A Song Is a Boat
I think I heard Quincy Jones say one time when he sat in an interview with Kendrick Lamar, that a good song is a good song, and a bad song is a bad song . That simple truth cuts through all the noise in the music industry. In theory, anyone can sing a good song and it will still be good. Even if the delivery changes, the quality and structure will still shine. But the reverse is just as true—no matter how talented the singer, a bad song will stay a bad song. You can put a Formula 1 driver in a broken-down car, but they still won’t win the race. The song is the vehicle. Think about a boat. A boat is a vehicle designed to float and take you from one place to another across the surface of the water. If a boat has passengers, it has a destination. But that boat must be built for the trip. The skill and attention to detail it takes to make a seaworthy vessel is high-level and meticulous—because people’s lives literally depend on it. A boatmaker must understand the journey...
