A Great First Line… A Great Song: “Looking For Something… Out There.”

Feb 04, 2024

Greetings!

I hope that you are enjoying this blog and thanks for reading!

The ‘opening’ line. For a songwriter, it can make or break the song. It needs to be strong and it needs to set the tone. And for a group of adults in an in-patient behavioral health facility, finding that first line of an original song, can open up so much. Read on…

“When you walked into the room, there was voodoo in the vibes…” That is the great opening lyric from the song So Into You by the Atlanta Rhythm Section. That opening line grabs you. That opening line stays with you. And is one of my all-time favorites. Great opening lines set up a song without fail. You get an immediate sense of where you are and where you are going. Whenever I hear the opening strands of synth piano, followed by the electric guitar groove, I can’t help but sing along to that opening line. (That song was written in 1976.) It’s like, it’s embedded in my brain. Here are some other great opening lines:

“There must be some kind of way out of here, said the joker to the thief.” All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan)

“Do you have the time, to listen to me whine…” Basket Case (Green Day)

There are so many others, and I’m sure some will immediately come to mind. There really is nothing in songwriting like a great opening line. It says, “here I am” with confidence.

I run a weekly music therapy group at an in-patient behavioral health facility for adults. With all of the challenges they are facing, we use music as a way to help reduce anxiety, to reflect and discover deep rooted thoughts and feelings, and to motivate and work towards wellness. But what seems to be most beneficial is using music as a form of expression, especially when it’s hard for them to find the words to describe what is going on in their lives. What thoughts are haunting them. And to help with expression, we write songs. [In music therapy this is clinical songwriting, songwriting with a goal in mind—perhaps to explore feelings of isolation, or to express oneself when one is feeling as though they are not being heard—all facilitated and guided by the music therapist.] Also, collective songwriting has social benefits, such as working together as a group, especially when many of these folks are working hard to integrate back into society.

I generally get to songwriting after I’ve established some comfort levels, perhaps by doing some relaxation with music meditation and other activities such as listening to songs and discussing the lyrics. I want to first establish some interaction and some trust. And then, when I say, “Okay, how about we write our own original song together.” Blank stares…

To get started, I will say something like, “Okay, we can do this. Let’s just see what happens.” I also set up some ground rules: we have to work together as a group, there are no “wrong” ideas, and everyone needs to be respectful. I will then ask for an opening line.

And it really is just about getting started. Getting that first line to open things up. Oftentimes there is pause, apprehension, but it’s amazing what a little silence can do (sometimes a lot of silence.) Then… inevitably… someone speaks. And away we go! Most times, it just takes on a life of its own—many contributing, working together, making words rhyme and fit the established rhythm. But what really happens is… they take ownership. They start to feel empowered. They are working together, and they are feeling good about creating something of worth. All feelings that they’ve been lacking and, perhaps, had a role in getting them where they are.

Recently, we were discussing the idea of searching—continuously searching for something positive when mostly just feeling stuck. We also spoke about how most of them seem to always anticipate that what’s to come will be negative, especially based on past experiences. I asked them to think about reframing the ‘tomorrow’. That maybe, if you are open to it, it could be positive, or better yet, you can make it positive. “Let’s write a song about it,” I casually said. (Blank stares.) “We can do it. We just need to get started. We need a first line. Just something to start, something that fits the theme of everything that we’ve been discussing. What is the first line?” Whattaya got?” After several moments of silence, finally… someone speaks. And what a first line they give – “Breaking out into acne, tuning out my family’s comments.” Wow! Okay… we were on our way. Suddenly, everyone could relate (and feel like they are not alone in the way they feel.) And you could see on their faces that they were starting to engage. Starting to think about where to go. They were now in this together. That is what happens when you just start. The next line came – “Looking for something… out there.” Here’s the full lyric (shared with permission):

Flying Out There

Breaking out into acne, tuning out my family’s comments.