tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post4573691540034612487..comments2024-03-03T18:27:35.090-05:00Comments on Star Maker Machine: Songwriting: Night Moves (Edit)boyhowdyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799915352726835586noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-8823366680923678812008-06-26T15:29:00.000-04:002008-06-26T15:29:00.000-04:00The "fragility of youth" as you say is only reinfo...The "fragility of youth" as you say is only reinforced by the refrain, thus giving the song closure. <BR/><BR/>Seger is telling a story about past experiences, and how his life has changed. This is idea is the basis for many of his songs.<BR/><BR/>To someone like myself, who grew up hearing Seger from a very young age, the refrain becomes an important piece in the structure of the song. Giving it a feel that can stand the test of time. That we change as people, and are not 19 anymore, and all we can do is look back.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-88303235083633367422008-06-25T20:14:00.000-04:002008-06-25T20:14:00.000-04:00holy crap! that's almost as good as your revision!...holy crap! that's almost as good as your revision!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-23574130276522400112008-06-25T08:37:00.000-04:002008-06-25T08:37:00.000-04:00I received a nice note from Carl at songfacts.com....I received a nice note from Carl at songfacts.com. They often get their stories directly from the songwriters. They went online in 1999. Some of their older material came from stories circulated among DJs and other radio folks. These days, they have researchers checking the accuracy of their song facts. Here is one of their readers' comments about Night Moves: <BR/><BR/>Bob Rivers (bobrivers.com) did a nice parody titled "Bowel Moves" with some lovely lyrics: "I was a little too stuffed had to lose a few pounds; Pants too tight seams bustin' out..." ... "Out there in the bathroom where the air gets heavy; Sat on a cold seat thought I was ready; Workin' on crosswords and readin' the news; Workin' on a bowel move; Tryin' to move some backed-up drive-through food; Workin' on a bowel move; And it was takin' time..."<BR/>- Steven, Sunnyvale, CAblessedmatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05498680649954840686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-51038806908509134552008-06-24T10:15:00.000-04:002008-06-24T10:15:00.000-04:00That's the spirit. Andy, you misunderstood one po...That's the spirit. Andy, you misunderstood one point. I agree that the song is a rock and roll anthem. My point was that all the way through the thunder and lighting, the song is a fun song about a childhood romance, would have hit big on the pop charts. But the best part of the song and lyrics is not the lust of that romance; it's the melancholy of the "autumn closing in" verse. With or without the last refrain, it's a classic.<BR/><BR/>Still waiting to see the Thunder Road discussion!blessedmatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05498680649954840686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-50960447085683113122008-06-23T22:33:00.000-04:002008-06-23T22:33:00.000-04:00the real question perhaps should be: why is NOBODY...the real question perhaps should be: why is NOBODY writing songs like this any more??? and that means you, KID rock...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-8522122363458821712008-06-23T21:17:00.000-04:002008-06-23T21:17:00.000-04:00...or adding arms to the Venus di Milo.First of al......or adding arms to the Venus di Milo.<BR/><BR/>First of all, suggesting the song "could have been a rock and roll anthem" with the edits presupposes it is not already an anthem. This is a false premise.<BR/><BR/>But secondly, the lyrics my good friend David criticizes are exactly what *makes* the song an anthem, rather than a sweet little pop song. Those lyrics transition the tune from a mere reminiscence of a sweet romance to a life metaphor as the singer looks into middle age with a half smile but also a bit of melancholy.<BR/><BR/>Sorry, David. You still can’t go left on the court and you’re still wrong about this tune.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-25566542987673420852008-06-23T17:36:00.000-04:002008-06-23T17:36:00.000-04:00Anonymous - our main reason for disagreeing with D...Anonymous - our main reason for disagreeing with David (we call him Sam) is that we've been disagreeing with him since we were 13 and it's turned into a hard habit to break. We also disagree with him because Night Moves is one of those rare masterpieces that should NOT be changed. The mood, music, lyrics, vocals and production of Night Moves are flawless.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps Sam's next blog will be about Mona Lisa needing shorter hair.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13670477941336194701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-46025018091709003312008-06-22T23:25:00.000-04:002008-06-22T23:25:00.000-04:00Cool... What were their reasons if I may ask?Cool... What were their reasons if I may ask?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-74760921145081666802008-06-22T23:05:00.000-04:002008-06-22T23:05:00.000-04:00Thanks Paul and thanks boyhowdy. I appreciate the...Thanks Paul and thanks boyhowdy. I appreciate the compliments. Paul has been asking me to guest blog for a few months now, but I just don't have the time to devote to it. I'll just stick to doing a couple drive-by's. I'm still a newbie on the music sites.<BR/><BR/>Anonymous, thank you for the criticism as well. Obviously, this is a classic song and it takes a lot of chutzpah for me to try to re-write it. It is only recently when I re-heard it again that I started thinking about this. I have two buddies from junior high school who I see once a year on a baseball trip. The song came up on the Ipod that we were playing over the car radio. When I told them my take, they said my comments were ridiculous and promised to blast me when this appeared. Interestingly, their thinking agreed with you on the necessity of the refrain, but for different reasons. So Andy and Mark, what do you say?blessedmatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05498680649954840686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-51961271922244301112008-06-22T22:42:00.000-04:002008-06-22T22:42:00.000-04:00Excellent analysis, but your notion that the endin...Excellent analysis, but your notion that the ending should somehow be truncated to enhance or reinforce the song's meaning is ridiculous at best. Musically, the coda serves to bring the piece to a satisfactory close that would be missing completely in your version. And lyrically, the repetition in the coda drives home the bittersweet, poignant regret the protagonist feels because the glory of the past remains forever unattainable... As such, it's a necessary component of the song and its ultimate meaning.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-74052709513899536792008-06-22T18:07:00.000-04:002008-06-22T18:07:00.000-04:00Wow. That was incredible, and thorough as all get...Wow. That was incredible, and thorough as all get-out. And the approach to the song is wonderfully convincing -- I will forever appreciate this song both more, and less, than before. (I agree with your assessment of songfacts, too...)<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the submission, Dave. Do you blog elsewhere, too?boyhowdyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09799915352726835586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708222118153457760.post-76602426503165296702008-06-22T18:05:00.000-04:002008-06-22T18:05:00.000-04:00Very nice analysis Dave. I agree with your take. ...Very nice analysis Dave. I agree with your take. But I think it's hard for 1970s commercial rockers like Seger to take the understated approach.<BR/><BR/>(FYI: Dave is a friend of mine who also submitted this <A HREF="http://www.settingthewoodsonfire.com/2008/05/guest-blogger-dave-who-you-calling-punk.html" REL="nofollow">guest post</A> at STWOF.)Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07401395043889488168noreply@blogger.com