If I Had to Do It Over: Reflections of A Pro Songwriter
Looking back there are a few things I wish I had done differently.
Each day we try to do something to help another not make the same mistakes we made when we were coming up through the ranks, hoping someday people could turn on the radio and sing along to a song we wrote. It personally took me until I was 40 years old to hear that 3:50 of magic on the radio of my car! Forty years to stop at a red light, roll down my window, and tell the person in the car beside me: “Hear that? I wrote it~” Of course, they thought I was crazy!!!
It’s not easy to admit some of these, but here goes:
1) I wish I had not listened for so long to the voices that said, “Don’t chase that crazy dream.”
The voices were people close to me, and often, my own voice. I sometimes still can hear that voice in the back of my head. Now, I’m better at not listening.
2) I wish I hadn’t worked so hard. I will be the first to say it takes hard work to succeed at anything at a high level.
But, it didn’t have to be so hard all the time. I could have laughed more, not taken everything so seriously as I did starting out. Therefore, I could have enjoyed the people around me a little more and told them more often that I appreciated them.
3) I wish I had the courage to express my real feelings more when I started out.
To not shy away from writing the hard personal songs. Later, I found out what great therapy it was!
4) I wish I had stayed in touch more with old friends.
Music took me to New York, and then, to Nashville. That made it hard to maintain those relationships from my high school. The people who helped shape who I am and serve often as character templates in my songs.
5) I wish I had let myself be happier.
I kept telling myself for years I’d be happier when I could make my living writing songs. But, I’ll never forget the week I had my first hit on radio… one of my co-writers was grinning ear to ear and slapping me on the back. I simply said, “Man, we can’t rest on one song… We gotta keep working hard.” What????????? Well, I won’t make that mistake ever again! When I’m blessed with any success big or small, I allow myself to celebrate.
Peace, Clay
Sourced from Clay’s SongTown.com website.
