# American Songwriters



## oogabooha (Nov 22, 2011)

I wouldn't necessarily consider this classical (moreso the arrangements and how it all comes to fruition), but there is no doubt that the practice of songwriting in popular music is something that has come to define a large portion of distinctly American music. It characterized itself through artists like Irving Berlin and Gershwin, but still thrives strong today.

Does anybody else have an affinity for this type of music making? Have any favorites?

The other day my friend asked me which songwriter is my favorite because I talk about how Berlin and Stephin Merritt (of The Magnetic Fields) have contributed large parts to the history of American music. I ended up going with Merritt; I like Berlin's music, but Merritt's songwriting is a lot more powerful and sincere. I'm pretty sure this has to do with the fact that he wasn't necessarily writing to impress an audience or label of some part.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

A few favourites:

1926 Someone to watch over me (George and Ira Gershwin)
1930 But not for me (George and Ira Gershwin)
1930 Georgia on my mind (Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell)
1931 As time goes by (Herman Hupfeld)
1933 Boulevard of broken dreams (Harry Warren and Al Dubin)
1933 Smoke gets in your eyes (Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach)
1935 I'm in the mood for love (Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields)
1935 It's easy to remember [and so hard to forget] (Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart)
1937 Where or when (Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart)
1938 Love is here to stay (George and Ira Gershwin)
1938 September song (Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson)
1940 Bewitched, bothered and bewildered (Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart)
1940 Polka dots and moonbeams (Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke)
1943 One for my baby [and one more for the road] (Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer)
1943 Speak low (Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash)


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## Zauberberg (Feb 21, 2012)

Jackson C. Frank. Read his bio on wikipedia, what an unlucky man...


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## farmerjohn (Jan 24, 2013)

Musically it's primitive compared to Gershwin, Cole Porter and the Tin Pan Alley Crowd, but the rawness and starkness of Hank Williams' music is incredibly powerful.

The song titles alone tell the story:

My Son Calls Another Man Daddy
I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
'Neath A Cold Grey Tomb Of Stone
Six More Miles To The Graveyard
Weary Blues From Waitin'
Pictures From Life's Other Side
I'm So Tired Of It All
The Funeral
Take These Chains From My Heart And Set Me Free

Hank is not known as the "king of the pain songs" for nothing!

Hank demonstrates that the simplest things are often the most moving... stripped of all artifice, this music is harrowing and yet beautiful.

Hank also recorded under the pseudonum "Luke The Drifter" and these pieces feature fascinating narrations, which Hank delivers masterfully.

Luke The Drifter pieces include "The Funeral", "Men With Broken Hearts" and "Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw".

It can take a bit of getting used to listening to Hank's music as the backing group he used now sounds dated, but, if you try to put that to the back of your mind and concentrate on the songs you will be rewarded because they are stunning.

Williams didn't technically speaking have the greatest voice in the world, but he sings with such conviction and there is a world weary quality to the voice which is so moving that it more than compensates.



> I've tried and tried to run and hide
> To find a life that's new
> No matter where I go, I always know
> I can't escape from you
> ...


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Bob Dylan


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Three of my favourite US songwriters were also brilliant commentators on 20th century life: Randy Newman (foibles, neuroses) Tom Waits (twisted Americana, urban lowlife) and Lou Reed (squalor, decadence).


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Frank Zappa - sarcasm (goes without saying), Ronald Regan, sex, general twistedness and green genes.

Interestingly (or not depending or your viewpoint), Greengenes is also now a web application providing access to the current and comprehensive 16S rRNA gene sequence alignment for browsing, if Zappa only knew.......


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