I have written songs since I was eleven or twelve years of age. One of my very first songs was about a little girl's death in California as a result of falling into an abandoned well.  I wrote the song in early 1949 soon after the tragedy.

 I will say more about this song in another review I am writing about the subject of protecting one's rights in the music business.  I wrote numerous songs during my early years about various subjects and many of these songs have since been lost or forgotten.  The problem with writing songs is that many get lost in the shuffling over the years.

 I even wrote a song about Captain Carlson of the ship "Flying Enterprise" that sank over fifty years ago.  At  a young age, I was inspired to tell stories in song.  I have always felt that to write a good song....there has to be a good story and one that has broad appeal to a broad audience!

 Many years later I would write songs about drinking, love, bigotry, shipwrecks, civil war battles and numerous other subjects.  The civil war song "Battle of Antietam" and the song about the ill-fated Edmund Fitzgerald were songs I wrote in the mid-70's.  "Twenty-Nine More Men", the song about the Edmund Fitzgerald,  has received a significant amount of attention over the past 30 plus years.  The lyrics to this song now appear in the prologue of a book released December 2006. The author, Elle Andra-Warner, is from Thunder Bay, Canada and the title of the book is "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".

I have been asked many times over the years why I love to write songs!   Having given much thought to the questions, I decided that I would share some of my personal views about the subject of songwriting.   Following are some of my views and I hope that I can, in some way, help others who are currently writing songs or wish to become involved in writing.  Please understand that there are many different approaches to take when writing a song and I am merely providing my personal views about the subject.  What are some of my views?

A song is a mini-movie wrapped in a blanket of music that enables the story to be told effectively.  An effective story is one that involves the listener in the story-line as a direct participant.  The accompanying music helps to set the mood for the subject matter. Feelings and emotions of the listener are triggered!  When a song is interesting and is captivating by its musical presentation of the subject at hand, the writer has succeeded in generating interest and therefore a product that can have some measure of success is born.  What constitutes good songs?  What makes a song successful? 

A successful song is one that continues to capture interest on the part of the listener no matter how old the song might be.  The successful song has longevity!  An example of what I mean is found in the fact that everyday in current commercials of all kinds, songs or parts of songs that were written many many years ago can be heard.  A successful song hangs around and can be of interest to listeners across all age lines.  Time does not diminish  the song's appeal to the listener.  Following are some examples of how time does not matter when it comes to a good song.

 "The Sunny Side of Life" written and performed by the Carter family many years ago is currently used in a television commercial!  A song performed by Hank Snow and later, Johnny Cash, can be heard in commercials advertising a motel chain.  I hear many modern day artists singing Hank Williams Sr. songs and  Harlan Howard's songs are still being perfomed by new and emerging artists.  I still sing "Blue Berry Hill" originally performed by Fats Domino!  What makes these songs hang on?  The answer is simply this....they capture the listener with a story and an appropriate musical presentation!  No songwriter has been as successful as has been Hank Williams Sr!  Why?  This question is a subject of a book that I am writing!

  I love songs that take me back to good times and places.  "Over the Rainbow" gets to me as does "It's a Wondeful World" performed by Louie Armstrong.  Many of the songs of the 60's have a special place in my heart. The song "A Dog Named Boo" still floats in my mind as does "City of New Orleans".  I love the song "Mr. Bojangles"!  Many of the songs written or sung  by Bob Dylan still float through my memories!  Believe it or not, Bob Dylan is a master songwriter in my opinion.  Bob can tell a story and can tell  it well!  The bottomline is this....good songs continue to live on past the times they were written.  Many of Hank Williams Sr. songs continue to remain in my heart and I still sing many of them in my performances.  Do you want to write good songs.....listen to good songs! 

In conclusion, if you are an aspiring songwriter and want to package your talents in a song, you can ask yourself these questions.  Does my song tell a story that can be visualized by a listener?  Does my song capture interest from the start?  Does my song have a "hook" that grabs and hangs on?  Is the music appropriate for the mood and the subject of the song?  Is the song simple in form and is the story told in three minutes or so?  If your answers are yes to these questions......keep writing your songs.....maybe one day your song will be listened to by listeners that come way after you are gone!  Hank Williams, Sr. and a multitude of other songwriters will continue to live in the hearts and minds of all those who love great songs! 

 If you are a songwriter and would like additional information or help with a project, feel free to contact me at Charlie Frederick Music Enterprises.  I will be glad to help you move along with your music efforts. Having written hundreds of songs over these many years, I believe I can help you in many ways as you become more involved in the music business.

Contact me if you need some help!

Charlie Frederick Music Enterprises