Singer/Songwriters: A dying breed.

Music Today is often sung by people who did not write the song themselves. Many artists like Ed Sheehan and Taylor Swift write songs for other artists to sing. Ed and Taylor are some of the few musicians today that still write all of the songs they sing. A time in which artists mostly relied on writing their own songs was the 60’s and 70’s. From these time periods came iconic song writers like Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, and the members of The Beatles.

Jim Croce was a great song writer. He was most popular for writing songs that told a story. Some of his most famous songs are “Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown” and “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”. Both of these songs tell a story of a man who is very feared among people of the town. In “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”, Croce sings the story of a man rematching a fight so he could win his money back. In the end the man beats Jim and becomes the new face to be afraid of. The way Croce writes and sings his songs makes you feel like you were part of the story. He describes things so vividly that you feel as though you were there.

Other artists that were known for their song writing and singing skills are Cat Stevens and The Beatles. Of the Beatles, John Lennon was most known for his songwriting skills. John was particularly known for the lyrics he wrote. In one of The Beatles most popular songs, John Wrote “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done. Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung.” These are the lyrics of the song “All You Need Is Love”. John Lennon was not just a songwriter, he was a poet. His songs consisted of a beautiful choice of words that flow off the tongue like a poem, often including rhymes. Likewise, Cat Stevens also often wrote songs with a poetic rhythm.

These Singer/Songwriters are iconic musicians. They are not only icons in their talent of singing, but though their excellent song writing as well. It is almost rare for musicians today to write all of the songs that they sing. When you do listen to a singer/songwriters song, remember to always listen to it twice. One time to hear the music and another time to hear the words.