ARE YOU A PRO OR ASPIRING SONGWRITER? A GREAT SONG DOESN’T CARE!

Over the weekend someone tagged me in a post that had over 500 comments debating heatedly over whether or not a lyricist was an actual “songwriter”.
 
All I can say is, who cares? I don’t mean that in a harsh way. You see, I’ve been fortunate that over 150 major artists have recorded my songs. I have had my fair share of Billboard hits. And you know what? I have been on co-writing sessions where I contributed ONLY lyrics. Other times, there were sessions that I did ONLY the music. And often BOTH music and lyrics. Some days I play an instrument on the session and others I won’t. In fact, I know Hall Of Fame lyricists that have written some of the most iconic songs of all time. 

The song doesn’t care if you’re a professional writer. Another thread here debated what it means to be a “pro songwriter”. Well, a great song doesn’t care about that either. I’ve heard songs that stop me dead in my tracks written by a writer without a publishing deal. And as a professional songwriter, somedays I’ve written some pretty “just okay songs” or even the songs that are considered as a joke, even to myself! What we label ourselves or what we’ve accomplished doesn’t matter when we sit down to write.
 
Do you know what is real and not opinion? THE SONGS. When a song is written right and moves everyone that hears it to tears, or to dance, or to laugh. That is all that matters. Just bring out an emotion, a reaction or something out of the listener. A song doesn’t care how it was written, who wrote it, or if it was created by a professional or a first-timer. If I write a bad song, guess what! Nobody wants to sing it or hear it. At least not for a second time!
 
Participation in heated OPINION will rob us all of our ability to create great art. All of you matter. Your songwriting matters, and as James Hetfield says, “nothing else matters”!