"But when you get to a song, not only do you have to do a vocal melody, you have to write words and not be redundant and make some semblance of a story"
About this Quote
Danzig’s gripe is really a flex: the hardest part of songwriting isn’t the riff, it’s the obligation to mean something without tripping over your own clichés. Coming from a musician whose brand is theatrical menace and pulp-myth storytelling, the line reads less like a complaint than a boundary marker between “making noise” and making a track that actually sticks. A vocal melody demands a human contour; words demand accountability. Once language enters, you can’t hide behind texture or attitude. You’re suddenly negotiating repetition, pacing, character, and payoff.
The key phrase is “not be redundant,” a surprisingly workmanlike standard from an artist often associated with maximal vibe. He’s pointing to the trap of lyric-writing: the chorus that restates the verse, the imagery that circles the same cool word, the mood that never advances. “Some semblance of a story” lowers the bar on purpose. He’s not arguing every song needs a three-act plot; he’s saying listeners can smell when nothing is happening. Even in the most abstract genres, a song still needs motion - a turn of thought, a shift in desire, a widening of the scene.
Contextually, it’s also a jab at the fantasy that music is “pure” while lyrics are optional garnish. Danzig frames songwriting as craft under constraint: melody plus language plus forward movement. The subtext is respect for the medium and a warning to anyone who thinks singing is just talking louder over chords.
The key phrase is “not be redundant,” a surprisingly workmanlike standard from an artist often associated with maximal vibe. He’s pointing to the trap of lyric-writing: the chorus that restates the verse, the imagery that circles the same cool word, the mood that never advances. “Some semblance of a story” lowers the bar on purpose. He’s not arguing every song needs a three-act plot; he’s saying listeners can smell when nothing is happening. Even in the most abstract genres, a song still needs motion - a turn of thought, a shift in desire, a widening of the scene.
Contextually, it’s also a jab at the fantasy that music is “pure” while lyrics are optional garnish. Danzig frames songwriting as craft under constraint: melody plus language plus forward movement. The subtext is respect for the medium and a warning to anyone who thinks singing is just talking louder over chords.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
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