For a song, music (tune) or lyrics first. share yours

[Jackcatscal]

A song written by the great lyricist for the Grateful Dead, Robert Hunter, and then set to music by Jerry Garcia. See Grateful Dead Greatest Stories Ever Told - "Black Muddy River".

 

[TerpWomenFan]

Another song that was written without an artist in mind. Dino Fekaris wrote this song because he was fired from Motown and didn't know if he'll survive after that. He wrote the song and Gloria Gaynor was the first artist he offered it to. Another important note, for the oldtimers who know about A side and B side songs, I Will Survive is probably the best B side song ever.

 

[EasyEd]

One of my electives in college was music theory. As part of the class you had to compose a song. I found it easier to write the music from existing lyrics (poem). The meter and beat of the poem helped lead to a tune. I used a standard pop chord progression and fit the tune to that. I got a B on the composition, so it's not something that anyone would really want to listen to, but it certainly simplified the process for me