Songs I Wish I Would Have Written, Vol. 1
They, they being people who supposedly know, always suggest one way to connect with your audience is create playlists. So, I’ve created Songs I Wish I’d Written, Vol. 1. You can find it on Apple or Spotify. Hopefully, I’ll do more and the Vol. 1 part won’t end up a joke.
A quick note before I get into it: while some of these are from big artists and big records, I tried to avoid low hanging fruit. Yes, I would have loved to have written “November Rain” and gotten the paycheck that’s come with it over the last 30 years, but I wanted to shine a light on some songs that don’t get as much attention. So, this is not my “best songs of all time list”, but they are songs so good, that it burns me I didn’t get to write.
Angels of the Silences - Counting Crows
I loved August and Everything After, but when this dropped as the first single, I was excited for the album to follow. It showed a willingness to grow as a band and put a little pep in their step. This song swallows you up and whatever you’re yearning for, you immediately connect to Adam’s words, the emotion in his voice and the band provides you a soft place to fall. You’re uncomfortably content within the 3:37 and it ends on a hopeful note even though he’s saying, “I’m gone”.
Nothing Precious at All - Stereophonics
What do writers do if not observe and then put ourselves in other people’s lime green shoes? This song is an example of doing everything simple, but doing everything right. Simple chords, simple melodies, simple story, but everything put together perfectly.
This House Is Not For Sale - Ryan Adams
As I told my daughter, this song is the plot to Beetlejuice, but it’s brilliant. As songwriters we should be taking common occurrences in life and looking at them in uncommon ways. Almost every song on this list comes from an unbelievable record and this song is no exception. Love is Hell might be Ryan’s greatest work even if it is his most difficult to approach.
We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful - Morrissey
Morrissey is a truth-teller. He might be wrong about some things, you might not like how he approaches things, but he’s after the truth. With Mick Ronson’s excellent production, this record is incredible and he gets right at people’s ability to be small and petty here.
Half a World Away - R.E.M.
This was one of those life changing records in my young life, I was 11 when this came out and it didn’t sound like anything I’d ever heard before. Even in my punk rock teen years, late nights, feeling lonely, driving country roads with my windows down and drowning my depression in Peter Buck’s playing and Michael Stipe’s voice thinking everything might still turn out okay.
To My Dearest Wife - Lucero
As a writer, don’t sit around and wait for an idea to pop into your head, go look for the song that needs to be written. This song, and others on this album, were inspired by Ben reading letters soldiers wrote home to their wives during the Civil War. Circumstances and technology changes, people don’t. Connecting with people in another time, place or circumstance is the thing that makes us human.
Stars - Skillet
In my humble opinion, very few popular Christian artists do it well, but Skillet is definitely on that list. I’m not always in the mood for their brand of it, but this song says everything that matters in a format, that’s really more pop than hard rock. Humbling and awe inspiring all at once.
Where Will They Bury Me - Heidi Lynne Gluck
If Heidi was five to ten years older, she’d have been a star. She would have been a headliner on Lilith Fair right there with Jewel and Sheryl Crow. I personally think she’s a better musician than any of those women, but as a songwriter, she’s right there. Her perspective is very feminine, which makes it difficult for me to relate to some of her songs, as well written as they might be, but if you can’t find yourself in her words here, you’re probably not asking yourself the big questions.
24 Frames - Jason Isbell
24 frames is the number of frames that go by on a film in the amount of time it takes you to blink. So, instead of saying, “in the blink of an eye”, he’s saying “in 24 frames”. Jason is an incredible lyricist, but sometimes it’s this simple. What’s not been talked about? So, you have to find a new way to say something, or a new way of thinking about something because the topics are finite.
Drive Somewhere - The Vulgar Boatmen
Prior to discovering Big Star, I was introduced to Indiana’s (by way of Florida, sort of) own Vulgar Boatmen. I was in the middle of an on-going love affair with Britpop and they felt like how I felt. Dale Lawrence, formerly of The Gizmos, had the punk background but gave us (along with the other writers on these early songs) these incredible melodies and stories. I didn’t have to be one thing forever. Just write what you write, don’t worry about what anyone thinks.
Check It Out - John Mellencamp
I tried hard not to put John on this list, at least for the first round, but this is the greatest middle-age song I’ve ever heard. As I get older, I think I keep getting better and this song gives me the permission to keep writing about what’s going on around me and with me and know I don’t have to be twenty to have people to relate to what I write. Just keep writing until the day I don’t wake up. It will always matter.
Marry Me - Greg Dulli
I was late to the Afghan Whigs, regrettably. And to be honest, I probably like Random Desire more than I like any Whigs album. I could’ve picked any song off this record, they’re all great but there’s a certain vulnerability here that shines through and is not hidden behind excess instrumentation. It can be hard to bare your soul as an artist, but if you’re not baring your soul, you’re wasting your gift.
Carnage - Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
Similar to what I said about Mellencamp in that Nick Cave didn’t peak in his twenties, but unlike John, I think Nick continues to grow. Maybe I’m biased, I like Nick’s later music more than John’s, so maybe that’s not fair, you tell me, but I feel like Nick is at the top of his bell curve of creativity right now. I just saw the Bad Seeds live in May and they were incredible. Wild God is a great record. There’s no resting on any laurels. The poetry gets better, his partnership with Warren grows stronger and the music so perfectly fits the mood (probably why they get so much soundtrack work). Keep writing, and keep growing and taking chances.
Bag It Up - Oasis
I can count on one hand how many Oasis songs I don’t love. I feel like their later records are criminally under-appreciated. As they went on you could hear more than the Sex Pistols and the Beatles in their music, here’s you’re getting the Velvet Underground and the Stone Roses. I love how they wear their influences on their sleeves. We all borrow from the greats, why hide it? Just don’t deny it and theft becomes homage.
Handwritten - The Gaslight Anthem
The song itself is about songs and songwriting. “From heart to limb to pen”. This song perfectly describes both why we love music as a listener and why we make it.
Sonnet - The Verve
Too many BS love songs out there. This is real, this is imperfect. The honesty of Leonard Cohen, but the sound of Wigan in the 90s. For some of us, this is (one of) the sounds of our youth.
Weapon of Choice - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
BRMC makes the music they want to make. From the shoegaze sound of the early records to the country and gospel of Howl, this record, and this song in particular, blend them all together. And to top it off, they add a message to it. “Every pawn will pay its price… I won’t waste my love on a nation.” They’ve always had a spiritual, extra element to what they do, and they still rock. It’s what I aspire to.
Policy of Truth - Depeche Mode
I know there are more popular songs on Violator, but this one’s always been my favorite. Gahan’s simple, but powerful lyrics, Gore’s incredible blend of guitar and synth and killer hooks, what more do you need? If you can say something important, using few words, have people sing it in their cubicle at work and be able to shake your ass to it to boot? Perfection.
Angel - Massive Attack
Keeping with my theme of simplicity, this one, essentially, is one beat and one bass line. There are slight variations, but essentially, this drones on for over six minutes and you still don’t want it to end. It builds, blending technology and the human voice, from an uncertain calm into complete chaos and yet the constant of the drone keeps you anchored in the mist of the chaos. This song transports you somewhere else, no matter your mood when it comes on, you go with them to where they are.
Love Like Blood - Killing Joke
More simplicity, but that Paul Raven bass line. My word, that bass line! And Geordie’s incredible guitar work (sadly he passed 2 years ago to the day I am posting this blog - 11/26/23). Never overdoing it, Jaz being the larger than life character he is over the top and Paul Ferguson holding it all down from the back. One of my favorite songs of the 80s.