Mining Your Stuff
Turning Life into Song
My publisher once kindly set up a co-write with one of Nashville’s top lyricists, someone I was very much looking forward to writing up with. As soon as we got sat down in the writing room at the offices of my publisher, he said,
“hey, Simon, I was just mining my stuff and came out with this… what do you think?”
It was a fantastic song idea, and we went on to co-write it together. At the end of the co-write, I asked whether he often mines his stuff before co-writing. And he said this is precisely what he does when preparing for co-writing.
So, what does mining your stuff really mean?
What is Mining Your Stuff?
Mining your stuff is simply turning life into song.
Turning life into song.
It's the art of taking those raw, powerful moments from your life and shaping them into songs that resonate. By using our personal experiences, we bring authenticity and emotional depth to our songs.
Here are a few suggestions for mining your stuff in your own songwriting:
Hanging Their Own Stuff
The Power of Authenticity
Finding the Universal in the Personal
Transforming Memories into Song
Using Sensory Details to Bring Your Story to Life
Mining for Emotional Gold
Turning Your Journey into a Song
Keep reading!
Hanging Their Own Stuff
One of my co-writers once said that listeners need to hang their own stuff on your lyrics. What he meant by this is that lyrics should let listeners connect their own memories and feelings to them. This way, the writer's words become a hook that listeners can connect their personal stuff to. So, friends, mine away.
The Power of Authenticity
When we write from a place of personal experience, it shines through. Songs that are rooted in real life have a raw honesty and vulnerability that listeners can relate to. See more here. Songwriters are encouraged to share their stories through their unique artistic voices and write the best songs they can in their genre.
Finding the Universal in the Personal
The most compelling songs take a specific personal experience and make it resonate with a broader audience. The songwriter's challenge is to turn the specifics of their lives into something everyone can relate to. By tapping into universal themes, like,
Love
Loss
Self-discovery and growth
Nostalgia and memory
Family and relationships
Aspiration and hope
Celebration and joy
All of these themes can create songs that feel deeply personal yet speak to a shared human experience.
Transforming Memories into Song
Memories can also be powerful fuel for songwriting. Think of those moments that made you laugh, cry, or feel a surge of emotion. These moments can be transformed into songs, bringing them back to life in a new way. Think about your most significant memories that could inspire a lyric that others can relate to.
Using Sensory Details to Bring Your Story to Life
When you write about a personal experience, try to bring it to life using sensory details. Describe what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, or felt. This will help listeners create their pictures and connect with your song. These specific details can bring back memories and feelings for your listeners. When using destination writing (see more here), songwriters are encouraged to write using their six senses: touch, taste, sight, smell, sound, and movement.
Mining for Emotional Gold
Every personal experience comes with a wealth of emotions attached to it. When you mine your experiences for song ideas, tap into those emotions. Let yourself feel them again. This will help you write lyrics that are raw, honest, and emotionally impactful. Consider how you can maintain the emotion of a memory, even if you have to remove some of the details, which I would suggest!
Turning Your Journey into a Song
Your life is a journey, a collection of experiences that have shaped who you are. Think of your songwriting as a way to share that journey with others. Write about the highs and lows, the lessons learned, and the moments that changed your perspective.
Conclusion
Mining your stuff (i.e. personal experiences) is a powerful tool for songwriters looking to create authentic and emotionally resonant lyrics, especially when you are co-writing. By tapping into your own life story and sharing it with the world, you can write songs that connect with listeners.
Here’s the thing: when you get into the writing room, you will want to offer your co-writer the best ideas to write in that cowrite. Whether you are writing up or writing with someone less experienced. Mining your personal experiences could often be the best way to deliver a fantastic song idea to your co-writer, something they would probably love to write.
Questions
Here are a few questions for your writing workflow:
What personal experiences have had the most significant impact on you?
What emotions are attached to those experiences?
How can you use sensory details and vivid imagery to bring those experiences to life in a song?
Hope this helps!
Simon.