Richard Marx & Luther Vandross vs. Theodore Roethke
At the last NSAI meeting I attended, the lesson we discussed was lyric writing and finding an original angle. One of the examples given by Sara Light in the materials she provides to NSAI was a song called "Dance With My Father," written by Richard Marx and Luther Vandross. The song won a Grammy in 2004 for Song of the Year (it hit #34 on the pop charts).One of the things that struck me about the song as I was reading the lyric was how much the song concept, or idea, mirrored a poem by Theodore Roethke called "My Papa's Waltz." In his book Tunesmith, Jimmy Webb makes a great observation about what an "idea" is not.
"The following is not an idea:
I want to write a song about someone who goes through acute mood swings - from euphoria to emotional exhaustion. I love this person and want to address the song to him.
If, however, you add the following sentence: 'I want to call the song "Problem Child,"' then you have an 'idea,' even though the song may not end up being called 'Problem Child.' "
So, while the Marx/Vandross song "Dance With My Father," may revolve around a similar concept as the poem "My Papa's Waltz," the unique angle, or idea, changes slightly with the titles. I would argue "Dance With My Father" is inclusive of the speaker/singer. They sound as if they are part of the dance, while "My Papa's Waltz" sounds as if the speaker is watching their father and perhaps commenting on how the waltz is symbolic in some way of their relationship.
The language of each also takes the song and poem in very different directions. Jimmy Webb also says in his book that ". . . all great lyrics use the devices of poetry." I tend to agree, and believe poetry can teach songwriters a lot about rhyme, metaphor, personification, imagery, meter/rhythm and above all else, the power of words used well.
I've included a video of "Dance With My Father" and a link to the full lyrics. I've included the first verse and chorus, as well as the complete poem "My Papa's Waltz" below. Go ahead and listen to the song and read through the poem, and I'll meet you on the other side for more discussion!
Dance With My Father [full lyrics]
Verse 1:
Back when I was a child,
Before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high
And dance with my mother and me
And then spin me around 'til I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me
And I knew for sure I was loved
Chorus:
If I could get another chance,
Another walk, another dance with him
I'd play a song that would never, ever end
How I'd love, love, love to dance with my father again.
Now, Theodore Roethke's poem. If you visualize the scene that's taking place, I think you'll immediately hone in on how this song and poem, while being similar in terms of a concept, are very different ideas.
My Papa's Waltz
The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.
We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.
The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.
You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.
The imagery in both are stunning, and because the speaker is so much "in the moment," the emotional connection for the listener of either is there. Before we analyze these too much in the blog, let's complete an exercise first. I'll post my results, and you can compare yours.
Songwriting Exercise (Using Poetic Device In Songwriting):
- Print a copy of the full lyrics for the song, as well as a copy of the poem on different sheets of paper. [Printable version]
- Now go through each and write down things like:
- Point of view (who is speaking and telling the story)
- What is the scene? Describe it in prose or draw a picture.
- Write a short bio of the father in each.
- Write a short bio of the speaker/singer in each.
- Rhyme scheme of each and how it is working to tie with the idea
- Punctuation - if you added it to Dance with My Father, how would it compare to the poem?
- How is the poem using punctuation to tie the rhyme together?
- What is the song's structure. What about the poem?
- How does the meter, or rhythm, compare?
- Make a list of how the two are the same, and how they are different.
- Try to connect what you wrote down in #3 with the items you've listed in #2 to explain why the song and poem are really two different ideas.
More Songwriting Tips:
- Songs & Poetry: Cross The Great Divide (Pt 2) Richard Marx vs. Theodore Roethke
- Songs & Poetry: Cross The Great Divide (Pt 3) Richard Marx vs. Theodore Roethke
