BOOK REVIEW: HOW TO WRITE ONE SONG by Jeff Tweedy

BOOK REVIEW: HOW TO WRITE ONE SONG by Jeff Tweedy
Allen & Unwin
April 2022
Paperback, rrp $19.99

Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
99%

You don’t have to be a fan of the man or his music – though reading the book led me into really intently listening to Wilco for the first time, and greatly enjoying what I heard – to get something positive out of this part-memoir, part-self help book, part-guided artistic journey.

The beauty of Wilco mainman Jeff Tweedy’s life-affirming and self-deprecating, hyper-simple yet revelatory How To Write One Song is that it does PRECISELY what it sets out to do: encourage and guide the reader – anyone – EVERYONE – to write just ONE song.

Because, after all, writing one song is the hard bit. Every other song is automatically easier after the first. Or perhaps some of us only have one complete song in us. What a joy it would be to give creative birth to that, to make it real, to have it there for others, potentially, to hear.

But that song – whether it’s their first, or their next, whether it’s destined to be a global hit, or just for them to share with friends, or solely to prove to themselves that they can write that one song whether it’s great or not – that song is the point.

It’s a self-help manual completely devoid of self-help cliches. It’s uplifting: a celebration of the spark of creativity within us, of the need and want to create.

Best of all, it’s simple lessons and suggestions about how to think like a creator of art – often underpinned by Tweedy’s own experiences – are easily applicable to other creative endeavours.

As an author, I can attest that self-doubt, imposter syndrome, fear of criticism and rejection, are all immense blocks to the act of creation. Here we have a Grammy Award winning songwriter with more than two dozen albums (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Golden Smog, Loose Fur, solo plus other projects) who admits to the same issues and offers tips how to defeat those shadow demons lurking in our head, and just get out there and write shit. Good shit, bad shit – it doesn’t matter so much as indulging the process and just creating art.

Tweedy writes purely from the songwriter’s perspective, but the principles are the same for us writers, and presumably any type of creative person. There will be blockages, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, a thousand reasons to NOT write your song or write your book or paint your portrait. But there will always, always, ALWAYS be at least one stronger reason to do it: for yourself. For the art. For the process. Because, as creative people, we NEED TO.

How To Write One Song is great. Tweedy is a warm raconteur, he doesn’t shirk from difficult periods of his life and how drugs, relationship problems, burnout, etc negatively impacted his songwriting. He shares tips and tricks, ways to get the creative juices flowing, ways to overcome the inevitable blockages and doubts.

Most of all he shares his life, arguing that the things which motivate him to write music are probably much the same as the things which motivate you or I to do our own creative pursuits, even if that is on a smaller, more personal, even solitary level. As a writer, I took much from this book which I could apply to my own creative journey.

Highly recommended for everyone who ever wanted to write a song but didn’t know where to start. Or those who have written a hundred and are feeling a lack of inspiration. Or writers, painters, poets, sculptures, sketchers, designers and more – anyone who wants to be creative or be MORE creative. This WILL help, 100% guaranteed.

Inspirational AND practical, this book could only be better if Tweedy himself came to your home or studio and guided you through the process like an alt-country songwriting yogi whilst levitating cross-legged on your settee.

Category: Book Reviews