Are You a Liar?
NOTE FROM EDITOR: This article is an opinion piece written by our own board member, David Guilbault. It does not represent the opinions of our organization as a whole and is meant to inspire thought and discussion. A companion piece, a response, has been submitted by another board member, Todd Christoffel. It is our sincere hope that you will read both pieces and then respond via email to info@songwritersinseattle.com. Lucid responses may be published.
Lennon and McCartney are liars. They wrote, “I give you all my love.” Really? All your love? Can anyone give all their love? Don’t people love their kids? Or pizza? Or golf? Or macramé?
The Temptations sang “You’re My Everything.” Really? Don’t some people cherish their motorcycles, or their wardrobes, or their accomplishments? If so, then the heartthrob of that song is not the writer’s everything.
The Everly Brothers sang one of my favorite songs, written by the brilliant Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, called “Devoted to You.” Um, I don’t think so. Don’t most people spend an awful lot of their time devoted to their work? These songwriters are not telling the truth.
Songwriters tell of giving their souls to their loved ones. Well, if there is such a thing as a soul, it can’t be given, or shared. So, nope. That’s a lie. Lyricists proclaim their affection for their darling one “till the end of time.” Yet, half of marriages end in divorce. Again, the songwriter is untruthful. Songs about the heart are often fantasies, and usually demonstrably false.
Songs about heartbreak, on the other hand, are almost always painfully true. Maybe that’s why I am drawn to break-up songs and not romantic songs. I choose truth over fiction.
The Bryant’s also wrote one of the most honest songs about love, called “Love Hurts.” It starts with these lines:
Love hurts, love scars Love wounds, and mars Any heart, not tough Or strong, enough To take a lot of pain Take a lot of pain Love is like a cloud Holds a lot of rain Love hurts, ooh ooh love hurts
This is the truth, laid bare. I invite you to listen to it sung by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris from Gram’s “Return of the Grievous Angel” album. Their performance almost always brings me to tears. This is lyrical honesty.
Certainly, as a colleague who reviewed this column before publication noted, songwriters, like all artists, are allowed poetic license. And the artistic expressions of The Beatles, The Temptations, and the Everly Brothers, like all musicians, are likely not meant to be taken literally. So, maybe it’s a bit harsh to label them as liars. On, the other hand, I can’t think of any Dylan songs with similar sentiments.
So, what is truth in songwriting? What love songs strike you as heartfelt and true? How about your own love songs? Are they honest? I’d ‘love’ to hear what you think. Let’s talk about it.