The NYC band’s Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser explains how the Quentin Tarantino movie-sampling hit was inspired by a valium-popping security guard...
How I wrote ‘Munich’ by Editors’ Tom Smith
How I wrote ‘Cool For Cats’ by Squeeze’s Chris Difford
How I wrote ‘Turning Japanese’ by The Vapors’ David Fenton
How I wrote Art Garfunkel’s ‘Bright Eyes’ by Mike Batt
How I wrote ‘American Pie’ by Don McLean
How I wrote ‘Stay’ by Shakespears Sister
How I wrote ‘Suddenly I See’ by KT Tunstall
How I wrote Christina Aguilera’s ‘What A Girl Wants’ by Shelly Peiken
How I wrote ‘Rabbit’ by Chas & Dave
How I wrote ‘Teenage Kicks’ by The Undertones’ John O’Neill
How I wrote ‘Light My Fire’ by The Doors’ Robby Krieger
How I wrote ‘Lessons In Love’ by Level 42’s Mark King
How I wrote ‘I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)’ by The Moody Blues’ John Lodge
How I wrote Bristol
How I wrote ‘What A Beautiful Day’ by The Levellers
How I wrote ‘Yellow River’ by Christie
How I wrote ‘Is It Any Wonder?’ by Keane’s Tim Rice-Oxley
How I wrote ‘Underdog (Save Me)’ by Turin Brakes’ Olly Knights
How I wrote ‘Farewell To The Fairground’ by White Lies’ Charles Cave
How I wrote ‘Senza Una Donna’ by Zucchero
How I wrote ‘Dance The Night Away’ by The Mavericks’ Raul Malo
How I wrote ‘Everybody’s Gone To War’ by Nerina Pallot
How I wrote ‘The Life Of Riley’ by The Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie
How I wrote ‘Enola Gay’ by OMD’s Andy McCluskey
How I wrote ‘Rhythm & Blues Alibi’ by Gomez’s Ben Ottewell
How I wrote ‘Glad All Over’ by Dave Clark
How I wrote ‘High’ by Lighthouse Family’s Paul Tucker
How I wrote ‘Dreams’ by Gabrielle
How I Wrote
Articles
A romantic trip to Memphis, Tennessee led to a special friendship being formed and a classic hit single being born
The group’s frontman takes us inside the creation of a track that has nothing to do with Bavaria’s capital city...
We speak with double Ivor Novello Award-winning lyricist and founding member of Squeeze about one of their most famous songs...
The story behind this much-loved new wave hit from 1980 – it’s not actually what popular legend supposes it’s about...
The Wombles songwriter recollects how a song about death became the theme to ‘Watership Down’ and a No 1 hit...
The singer-songwriter aimed to craft “a big song” about “a modern America” and ended up delivering an eight-and-a-half-minute folk-rock phenomenon...
An inter-species tale of unrequited love provided the surprising inspiration for one of the most memorable songs of the 1990s...
In writing a song for the film ‘City Of Angels’, the frontman created one of the 90s’ biggest crossover hits
The Australian rock band’s songwriter and keyboardist discusses his intimately personal song which their iconic frontman Michael Hutchence did justice
The singer-songwriter reflects on the creation of her No 1 single with a lyric that was suggested as a joke
We learn how the singer-songwriter’s Ivor Award-winning hit single was inspired by Patti Smith and written in just 30 minutes...
On The Stereo November 2021
1
How I wrote 'Luka' by Suzanne Vega
2
Shelf help: 10 of the best books for songwriters
3
How I wrote 'Turning Japanese' by The Vapors' David Fenton
4
16 song starters
5
How I wrote 'Handbags And Gladrags' by Mike d'Abo
6
How I wrote 'Food For Thought' by UB40's Robin Campbell
7
How I wrote Art Garfunkel's 'Bright Eyes' by Mike Batt
8
How I wrote 'Suddenly I See' by KT Tunstall
9
Win! KT Tunstall lyric contest in association with MusicGurus
10
Comments
I'm going to keep songwriting by reminding myself that overflowing emotions can be relieved when I write them down or sing them out.
I’ve kept writing songs all through lockdown and have just released currently have 4 tunes waiting for me to find the right words. The songs
My best mate and I have been writing songs together for just under a year and we've just released our 1st single! I am so
I have been writing songs now for over 40 years and I am not about to stop.
Notebook writing even day
I wrote 'Start a party' for Freedom day and the nightclub scene. It all started with Gary Barlow's course, I am now on the TSA
I have plenty of ideas and try to get one end product at one time! Focus, making, listen to it until I am satisfied with