Jake Grogan

What makes a great lyric? Opinions vary. My take? A song will grab me if the artist can drop into my mind, steal my heart, and take the words right out of my mouth. Be about me. Better yet, be me. The lyrics have to say what I mean and say it better than I ever could. I want to feel as if someone has been reading my journal or listening under the bed when I talk in my sleep. Lyrics don't have to be complicated. They just have to mean something. But Origins of a Song's subtitle is misleading. This book is not about the true inspirations behind great lyrics. More accurately, it's the inspiration behind the great song itself. My current obsession (Dermot Kennedy), my longtime hero (Natalie Merchant), and one of the greatest wordsmiths of all time (Josh Ritter) are not included in this book. Everyone has an opinion and mine is this: I think some songs were included not for their brilliant lyrics, but because some songs were smash hits and very difficult to ignore. "My Girl" by Smokey Robinson, for example. What is so special about the lyrics? The tone of Ruffin's voice, melody, and instrumentation (piano) made the song a hit, not the words.
Bonus points for Grogan: he gives credit where credit is due. If Elvis didn't write the song (did he ever?), Grogan makes sure to tell you who did.… (más)

In Origins Of A Story by Jake Grogan, we are told about the inspiration for 202 famous stories that you might have heard of. From Roald Dahl and his books to more recent stories like the Harry Potter series, we find out some of what goes into a novel or a short story.

The book is interesting, but it has no real order to it. It would be cool if it was organized in some way rather than in a random state. At first, I thought it would be chronological. It was not. Then I figured it would be by the last name of the author. That would make sense. No. It was not organized in any particular fashion. Therefore, that is my only real complaint. Maybe it’s organized in order of the books he became interested in or found stories for.… (más)