FOREWORD

I will be brief and not delay with a long introduction, for there is too much good instruction ahead, and there are too many good songs to be written. I know of no other book like this one. One need only follow these tenets and discipline oneself to the task and the songs will come. It is a priceless map through the minefields of cliché, boredom, and laziness that often destroy even the best efforts. Sometimes, I think that Writing Better Lyrics is an unfair advantage, a secret weapon of sorts, and yet it is here for any and all who aspire to write and write better. I count myself lucky and proud to have studied with Mr. Pattison. I would not be the writer I am today without his teaching and his unique and comprehensive understanding of language, rhyme, rhythm, and structure. To this day, when I struggle with a lyric and find myself falling short, I am usually ignoring some very sound advice contained in these pages. And I read it again.

Gillian Welch

Nashville, Tennessee

April 2009