SONG EVALUATION- "DISSECTING DIRT" By MAB
Since everything in this thread is about talking about what you want to talk about, I thought I would do something here, Phil has asked for. Song dissection. If you want to learn something, learn it from the best and songwriting is no exception. "DIRT" is the current top ten by FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, who have been leading the pack in country music for the past couple years. It is also interesting in this discussion to keep other things in mind, timing of a release, how the video works with it, what elements are they using in their overall promotion strategy on the band. These are all very relevant because my messages to all of you is to find your own "NEXT BIG THINGS" in your own backyards and help write with, promote and assist in their careers. That is truely the ONLY way into cuts these days. And that is not going to change.
But it all starts with the writing of the song. I have listed the video link and the lyrics below. If you want to read along or view it, do so, then below I will make my comments:
This is written by Rodney Clawson and Chis Tompkins, who are in the middle of their five year run right now. They have been bringing hits in for a few years now, and that positions them to be in the thick of things, where artists go to for songs, or record labels refer to them.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42uphHWxmFU
"Dirt"
You get your hands in it, plant your roots in it
You write her name on it, spin your tires on it
Build your corn field, whiskey bonfires on it
You bet your life on it
[Chorus:]
It’s that elm shade, red rust clay you grew up on
That plowed-up ground that your dad damned his luck on
That post-game party field you circle up on
And when it rains you get stuck on
Drift a cloud back behind county roads that you run up
The mud on her jeans that she peeled off and hung up
Her blue-eyed summertime smile looks so good that it hurts
Makes you wanna build ten percent down white picket fence house on this dirt
You mix some sweat with it, taking a shovel to it
You stuck some crosses and some painted goal posts through it (damn)
You know you came from it and someday you’ll return to this...
[Chorus:]
...elm shade, red rust clay you grew up on
That plowed-up ground that your dad damned his luck on
That post-game party field you circle up on
And when it rains you get stuck on
Drift a cloud back behind county roads that you run up
The mud on her jeans that she peeled off and hung up
Her blue-eyed summertime smile looks so good that it hurts
Makes you wanna build a ten percent down white picket fence house on this dirt
You know you came from it and someday you’ll return to this...
[Chorus:]
...elm shade, red rust clay you grew up on
That plowed-up ground that your dad damned his luck on
That post-game party field you circle up on
And when it rains you get stuck on
Drift a cloud back behind county roads that you run up
The mud on her jeans that she peeled off and hung up
Her blue-eyed summertime smile looks so good that it hurts
Makes you wanna build a ten percent down white picket fence house on this dirt
Makes you wanna build a ten percent down white picket fence house on this dirt
You know you came from it and someday you'll return to it
Now we are going to do the songwriting analysis: We'll start with lyrical content and subject matter,