Murphy's Laws of Songwriting

by Ralph J Murphy

Revised 2013 About the Book Achieving "hit writer" status has always been a formidable goal for any songwriter. Never more so however than in the 21st century. Catching the ear of the monumentally distracted, fragmented listener has never been more difficult. Getting their attention, inviting them in to your song and keeping them there for long enough for your song to become "their song" requires more than being just a "good" songwriter. Murphy's Laws of Songwriting "The Book" arms the songwriter for success by demystifying the process and opening the door to serious professional songwriting. Hall of fame songwriter Paul Williams said in his review of the book "If there was a hit songwriters secret handshake Da Murphy would probably have included it." About the Author Ralph Murphy, songwriter, has been successful for five decades. Consistently charting songs in an ever-changing musical environment makes him a member of that very small group of professionals who make a living ding what they love to do. Add to that the platinum records as a producer, the widely acclaimed Murphy's Laws of Songwriting articles used as part of curriculum at colleges, universities, and by songwriter organizations, his success as the publisher and co-owner of the extremely successful Picalic Group of Companies and you see a pattern of achievement based on more than luck.

Genres: Music

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

Reviews

[Steve Rutledge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to give this book 4 stars because I learned so much from it. Gowever I'm pretty sure that this is just his songwriting seminars in written form. So not a great book in that respect. again though I learned many things so I'm glad I read it.

[Af Talt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific book. I'm a novice musician, and really just play for fun, but the author lays out how to make a hit song (or at least one that your friends won't roll their eyes at!) in a simple, pragmatic, easy-to-understand way that really makes sense. I'm keeping this one in the piano room as I'm sure I'll be using it as a reference/reminder for years to come. If you can play an instrument or two, like to sing and are interested in making music that people actually want to listen to then this book is all you'll need to write songs that you can be proud of.

[Darrin Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book came highly recommended by a wonderful friend and songwriting mentor who happens to have 3 Grammy nominations, and many hugely successful songs/albums. I have read many books on songcraft and writing in general, and was surprised that I had never heard of this book. Now I can see why! While there were some very good points made in, it was a terrible chore to read.

Ironically, this book is in dire need of what separates great songs from ok songs: editing. Many sentences simply don’t make sense. Words are missing, punctuation is missing, etc. It becomes insufferable, honestly.

While I can understand that most published books will have some grammatical errors, missed typos, etc. this book is simply FULL of them. I must have put 25 question marks in the margins, wondering what the author was TRYING to say, because his point was lost in the “translation.”

It sounds like Ralph Murphy was a great guy, and by all accounts an excellent songwriter/mentor/workshop leader. He seems to have been a great resource for songwriters. Unfortunately, this book doesn’t do his legacy any justice.

[Blvck · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for song writers. 3 stars for everyone else. I wouldn’t tell anyone outside of the music industry to read this book. the irony of this book is it’s about how to write a good song but i feel like he didn’t take into account how to write a good book. 3 stars because the information in the book is priceless but i didn’t give 5 stars because this book was a chore to read. many points were overstated and became redundant. Although i’m very lenient when it comes to grammar and typos i was confused a few times reading this book. I wouldn’t give this book 4 stars because it’s only targeted to a very specific demographic.

[Hillel Familant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ralph Murphy spent his life on the front lines of the entertainment industry as both a songwriter and as a guide to songwriters. His book is laden with industry secrets from the voice of someone who was there (in the room where it happened) as well as someone who experienced a lot of success. A quick read and sprinkled with humor throughout. Thank you, Ralph.

[Rick Krenmayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watch Murphy speak at an ASCAP event. He's an authority on song writing and this book will surely changed the paradigm you live in when you write if you are trying to make your product tighter and more digestible to your listener. A must read!