One thing I love about songwriting is that everyone has their own perspective.
It’s the Anaïs Nin quote: “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” A tree isn’t just a tree. It’s your relationship to it. You might see an old birch along the boulevard, and someone else sees a tree they used to climb.
When it comes to our mothers, the same applies.
I don’t know your relationship with your mother. It could be good, bad, complicated. It could be that you never knew her. Perhaps someone stepped in and raised you. That’s why I’m curious where your mind will take you with this songwriting prompt.
Begin the song with this line:
My mother is/was someone who…
From there, go in any direction.
My guess is, as soon as you read that line, you felt or envisioned something immediately. You had a thought or idea. I’d encourage you to follow whatever it was. Don’t overthink it.
The tone can be whatever you decide–reflective and heartfelt, upbeat and humorous; whatever you want.
The last caveat is, if you write using an instrument, the chords can only be G, C, and D. In any order, but you can only use those chords.
To recap, here are the rules:
- Your song must start with the line: “My mother is/was someone who.”
- Only use the chords G, C, and D.
Ok, good luck! When you finish, feel free to send it to me. I’d love to hear it.
Love,
Aaron