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The Art of Writing Your Truth: How to Find Authenticity in Your Music
In the world of music, authenticity is not just important—it's everything. It’s what sets an ordinary song apart from a piece of art that resonates deeply with listeners. Recently, I had the chance to explore these ideas in a live session where I delved into the intersection of personal expression and songwriting. I shared my thoughts on how essential it is to allow your truest self to flow into your music, and how doing so can shape not just the sound of a song, but its emotional depth and meaning.
Writing from the Heart: Discovering Your Truth in Song
One of the things I love most about songwriting is how the process often reveals things to us that we didn’t even realize we were feeling. It’s a unique kind of magic—one that can turn a melody or lyric into a mirror, reflecting our inner thoughts and emotions. During the live session, I shared an experience that perfectly illustrated this phenomenon.
I wrote a song called Read Your Letters, which I initially thought was just a fictional tale I created from my imagination about a newlywed couple during World War II. It was a romantic narrative with a nostalgic feel, set in a time long past. As I was recording the song in the booth, I was struck by a realization: all the elements of the male character—the way he was described, his red hair, the love letters—were reminiscent of my stepfather, who had passed away some years ago.
It took me by surprise. I had never intended to write a song about him, but the song’s storyline ended up being a profound expression of my grief and longing for him. The “red-haired man” in the song was my stepfather, and the love letters mentioned in the lyrics were the very ones he had written to me when I was a child. These cartoon drawing letters have been preserved in a box that I kept, and their sentimental value to me is immeasurable.
Songwriting serves as a subconscious release—a way for us to process emotions we may not even fully understand at first. What started as a fictional narrative became an emotional tribute to someone I loved dearly. It was through the act of creating that I found this unexpected depth and meaning in the song.
This is the beauty of songwriting: it allows us to explore parts of ourselves we may not always recognize, and gives us a platform to express those feelings in ways that are often more profound than we realize. As an artist, sometimes the song is telling you what you’ve been feeling all along, and only after you’ve written it do you fully comprehend the layers of emotion embedded in it.
The Evolution of a Song: Growing With Your Music
Another important concept is how our interpretation of a song changes over time. As we grow as people, we grow as artists, and our songs grow with us. The way we sing and interpret a song shifts based on our life experiences, wisdom, and emotional evolution. This process of reinterpreting our own work is not just inevitable—it’s beautiful.
One of my personal favorites in this area is the song Beautiful Heartache, which I wrote about the pain of longing and the bittersweet nature of love. When I first wrote it, it came from a place of deep sorrow and frustration - a raw expression of heartache. However, years later, I found myself singing it with a different perspective. I had moved beyond the pain, let go of that person and the way I approached the song changed. I could now inject humor and lightheartedness into it, recognizing the emotional growth I’d undergone since the time I wrote it.
It was amazing to sing it in a way that felt playful and flirty, almost as if I were teasing the very pain I had once felt. I realized that this was an essential part of my growth as an artist and as a person: I wasn’t bound by the past version of me who had written the song. Instead, I was now singing it with the wisdom of my present self, embracing the bittersweetness of the experience while also acknowledging that I had moved beyond it.
This is one of the most wonderful aspects of being an artist: the ability to look back at our work and see how far we’ve come. Songs that once felt like pure pain can become an opportunity for reflection, humor, and ultimately healing. The meaning of a song is not static; it changes with us, and that’s part of its beauty. And, importantly, that’s what keeps the song alive—it evolves alongside us.
Tips for Songwriters:
Start with your truth. Whether you’re writing about love, loss, or joy, your truth is the foundation of every powerful song. Don’t worry about getting it perfect or poetic in the first draft. Just get it out.
Let the song take you places. Sometimes, you won’t know exactly what the song is about until you’re deep into the writing process. Let your lyrics unfold and guide you toward the deeper meaning.
Allow for growth and reinterpretation. Don’t be afraid to revisit old songs and reframe them through the lens of where you are now. Your music will evolve with you, and that’s something to celebrate.
Find your subconscious layers. Even when you think you’re writing fiction, you might be writing about something deeply personal. Don’t be afraid to dig deeper and recognize those hidden layers.
Music is about telling stories and when those stories are authentic, they resonate on a much deeper level than surface-level lyrics. Whether you’re writing from pain, joy, love, or grief, the authenticity behind the music is what gives it its power.
As an artist, your personal growth and the evolution of your experiences should always be reflected in your work. Embrace that growth and let it shape the way you write, sing, and interpret your songs. And remember, it’s okay not to know exactly what a song is about at first—it’s the discovery along the way that makes the process so meaningful.
Thank you for reading, and I hope these insights help you as you continue your musical journey. If you’d like to discuss any of the topics further or have any questions about the songwriting process, feel free to reach out. I’d love to hear your thoughts and connect.
Until next time,
Wendy