Often when i write, I am torn between writing in first person or second person. I usually reject the third person view.
I remember reading that David Bowie advised Trent Reznor to write in the third person when emotions start to take you over with songwriting. Good advice - but I don't think he ever took it. It just wasn't his style. 3rd person kills intimacy - it sounds more like gossip.
• Now Jamie wouldn't say alright, she knew he'd forget her and so they said goodnight - oh and now he's gone forever....
• Charlene don't like it - rockin' the casbah ...
• He's a pinball wizard...
• Josies on a vacation far away... come around and talk it over....
• Down the street you can hear her scream "YOU'RE A DISGRACE" As she slams the door in his drunken face And now he stands outside And all the neighbors start to gossip and drool
I know there are a lot more 3rd person songs - they pretty much all suck unless Jimi Hendrix does them, but to give anymore examples is a lot of research that I am not in the mood for. So I could easily be proven wrong. Are there comments on here? If so and you think of 3rd person lyrics - post them below.
I'm also thinking Nick Cave may write in the 3rd person but I don't feel like listening to him now to find out while I'm listening to Le Freak.
The point may be that I prefer stream of consciousness .