How to Write One Song

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy really, really wants everyone to write a song, and I find it terribly endearing.

I picked up his handbook amid a COVID-era creative block, and with Jeff as my songwriting sherpa, I was eventually able to drop some baggage and make my way up. I had already known that music would pay me back for the effort, but Jeff (I think he’d want me to call him Jeff) patiently walks through directly applicable strategies such as word-laddering, stealing, and the Dadaist cut-up technique for lyric writing.

His encouraging nudge made it easier to leave self-judgment and… show more.

Unless you plan on exclusively being a cover group, you're going to have to come up with your own songs eventually. Their quality, or lack thereof, will absolutely make or break your band. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco and Uncle Tupelo fame discusses the process of writing a song from beginning to end.

The route he takes leans more philosophical than towards the nitty-gritty details of music theory. He encourages you to be less self-critical, illustrates how to draw inspiration from personal experiences, and notes the importance of infusing your everyday life with creativity. One of my own book's main characters… show more.

This is not just a book for songwriters. This is a book for anyone who has ever created – or anyone who has ever dreamed of creating – any piece of art. I don’t care if you’re a writer, actor, dancer, painter, architect, or weekend crafter, this book will inspire you to approach your art in new, creative ways. Whenever I’m feeling stuck or down on my own creative output, I return to this book to find new gems in its prose to inspire me. Tweedy’s love for what he does is contagious, but it’s his embracing of the mystery… show more.