The Songwriter's Handbook

by Tom T. Hall

"I remember when I first got to Nashville," says Tom T. Hall. "I would have like to have had a book like this. It would have saved me a lot of time finding answers to questions." To help other songwriters, Tom T. Hall has put the answers in this book. "Songwriting is as much a craft as it is a talent," he says. "In order to write songs, you have to be able to recognize what a song is. You have to recognize the importance of something that is entertaining, and you have to say what you want to say very briefly." In this down-to-earth handbook, the Storyteller teaches the secrets of becoming a successful songwriter. Among the important topics treated The Songwriter's Handbook also includes stories of how he wrote some of his own hits, such as "I Flew Over Our House Last Night," "Ravishing Ruby," "I See," and "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine." He analyzes the songs, showing how he uses his own rules for successful songwriting. Included in the book are words and music to many of Tom T. Hall's most successful songs along with personal photos. An earlier version of The Songwriter's Handbook was published as How I Write Songs; Why You Can

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Writing

164 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1987

Reviews

[Jeremy Hornik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slight. Kinda basic. Well meaning and good advice, I’m sure, but… his songs are tons better than the book is.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only after listening to Tyler Mahan Coe's outstanding podcast, Cocaine and Rhinestones, did I learn that there was more to Tom T. Hall than his corny song "I Love" (the one about "little baby ducks, old pick-up trucks" etc.), and one of the things I learned was that he had a serious literary streak. In addition to churning out bushels of country songs, he wrote a couple of books on songwriting as well as several stories and novels. I wanted get get my hands on some of his fiction, but having had trouble finding any available, I ordered The Songwriter's Handbook.
Well written, lively, and friendly in tone, The Songwriter's Handbook is full of sound advice and amusing anecdotes.
Quite informative and entertaining.

[Jessie Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little old fashioned in some respects but interesting and enjoyable. A quick read. I read it on Jason Isbell’s recommendation, after I heard him talk about giving away copies in Runnjng with Our Eyes Closed.

[Greg Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s all well and good - basic intro to songwriting, Nashville and some choice words in the scene. That being said, the book felt dated with lots of mentions of tape recorders and electric type writers… maybe get it from a library or second hand store don’t buy it new

[David Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from the library and at first, I thought "Who is Tom T.Hall?" The name sounded familiar but I couldn't place it. Maybe from a Chevy commercial. I read it anyway and was impressed with the wealth of knowledge in this book. Tom has had several #1 hit songs on the country charts including "Harper Valley PTA." I wasn't familiar with the others. Not a big country music fan, but I recognize the benefits of learning from all musical styles. Tom covers a lot in a short time with a common sense approach to songwriting. He breaks down writing styles, how to write, what to write, and how to make each line in a song really count. There is a good section on meter and rhyme and examples from some of the songs that he has written. He talks about the Nashville music scene and how to get started as a songwriter. The book ends with several examples of his writing style and the lyrics and music to several of his hit songs. This book is old and still contains relevant material. It just goes to show that experience and hard work can reward a person with a solid foundation on songwriting that can earn you a living for many years. Whatever style of songs you write, read this with an open mind and even metalheads, punk rockers, and indie musicians can get some great tips and write better songs.

[Brian Johannesen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is basically garbage. If you have never tried to write a song or listened to a song or if you literally need the definition of what a song is explained to you like you're a 4 year old, or if you are a 4 year old, you will probably love this book. I picked it up because I have been writing for a while and am interested in people's processes and how they write. I also was having some writer's block and looked for inspiration. The good news is, I got the inspiration. I am currently writing songs that explicitly break Tom T Hall's ridiculous rules of songwriting.

Okay I'll pump the breaks for a second and be fair here. This book is written for people interested in being career songwriters, writing hit songs for other people to record and reaping the benefits. For "machine" writers if you will. He does a good job of explaining how the songwriting business works (thus the two stars instead of one). He tells some mildly entertaining stories. He talks about how he wrote some of his hits. About 1/4 of the book is interesting (and it's a pretty short book).

Overall I was pretty disappointed. I love Tom T Hall's songs and I find him to be a very insightful songwriter. The book is just so basic that I didn't really get anything out of it. There's a whole chapter on definitions and another on how rhyming works. He's also pretty full of himself for most of this book, which was off-putting.

My two cents - there are no rules for songwriting, there's only getting better. If you put rules on yourself, that's cool. Whatever floats your boat. I have rules, but they shouldn't be enforced on you. If you read this book, keep in mind that it is no longer the mid-80's and nobody makes money in music anymore, so just write whatever you want and enjoy it.

[Garrett Cash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fan of Tom T. Hall, but this book is excellent. I've read a few songwriting books, and this is by far the best and most bull-crap free one I've seen. I've learned more from this than anything else. It's outdated in many respects, but not in the art of writing itself. Really inspiring work for sure.