Songs of Inspiration Part 2
PHOTO : JODI DUNLOP
WRITING
Stefanie Blondal Johnson is a singer-songwriter and frontwoman of the Canadian garage pop band Mise en Scene . She works as a visual artist and consultant based in Gimli , MB . www . miseensceneband . com .
By Stefanie Blondal Johnson
Songs of Inspiration Part 2
Picking up from where we left off in part one , here are more songs that , through their honesty , poetry , and emotional complexity , have inspired my songwriting .
I truly believe that you can only write about what you know , and the artistry lies in how you describe those emotions through your songs . The following songs have taught me this honesty , sincerity , and truth , all aspects I value so much in songwriting .
Fleetwood Mac – “ Songbird ”
“ And I wish you all the love in the world , But most of all , I wish it from myself ”
This song is the wish we all have in our hearts for the ones we love . It is everything we want to say ; it is everything we feel . It is why love is the most beautiful gift of life . This song was recorded on a grand piano as one live take , which I feel is imperative to our understanding and reception of it . The live performance illuminates the honesty of Christine McVie ’ s lyrics , and the piano and voice are entangled together in their emotion and performance . The vulnerability , the honesty , and the pain are all aspects that encompass love ’ s journey . I remember seeing an interview where Christine said she didn ’ t want to play “ Songbird ” because she didn ’ t want to cry anymore . That almost brought me to tears , knowing that it must have come from such a tender place in her heart , a place of hurt , a place of vulnerability . I think having the courage to write a song knowing that it will expose your pain is what separates the greats from the giants . This song continually reminds me to be courageous in love and in my music .
Simon & Garfunkel – “ Homeward Bound ”
“ Tonight I ’ ll sing my songs again , I ’ ll play the game and pretend . But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity Like emptiness in harmony I need someone to comfort me .”
I have always known this song , but I never understood it so clearly as when I started touring in Mise en Scene . When you ’ re touring , you miss home like a child at his first sleepover . Nothing compares to your bed , your music , your space . Home is where my “ love lies waiting silently for me .” I find comfort in this song because I understand that it is the nature of what we do as travelling musicians who tour around the world . It ’ s the part of the job that turns you into a vagabond , for better or for worse .
Jackson Browne – “ The Road ”
“ Phone calls long distance To tell how you ’ ve been Forget about the losses , you exaggerate the wins ”
Like “ Homeward Bound ,” this one holds a special place in my heart and is just as honest about what life is like on the road . It isn ’ t as glamorous as you might expect it to be . These two songs have helped me accept some of these undesirable aspects of being a musician .
Annie Lennox – “ Why ”
“ I may be mad I may be blind I may be viciously unkind But I can still read what you ’ re thinking ”
I often get myself into trouble because I don ’ t know how to keep my big mouth shut with the people closest to me . I ’ m very strong-minded and very passionate , and this song holds up the mirror to some of the undesirable parts of who I can be . But this song also makes me feel human . We are not perfect . Sometimes I shoot myself in the foot , I fight for the wrong things , my heart gets ahead of my head ... This song reminds me to be honest with myself . I also feel that this song helps me realize that I ’ m not always honest with those around me as I don ’ t let them know how I feel and what I fear , because that puts me in a vulnerable place . When I sing this song in the car , I ’ m singing the words to myself . We all need those songs to keep our perspective .
David Bowie – “ Heroes ”
“ I , I can remember Standing , by the wall And the guns , shot above our heads And we kissed , as though nothing could fall ”
Love makes us want to be heroes . To love and be loved is the greatest thing we will ever learn and the greatest thing we will ever learn to fight for . I admire how Bowie wrote this love song , entangled with the social political climate of Berlin and the Berlin wall . I find it hard to bring in political content in songs without being too literal but Bowie has always had an incredible ability to do just that , “ Five Years ” being another huge favourite of mine . I ’ m constantly inspired by his ability to keep his words universal , even when he is speaking specifically . I also admire his ability to appear metaphorical when he is speaking literally and vice versa . Words are tools , and it is about how you phrase them in context to one another that can create both the individual and collective experience within a song .
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