“Well, it’s a little like trying to hit a bottle cap with a wire coat hanger. Every day a songwriter rows out into the deep waters in search of his own personal Loch Ness monster. (Just a matter of time, we insist.) Being a weary subscriber to the old inspiration-perspiration theory, I must say that minus the former, you’ll hit a sweaty dead end every time, yet without this purging of what I call “brain vomit,” you’ll never drain the 99 pieces of hooey before one of pure inspiration writes itself for you.

Many a songwriter, when asked how it’s done, will underestimate the talent he was born with and blow his skill for brandishing it out of proportion. My talent (if that’s what we call it) is never, ever doubting goose bumps.“

Paul Westerberg (The Replacements) forsøger under rubriken “Simple or impossible” at forklare noget om sangskrivningens kunst. Det sker i New York Times – og det er ikke så ligetil, som man måske kunne tro.

[Foto: lånt fra last.fm]

Replacements Tim