Hi IrishGuy!
I've thought a lot about the topic of your question.
The Me in songs. And my post will mostly be about me coz that
is the only writing process I know about.
Personally I think after you've written, like Lou Reed
said, a hundred songs. (Started writing in my case. Ive only finished about
30 of them.) You start to adapt you own style. And you start to recognize it .
That's when the fun and the hard work begins.
Have you ever felt a chord progression you've made
is the same as a Dylan song or a Beatles or what ever artist?
Can a song be original when the chords are same as in All along the watchtower?
The answer is of course yes. It can still have a fresh melody and a new way
of phrasing it. (Just a different lyrics might give you legal problems.
)
I, as good as always, start with a melody. Then words. Then chords.
Sometimes the other way around but that's an exception to the rule.
If the melody sounds like something new I go with it. I then finish the song
in about 2 weeks and play it to some friends. They usually say it reminds them
of something. Once Beatles and Nirvana. That's OK for me. If I'm told, usually by
my sister, it's just like 'That Song' I redo if I think the lyrics are good enough.
Back to the topic.
Originality is a blend of both obscure and familiar. We don't work inside bubbles,
we work in a world full of others doing the same thing. Influence is a fact.
As a songwriter you probably know countless of songs. The more you've heard a
song the more you are familiar with it's melody and chord progressions. And since
most of us strive for beauty or at least ascetic 'perfection' I guess we implement
what we like. There by repeating what works for us musically.
You are not alone in you search for originality, quiet the opposite. And the only way
to fight is to write. And learn.
Best regards,
- Martin