May 4th. Songwriting. TCB

I'm thinking. Where does a good song come from? Elvis and his cohorts would pick tunes with a proven track record and add appropriately "slick" lyrics that would work for that time. That's pretty clever if you ask me. "Love Me Tender" was originally entitled "Aura Lee" & written in the 1860s by an English composer called George Poulton. That same melody with different words was a huge success back then and the words changed continuously up until Elvis recorded the version I'm most familiar with (but you might be more familiar with the original "Aura Lee"or even "Army Blue" as it was sung in the American Civil War) for his first ever film role. It was a SMASH!! No gambles taken whatsoever. When you know it works; you know it works. Many other of The King's most famous songs are different lyrics put to great melodies with that all important track record.."cant help falling love" was a re-write of a French song called "Plaisir d' Amour", "It's Now or Never" was originally the Italian "O Sole Mio".... and the list goes on. Anyway..I digress talking to you about my great love of Elvis Presley. My point was..what makes a great song .."great"? When we listen to songs our brains capture the melody first. The lyrics are almost an after thought. You've decided you like a piece of music by the way in which the melody makes you feel...that tune you can humm along to without knowing what the words really are or that favourite song you've been singing along to for years with the wrong words. Time for a litte sermon..if I may...What could we ever have to say to each other in words that we couldnt say better through music? There, I've answered my own question. Right, I'm off to pilfer the record collection. Be good. xx