Unfortunately, it’s not as lurid as it sounds. But for this suburban white-boy copywriter, it was pretty exciting nonetheless.

Here’s the short version (just for @warcom!):

1. I’d been struggling all afternoon with the home page copy for a business coaching firm. After two hours, my page was still blank.
2. Eventually, I grabbed the iPod and went for a run.
3. 1km in, Missy Elliot’s ‘Gossip Folks’ rolled its own red carpet down my auditory nerve.
4. Within three minutes, I had my opening sentence, two variations and a shortlist of headlines.

Now I know this ain’t profound. Every copywriter knows exactly what I’m talking about. So I’m not gonna go on about the power of music, and the blurring of media boundaries, etc. This post is more about Missy Elliot’s implicit message, and how it’s very relevant to copywriters. Especially those with writer’s block.

What’s so special about Missy Elliot?

From what I understand of rap and hip-hop, Missy Elliot’s somewhat of a trail-blazer. Rapper, choreographer and writer, she does it all her way – big hips ‘n all.

And listening to her music, that always comes through for me. I’m not sure if it’s ‘coz I know that’s who she is, or because her music announces it, but either way it works. It’s not necessarily her words (although she does sometimes celebrate her hips!), it’s more her like-it-or-lump-it style. She seems not to over-think it; she just does it, knowing she’s good.

Incidentally, guest-rapper on ‘Gossip Folks’, Ludacris, imparts the same message (his explicitly). Of himself, he says:

“Knowing he could rap
No one lift a hand
So he went about his business and devised a plan
Made a CD, then he hit the block
50 thousand sold
Seven dollars a pop…”

So how does this relate to copywriting?

How does this relate to copywriting? Well, it’s gonna sound a little contrived, but my best writing just… kinda… happens. I simply open myself to it, and it flows through the keys. (If you’ve ever played a sport and enjoyed a day when you had your eye in, or you were just inexplicably in-form, you know the feeling.)

But to allow this process to happen, you have to have supreme confidence in yourself. You have to take the leap of faith that what you’re ‘channelling’ is the right stuff – at least for the first draft. If you over-think it, you’re shot.

Don’t get me wrong. This afternoon when I encountered the dreaded writer’s block, I didn’t for a second doubt myself. But I did start writing from a different place. I was tense and stressed, and was THINKING about what to write – trying to push it out – instead of just FEELING it and letting it flow. I kept revisiting the brief, analysing the readers’ needs and memorizing my client’s objectives.

Missy and Ludacris (and their compelling beats and rhythms) reminded me to trust myself and let my instincts do the work.

Know the rules of copywriting, but…

Of course, I’m not saying you can get away without knowing your market, your subject matter and the ‘rules’ of copywriting. To the contrary; these things are part of the foundation of your copywriting instinct. But just as you don’t give a moment’s thought to the foundations of your house when you’re painting your walls, nor should you pay the rules of copywriting much heed when you let your first draft flow.

Analysis can wait ‘til you edit. For now, just do as Missy does, and shoot from the hip! (It’s a sad pun, but oh so necessary! ;-) )

Happy copywriting.

PS. Next on the Shuffle was AC/DC’s ‘Hells Bells’. What IT taught me is, as they say, ‘a whole nother story’!

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Bring on the songwriting discussion!

A while back, I discussed how effectively the lyrics of Cold Chisel’s ‘Bow River’ captivate the band’s target audience. And how we copywriters could learn a thing or two from Ian Moss. Today, I’d like your opinions.

What songs boast lyrics that really resonate? And why? Comment away, and feel free to wax lyrical. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

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A couple of years back, someone sent me this gem, previously published in an issue of Vertigo, the much-loved student magazine of the University of Technology, Sydney. Penned by editor, Pat Armstrong, this very funny piece deconstructs MC Hammer’s 90s ‘classic’, You Can’t Touch This. It also provides a disturbing insight into the deeply troubled minds of today’s young writers! Be warned, I’ve been told this is only funny to writers!

MC Hammer is:

• A super dope homeboy:
• From the Oaktown.
• Dope on the floor; and
• Magic on the mic.

Busting:

• The funky lyrics;
• Fresh new kicks; and
• Fresh new pants.

Events for which the bell is sounded:

• School being in (sucka).

Things which can’t be stopped:

• Hammer time (concept is unclear – some explanation needed).

Things which can’t be touched:

• This.

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So I’m gonna talk about the lyrics of perhaps Australia’s greatest pub rock band, Cold Chisel.

Anyone who’s heard Jimmy Barnes sing/scream might instantly ask, “what’s that got to do with copywriting?” Many would also ask, “why discuss the lyrics of a screaming pub-rock band?”

My answer? Cold Chisel’s songwriters – particularly Don Walker and Ian Moss – were excellent writers; I wish I were half as good!

The very fact that you might question my choice shows how good they are; Cold Chisel enjoy the status of one of Australia’s greatest ever pub rock bands, but most people – even fans – overlook the quality of their lyrics. That’s because the lyrics do their job so well. They’re elegant without being pretentious, and evocative without being ‘soft’. They meet the needs of their audience perfectly. (And isn’t that what every writer aspires to?)

Take, for example, “Bow River” (the song that inspired me to write about Cold Chisel today). Penned by Ian Moss, Bow River celebrates an escape to the Australian desert and the northern tropics.

But what’s important about this song isn’t so much the destination – although many Australians do identify with the Australian outback; it’s the way in which Moss strikes a chord with the Australian working class. He successfully combines youthful romanticism, profanity, escapism, contempt for authority, slang, and visual, aural and tactile imagery. The result is an elegant piece of writing that captivates its target working class audience, yet still lends itself to fast-paced, raucous vocals and a hard rock arrangement.

Take a look at the lyrics below (quoted from the Cold Chisel website). Of course, as with all good song lyrics, you have to hear them in context to fully appreciate their inherent meter and timing, so whether it’s your first time or – like me – you’re revisiting after a long absence, it’s well worth a listen…

Bow River
Ian Moss

Listen now to the wind babe
Listen now to the rain
Feel that water lickin’ at my feet again
I don’t wanna see this town no more
Wastin’ my days on a factory floor
First thing you know I’ll be back in Bow River again

Anytime you want babe, you can come around
But only six days separates me and the great top end
I been working hard, twelve hours a day
And the money I saved won’t buy my youth again
Goin’ for the heat babe, and a tropical rain
In a place where no man’s puttin’ on the dog for me
Waitin’ on the weekend, set o’ brand new tyres
And back in Bow River’s just where I want to be

Listen now to the wind babe
Listen now to the rain
Feel that water lickin’ at my feet again
I don’t wanna see this town no more
Too many years made up my mind to go or stay
Right to my dying day
I don’t wanna see another engine line
Too many years and I owe my mind
First set o’ wheels headin’ back Bow River again
First thing you know I’ll be back in Bow River again

Got the motor runnin’, got the rest of my days
Sold everything I owned for a song
So anytime you want babe, you can come around
But don’t leave it too late you just might find me gone

Listen now to the wind babe . . .

I don’t need the score
I’m goin’ through the door
Gonna tell the man I don’t want no more
Pick up a fast car and burn my name in the road
One week two week maybe even more
Piss all my money up against the damn wall
First thing you know I’ll be back in Bow River again

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