By Keith Alan Johnson
05-21-2000

          I listen to the radio at work. I like to listen to "the music of the 80's and today" as the jingle goes. As I listened to the words of a particular song I got to thinking about poetry. These musicians are our poets of today. They give us humor, love, tragedy, and angst. They are poignant, timely, messianic and absurd. Some are crystal clear in what they say and others, as Weird Al pointed out, "garble marble moff".
          The words to a song tell a story, just like the words you are reading now. Most of them have something to say, and if you listen long enough you can find one that really strikes home to your current moment in life. I've quoted Sting here with his "Message in a Bottle". Journey had significance to a friend of mine with their song "Street Lights", a song about hanging on to your dreams no matter how tough things get.
          I find inspiration in music. When I write I usually have music playing in the background. A particular song may put me into the mood I need to create a somber story or a hysterical scene. Words in a song, or a single phrase, may inspire an entire plot. One summer I spent almost all of my free time writing a story. I nearly killed a particular CD by playing it over and over. One of my neighbors offered to buy me another CD, thinking that it was the only one I had.
          I didn't do much in the way of creative writing as a child. I didn't bother with the words to music either. Perhaps there is a connection there. I was an odd kid back in the 60's and 70's. I just wanted to hear the music. I certainly didn't want to write. My spelling was so bad I would invariably get poor grades. I related words to failure. That caused problems. And when it came time to try to find some of the old music I loved so much I had no idea what I was looking for. I didn't know what the name of the song was. I couldn't even remember who wrote it. Of course I didn't know the words. I'd walk into a music store and ask, "Do you know who wrote the song, I don't remember the title, but it goes da dee dum da dum humm?" As far as writing was concerned, I had no desire for it. I wouldn't really even consider creative writing because of the struggle I had in school.
          Yet that one summer, with that one CD playing in the background, I sparked a fire that hasn't quit. Now I listen closely to the words. I analyze them as someone would analyze poetry. Even now I have music playing…
          …and I have a problem. My audio file is rather extensive. Most of it I assembled in the 80's, back when words were less significant to me. Most of my music, the music that I turn to for inspiration, is music without words. And often, when I stare at a blank screen searching for words, I can't find them until I turn the music off.