Songwriting: Failure

“Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way.” – JK Rowling

Failure is a word I’ve come to love. It’s filled with humility, possibility, authenticity and—years later—sometimes even joy. 

When reflecting on this quote, I had an idea to create on an instrument that I had never used before; an activity fraught with failure. But well that idea, failed. Then, I tried creating in the evening, thinking the muse of failure might visit me then (my morning habit is morning creation). But, I failed to create something I enjoyed. Then one morning I wrote up and sang a verse and chorus about a grandmother, acceptance, advice, and the idea that it is failure that leads us to eternity. 

This song has had many micro failures. I wrote a totally different second verse, but the story wasn’t right; so I changed it. I wrote a different chorus, but it was too complicated; so I changed it.

One more note on my artistic process. I kept feeling the best way to experience this song was listening to it outside, on a porch. Since I live in a city, not on a farm like the story, you’ll get the ever present sounds of New York City in the back ground. But, that makes the song live and breath in this city that teaches its inhabitants about failure everyday. 

I hope you enjoy hearing the song as much as I enjoyed creating it.