by Jim
So for months, I’ve been sharing my writing playlist with everyone, particularly songs that I personally love that really have helped turn the creative wheels. Some songs are more responsible than others when I’ve written stories. Some songs are solely responsible for the main plot lines, while others have just helped stave off the writers block, and even more have just given me energy enough to keep going and finish the story.
These… are not those songs…
These are songs that are, IN MY OPINION, devoid of any creativity, are serious ear moths, or just tooth gratingly bad. So based on what works for me, these are songs best left alone. I’ll give you a small of them just for the fun of it. They’re in no particular order, so don’t think that I place any value on one over the other. Feel free to leave a comment as to whether you agree or not, but please don’t get mad if you see a favorite of yours on their. This is strictly my opinion and keep in mind, I don’t necessarily hate these songs, they’re just ones that, for me at least, bring the creative gears to a grinding halt.
Let’s get started…
Blah Blah Blah:
I know a few people who like Ke$ha as she was called and frankly… I don’t have a major issue with her, but this song is just all over the place. The lyrics are literally ‘Blah blah blah’ and the background music is just bad… really bad.
Going To The Chapel Of Love- The Dixie Cups
Okay, I genuinely despise this one. It’s an oldie… so its one most of our parents had to infect our earlobes with when we were stuck in the car with them… 80s kids, you all know what I’m talking about. This song get’s even more vapid as it goes on and the chorus line gets louder. Listen to the part where they sing ‘Gonna get Ma-ah-ah-rried’ against a toddler crying loudly… it’s remarkable how similar the two sound. That chorus line makes me grind my teeth to the point where I literally can’t write.
Hoobastank – The Reason
Maybe it’s because this song was everywhere to the point where you literally couldn’t get away from it at the time, but this one, I just can’t listen to when I’m writing.
You could have just turned the radio off.
You can’t turn off little siblings who continuously sing it and you can’t turn off the demo tape playing at work.
The whole song sounds like a complete whine-fest, and honestly, I never got why this is the song that most people know Hoobastank for. ‘Crawling in the Dark’ is to this day, one of the best highway cruising songs I’ve ever heard. In fact, most of that first album is infinitely better.
4 Non Blondes – What’s Up
I’m just going to say it, nothing good came out of the 90s… especially not acts that wished it was still the 60s. Aside from having one of the most annoying vocals on the planet, the lyrics are also mind-numbing. “I pray every single day for a revolution!”
… okay, a revolution of what? For what? None of that is really explained. Really she just sounds like one of those over-privileged college kids trying to emulate the hippies and failing miserably at it. As you can imagine, this band was a major one-hit wonder and thankfully not a very big one. Moving on.
Alanis Morissette – Ironic
I’ve never been a fan of Alanis. I don’t mind her personally and I will grant she was putting out some fairly consistent music that was at least tolerable for a while, however her voice always sounds like it’s straining and ready to crack. She has no vibrato and really… I wouldn’t call that talent. This song in particular, one of her early successes… am I the only one who noticed that virtually none of her examples can be defined as ironic?
Johnny Cash – Ring of Fire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It7107ELQvY
BRING ON THE TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS PEOPLE, I DO NOT CARE! Can I just say this straight up, I love Johnny Cash. His music is spectacular and his lyrical writing is some of the best I’ve heard in a while… but this song just drives me insane. I’ve never been a fan and it sounds like it belongs on a kids CD… though maybe its because I worked at a music store where the owner continuously played this song over and over for three days straight until the CD went ‘missing.’
Mumford and Sons – Little Lion Man
I hate these guys. The singing and harmony… if you can call it that, is terrible, the music is basic at best, the lyrics are bad, and I just… well yeah, that’s all you really can say. None of their songs are that great. Yet somehow I appear to be in the minority when it comes to these guys. People actually like them… heck, a radio station out here in Boston (WAAF) that typically plays hard rock, pushed this song hard. I never got that, especially given that they used to play everything from Static X, Rob Zombie, Slayer, and even some more extreme stuff… but then they start pushing this song… what the hell?
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
Yeah yet another one that I appear to be in the minority on. Their lead singer’s mono-toned vocals are more likely to put a person to sleep than actually inspire anything creative.
Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule – Ain’t It Funny
Tell me honestly, does anyone actually listen to this song? If so, please leave a comment below, I’d really be interested in knowing what you like about it. This whole team up between Ja Rule and Lopez infected the airwaves for a few years and really… I never got why. None of the songs that came from this were particularly tolerable, but this one was pretty much the worst. I can’t even get all the way through it.
Rein Xeed – Star Shine
WHAT!?
I know, I know, believe it or not, there are a few metal songs out there that I just can’t listen to when writing either. Rein Xeed is actually extremely talented and I love this guy’s music… but something about the way he pronounces words in some of his songs, I find to be especially grating. I know English isn’t his primary language and we shouldn’t dock him for that, but I’m sorry it’s just really distracting in his music. Other than that, I really do recommend him!
blink-182 – All The Small Things
I’ll admit to some bias here. I actually do like some of their music. Damnit was a big song for a lot of us in High School… However the progressive popularity of this band can be directly traced to the fall of Punk Rock. Blink 182 attracted a whole new demographic to Punk Rock and… as such… Pop culture. Country fans of today (those that have been fans since before 2005), can attest to this as it is currently happening to them. Blink 182’s Enima of the State signaled the beginning of the end. Bands like Bad Religion and NOFX were quickly replaced with ‘Good Charlotte’ and ‘Corporate Something’ when people mentioned punk rock. Thus, I find it impossible to write anything coherent when I hear this song… Which brings us to the next song on the list…
Simple Plan – Addicted
Pretty much only Beevis and Butthead and their fans would find this one amusing or entertaining. Seriously, can’t you see some little teenager listening to this song going ‘Uhuhuhuh, he said I’m a dick!’
This was a pretty low point for pop culture and the music industry in general. It really became pretty obvious that companies were functioning by the philosophy that ‘if you put shit on a stick and thrust it into people’s face enough times, they’ll buy it.’
There is nothing cerebral about this song. The lyrics are simplistic at best, my six year old can come up with better guitar tabs and… no I’m done. I’ve given this song to much attention. I’d sooner want to smash my computer screen then try to type anything I come up with from this song.
Kiss-I Wanna Rock N Roll All Night
Let me start off by saying that kiss is a great band. That being said, I never got why this song was so popular. They have so many great hits, why is this the one everyone remembers? There’s virtually nothing to it. It’s mind-numbingly repetitive, and just not very creative. I can’t get anything from this song when I sit down to write.
Dave Matthews Band – Stay (Wasting Time)
Remember when I said that nothing good came out of the 90s? Well… that can be said for pretty much every Dave Matthews and Bare Naked Ladies songs with the exception of ‘Where Are You Going?’
This song is especially annoying. Dave’s voice sounds like a pubescent teenager being strangled, the music is a disorganized mess, and 40 seconds this >4 Minute song his just the line ‘Makes me wanna STAY!’ repeated 10 times! It doesn’t make me wanna stay or write… it makes me want to punch something.
I think that’s torture enough for now. I’ll be happy to drop a few more later, but feel free to post your own recommendations or rebuttals in the comments.
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
James Harringtons Creative Work 
Pingback: From My Writing Playlist | James Harrington's Blog of Geek and Writing
Alanis Morissette ‘Ironic’ is, I’ve always hoped, a beautiful example of irony-ception, as none of the things as ironic, just shit luck! Haha.
C
LikeLike