I suppose you could argue that, having had a flick at filk and fiddling with the form, I should complete the folk coverage by charging off to techno-folk and folktronica, but – again, with the kind of disclosure that may only be necessary when describing the relating of ideas or events – I think it’s important that a lyricist knows their limitations and is able to recognise when genres are blind corners. Blind corners are not useful when explored in a songwriting blog.

Besides, I think we have enough data on folk songs to be going on with.

II

The monster in the wings when it comes to genre is rock and that has so many roots and branches that a writer could get up in any one their whole life. Many do.

I want to take a break from genre (and, yes, being anal and completist I did once write a song about Genre Considerations)

Let’s talk a little bit about the inspirations as I believe these are key to committed lyric writing. If you are receptive to whatever comes down the pike then you aren’t held back. Recently I got ‘for those who built houses too close to the ocean/whose pools and pagodas cluster the coast[whose pools in rubble that clutters the coast]’ but that might be insensitive.

The other approach, as we’ve detailed, is to go to the title and the kernel of the idea it contains and work from that. I’d probably use this approach more than working out from lines or couplets but I couldn’t swear to that. You don’t normally stop the flow of what you’re writing to question how it’s being constructed.

The frustrating thing with writing from the potent title is when the original thought or idea is diluted, misdirected or forgotten altogether. This happens. I idly mused on False Alarm (not entirely convinced I haven’t used that one before) and this sublime line about the sirens. Now I’ve got a snippet that’s similar ‘The sirens are sorry they sought your assistance’ In fact, hallelujah, that could be it; it was something about the sirens being sorry

False Alarm 

The sirens resemble the things we love best
assayed and assiduous as we can attest
Deploy the lever on the Great Deceiver
had it up to here with believers

Bells still tell their role to toll
at time defined and in control
So bray and say you'll stay alert
at minor cant and manner curt

Signals single out the code
method in mad nest the motherlode
used to live just up the road

Pious peer at us as though possessed
if we'd rather be blissed than blessed
by luck or pluck arm in arm with charm
Treat the whole thing as a false alarm
The noise knows the news so
roll forward rock to and fro

Blare and blaze and make a racket
when you find what's in the packet
The sirens sound for the final test
importing importance until they're impressed