people (iPod, anyone?), but I can only reproduce it, not create it.

So until such a time as a lightning strike awakens the lyrically dormant portion of my brain, I guess I'll just stick to karaoke and sloppily playing chords on my guitar that someone else wrote. I may not be able to think of anything original but at least I can carry somebody else's tune.