How To Write The (Im)Perfect Song

Does this sound familiar? “I’m gonna sit down and write me a song - someday - when I can write a perfect one!”

Yeah. How’s that working out for ya? I recollect saying that very thing to myself, over and over again - for decades. And how many songs did I end up writing back then? Um, close to ZERO.

And why is that? Because there is no such thing as a perfect song! Heck, I can take the classic tuneYesterday and find a fault or two with it. If Paul McCartney had let perfectionism get in his way, he’d probably be retired from an office job in Liverpool right now.

Listen, I’m not saying all this to mock anyone who has struggled with the beast of perfectionism. ‘Cause frankly, I’m perfectionism’s poster child. I quite literally have to wrestle perfectionism every dang day! It’s exhausting. But definitely worth the trouble because in the space of five years, I have written close to 200 songs - and not ONE of them is perfect! 

How does one tame this dragon called perfectionism? (Truth is, I have not yet and probably never will slay it). Well, it’s not easy, but it can be done if you really want to.

First (and the first step is the hardest, of course), give yourself permission to write a crappy song. It’s OK. In fact, it’s necessary. Folks who study and teach creativity would say you gotta clear out the garbage to get to the good stuff deep in your songwriting well.

Second, go ahead and write the song. And as you do, try really hard not to let your inner critic get in the way. Tell it to “stand in the corner and take a time out, can’t you see I’m busy here!” Avoid words like “bad”, “OK”, “stinks” in your inner voice as you write. And just compose.

Third, sit back and look at what you’ve done, you little Beethoven, you - you wrote a song!

Next - celebrate! And I mean, for real! Jump up and down on your bed like a kid! (Don’t hurt yourself, though). Dance! High five the dog! Anything to honor this miraculous birth of a song.

And the last step? Start at step 1 and do it all again. Tomorrow. And the next day, and the next day… That’s what I call “practicing the craft” of songwriting. And one day, you’ll wake up and realize that among all those imperfect songs you’ve written, there might just be a shiny half-carat diamond with a flaw or two, but really - who’s gonna notice?