David Rovics on SoundBetter

You tell me the story, and I'll write the song.

I write songs that tell stories. When they work as they should, they bring to life a historical moment, or invite us to reflect on a more recent event. I don't believe in doing that by hitting people over the head -- my approach generally involves not directly telling the listener what I think or feel about the topic of the song I'm singing, but rather, just telling the story. If the story is told well, people can draw their own conclusions, which is a much more powerful process than drawing conclusions for them.

Songs can be used as powerful tools for popular education, as well as for selling lawn mowers. They can be great tools for understanding distant events or remembering history that might otherwise be forgotten. They can serve a lot of other purposes, too. If they are to be effective, though, they have to have many important qualities, starting with the lyrics and the music. Rhymes need to be effortless, music needs to be fresh but earwormy.

Many of my best songs have been written on commission. I look forward to hearing from you if you'd like to chat.

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