I thinks it's always easier to write a melancholic song, usually because it's in that kind of mood you feel the need to 'get s**t off your chest' so if you're inclined to write, or compose, it's your primary way of doing that. When life's great you don't seem to feel the need as much, to relieve yourself of overloading emotion. Well at least that's what i think. Any time I've sat down and said, 'right, I'm going to write a song' it's been a bag of s**te most of the time. But you could be washing the bleedin' dishes humming a melody or lying in bed half asleep and then it's there, you've to get it down and the song pours out - and they ususally turn out to be the gems when they come like that. It's hard to write upbeat songs that aren't 'meaningless' as such, but then there's enough room for all kinds of songs...thank christ we don't have to listen to only shoe-gazing self pitying songs all the time. Sometimes you just want a bit of 'lily the pink' y'know! I love Jarvis Cocker's lyrics for making witty observances.... "The trouble with your brother, he's always sleepin' with your mother, and I know that your sister, missed her time again this month" - Pulp, Razamattaz and you have to hand it to Morrissey - the guy is an amazing lyricist...you're trying to write songs and you hear something like 'Stop me if you've heard this one before' or 'There is a light' and you just think Jaysus how can I beat that? But it keeps you on yer toes, keeps you inspired. The point is there's room for us all...good and bad!

I create electronic music as a hobby, and would not class myself as a songwriter so I'm not sure I'm qualified to offer an opinion, but here goes anyway. Its true that its hard to write meaningful upbeat songs, but perhaps meaning and sincerity are slightly over-rated by songwriters today. I'm not talking about writing songs that are silly or cynical. Sometimes its good to pick words for their sound or the atmosphere the create. "Sound and Vision" by David Bowie is really good example of this. The lyrics are too unspecific to be meaningful (at least to anyone else other than the writer) but the lyrics, music and production combine to create an atmosphere, something that does not need to be stated explicitly. Micheal Stipes early songwriting in R.E.M. helped by his evocative vocals is another good example of this school of thought.

Its some thing you should think about it should be how you feel and that will come out in a negative or positive real feeling which can all so be melancholy! But what would i know love or feeling with IQ

I agree entirely with what Dromed said. When you're happy you'd rather go outside and play than sit around writing songs. I also agree that the best kind of upbeat songs are witty and intricate. I don't particularly like Pulp but I think The Lemonheads do a good job with songs like The Outdoor Type and It's All True. Actually they're not that upbeat come to think of it but they're not melancholic either.

Ive only just started writing full songs for my band and they all seem to be about drug paronoia or getting f**ked or polictics..i dont think its easy to write positive or negitive, what matters is if you belive what your saying, the sad thing is most people write throw lyrics about love and s**t and think it means something to them, bollocks..I cant think of one Clash song with the word love in it, can you? Hate is much more interesting!

Ahh Duncan you and your circle of hate theory!!! My point is just that generally song writing is a reaction to an extreme feeling of emotion, a way of expressing those feelings in an art form, the way a painter is compelled to paint etc. and i guess these feelings can fall into a 'positive' or 'negative' category. So if you write about paranoia it comes from feelings of negativity. If you write about politics it's coming from a strong passion or belief which could be positive or negative depending on your views!! And the same goes for writing love songs, it still comes from an extreme feeling. The question here though is whether it's easier to write positively or negatively and I think as humans it's inherently easier for us to be negative then to be positive. It's easier to be cynical then to be optimistic. I don't know why, maybe it's in our brain chemistry. Maybe it's a safty thing so we don't all go around like happy spas? Wanna throw out a theory here? Binokular: 'Sound and Vision' is a fantastic song. Have you ever heard The Sea and Cake's cover version, it's good. Apparantly though Bowie wrote that song while holed up in his room emerging from a drug haze and finding himself a bit disorientated and overwhelmed, so while the lyrics are quite abstract they're no longer meaningless when put in that context.

ya duncan thats what i was trying to say but you know what im like when it comes to me trying to put things into words.Duncan what clash are you talking about cause the clash i know talk about love in there songs p.s. love you

Alright hillbilly, I withdraw the IQ remark I made on the other post. Just didn't really appreciate your sentiment on the other post, even though you were only having a laugh. Plus I was having a crap day in work. Sorry! Peace Q2

thats ok i am that kind of person that people take the wrong way so thank you for your last post love hillbilly xXx

you know what dromed your head is way to up your own arse sorry but you seem to like to but everthing in a catagory for f**k sake why dont you write a song and let it be if its sad its sad if its not its not and what a silly think to say about shoe gazing what the f**k is that suppose to mean get a f**king grip for gods sake. i thought you would have more sence.All i'll say is just f**king write and write if your a song writer its what your good at and keep on at it its what your good at and if someone starts putting you in to catagories f**k them yeah exactly f**k them do what feels good!

i like to write songs about spar, the GAA, the credit union, gettin the hole raped off ya in prison cos u were wrongly sent there for murdering your wife and some golfer that she was riding at the time, the irish famine and its effect on colin farrell, selfish drug abuse, my friends and how important they are, my failed love life......the more thought u put into songs the less interesting they will end up...positive or negative..who gives a f**k...just let it happen.

Here here!But no one here is a song writer well hope no one here is vain enough to say they are!But what would i know i cant even write an also i dont know what its like to have lost some thing i'ev loved so i'ev been told poor me Boo hoo hoo

Ooohhhh wrong sides of the bed all over the shop wha? First of all Q2 actually started this thread with a question about what we thought was easier writing positive or negative songs and in the spirit of conversation I gave my opinion - if that means I have my head up my hole then that's grand, it can stay there cosmic. My point about shoe gazing was in reference to an earlier point about songs that are 'light hearted' and songs that are more 'serious' - the point was that sometimes it's good to have nonsensical lyrics, upbeat melodies and irreverant notions to blow away the 'ole cobwebs, I'm not always in the mood to listen to something dark and serious and 'meaningful' - my attitude to 'shoe gazing' bands that upset you so much, is my own opinion and I'm not really bothered if you agree with me or not - Is my head up my hole cos I don't like 'shoe-gazing' bands or just cos i have an opinion on them?

Hillbilly why is some one vain if they call themselves a song writer? And the reason why I'd said it would seem like you'd never lost anything important to you was because I would have thought that if you had you'd have had a bit more sensitivity on the subject then calling people that were being nice a pack of lick arse c**ts. Boo hoo hoo indeed.

Dromed, have you got a bullseye painted on your forehead? Q2

all songwriters are wasting their time...some people may be good at it, they might make a few bob, they might even get their if somebody of the oppsite sex or same sex likes their song but at the end of the day nobody will ever write a song that will better WILLIE THE WILD ONE BY WILLIAM THE WILD ONE. some day willie is gonna arrive on this site and sort every f**king one of us out, hes gonna rob our gaffs, our birds, our wallets, our motorcycles, our cars, hes gonna hurt the ones we love and in a lot of cases hes gonna cut us up......and there is nothing none of us can do about it 'the angels are my buddies the girls they dig my style my hair is long and purple maybe thats why im wild' dig those f**king lyrics

Oh Willie the Wild One....you are dangerous....there's no doubt about it, I heard you eat Kerry GAA players for breakfast. I also hear you've been riding the hole off Ann Doyle the newsreader, please tell me it isn't so because I fancy the hole off her.....??