Is it wrong to look back for inspiration? And where do you find it?

On Sunday I wrote that sometimes looking back can be very beneficial. I know for me I have learnt my biggest lessons by looking back at past events and processing them. Not dwelling is the key, though this is easier said than done sometimes...I find the past often holds many keys for inspiration too. The same memory can evoke a multitude of creative seeds that turn into, well for me, lyrics. For instance, the lyrics I wrote just after my father passed away 11 years ago were really dark and tortured, my sorrow literally spilled out onto the page, and now I find it quite hard to read those words back.

As time moved forwards as it does relentlessly, my emotions weren’t so raw and my focus changed and recently I wrote some lyrics with my dad in mind that were positive and hopeful.Words have always had a hold on me – especially poetry and lyrics more so than prose. I have always liked the imagery that that poems and songs create in my head. Songs particularly made me feel things in an extremely visceral way.Poetry and lyrics have also enabled me to say things, express things that I don’t know I would have been able to otherwise.

I suppose that’s why I was keen to delve into my history and past musical loves for my most recent project. My covers album, which is in the final stages and I will be sharing with you shortly is a piece of my past and picking the songs was like rifling through an old treasure chest. The songs I have chosen are particularly evocative and have been waiting for a while in my head as a potent source of expression and inspiration.

Of course, the melodies and the lyrics are set in stone, a snapshot of time - 1978-1988. But I ‘m hoping that though the start of my inspiration was in past, it has been blended with new inspirations and creativity from me, my wonderful band and producers.

My goal is, we have created something that gives a respectful nod to the past mixed with a lot of contemporary and original references…so fingers crossed!

A quick word about inspiration in general…for me it’s everywhere. I am one of those annoying people - constantly writing stuff down – key words/phrases/singing melody lines into my phone. And maybe surprisingly as it is hard to get me to be quiet (!) silence triggers a lot of inspiration for me. Oh, and the shower. Once I got out of the shower five times to write different sections of a song.

Without doubt though, I find inspiration more easily when I’m not looking for it. When I have to write a song or some lyrics or a post and I’m under time pressure – my brain short circuits!

So, I would love to know where you find inspiration, do you step back in time or are you a leave the past in the past kind of person?

Why lyrics are important to me

Years ago I was lucky enough to attend a songwriting workshop run by a respected, eminent songwriter from Nashville called Ralph Murphy. Among the many pearls of wisdom we were told that day, one really really resonated with me, he said

“When you hear a song, the music draws the listener in, but the lyrics keep them there.”

Lyrics written to a great melody and arrangement can create something very tangible that we all connect with. And though the feelings lyrics evoked may be different for different people; one phrase can unlock a tidal wave of emotion, in which you are caught for the duration of that song.

Don’t get me wrong I love instrumental music too. There is beauty in wordless compositions that make feelings rise up inside you. But to me, instrumental music takes you on a different journey one that is more visual, cinematic, perhaps?

As a singer, I view lyrics as my secret weapons. I can tell you things, invite you to connect with me. Through a song I can show you a piece of myself. I can be vulnerable or disarming because I choose to, or because the lyric of the song compels me to. Each time I sing for you, we go on a journey and sometimes the energy we exchange is truly magical. It’s literally like poetry in motion, or in music.

In my recent post, “So what does music mean to you?” I said

“One song has the power to undo all that work you have done on a broken heart. You can be a million miles away and remember someone or something from your past, and smile and feel like it has only just happened.”

There are songs I still can’t listen to because the emotions they reveal are still so raw, they remind me of something or someone I hoped I had forgotten.

I know several musicians who will be rolling their eyes. The number of times, instrumentalists, whom I love, will say rather flippantly that the lyrics aren’t really necessary to the song, or I sing them something and say, “Don’t you think that’s beautiful?” And they respond by saying they weren’t really listening to the words but the melody was lovely…not all instrumentalists of course, but definitely some…although I’m not going to name and shame here!

So what about you? Do you mindlessly sing along to songs, or are lyrics and the story they tell you important to you too? Do you have a favourite lyric, if so, please tell me, I’d love to know.

I am not a fan of "favourites" but here are some lyrics I love from an artist I revere:

Pink: Glitter in the air:

And it's only half past the point of no return

The tip of the iceberg

The sun before the burn

The thunder before the lightning

Breath before the phrase

Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?

You're whole life waiting on the ring to prove you're not alone

Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?

Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?