Can someone objectively listen to a song, not knowing who the writer or artist is or what kind of success they’ve had, and with no expectations formulate an opinion about the song alone?
Would any songwriter ever subject himself to such an open forum?

Welcome to the Songwriter’s Experiment. Thanks for stopping by. I am a 30 something homemaker with four kids and the wife of a wonderfully interesting man. My husband runs a home-based business and has always provided for his family. He coaches his son’s Little League team, runs the sound at our church, and is on the school board. But what I want to discuss here is his gift for writing songs.

Let me start with a little bit of history. My husband has had some success in the music business. Enough success to pay off some debt and invest in his home business. We have decided, however, that moving to a major music city is not something we want to do, even if it means less exposure for him. We have close family ties where we live and that’s very important to us and our kids.

What he has found, in his dealings with the music industry, is that sometimes it matters more who you are and what you’ve done, than the actual song itself. And yet, some people in the industry say, “It’s all about the song.” Well, which is it?

That’s where you come in. All I want from you is a few minutes, to listen to a song and maybe another minute to comment on what you hear. I’ll post a new song every Monday. We’ll call it New Music Monday. If you like what you hear, or even if you don’t, let me know in the comments section, and come back the next week to hear another. It’s simple, really.

I’ll tell you right now that my husband does not have a CD of his music that can be bought. Most of his songs were recorded using his home recording equipment and the thought of those songs being heard by a lot of people without being mastered makes him cringe! I guess it would be like me speaking in front of a large group of people in my pj’s and no makeup! But this is my thing, and if the song is the most important thing, then it won’t matter how professional it sounds.

Another thing, I want this to be as close to a true experiment as possible. You may hear the song and think “Hey, I know that guy. He’s so and so from so and so.” If you do, wish him luck and keep it to yourself! Seriously, in order for this to work, it needs to be kept as anonymous as possible.

So, let’s find out if it really is “all about the song.” I hope you enjoy this first one.

Here’s the lyrics in case you don’t catch all the words:

Sharecropper’s Son

Down south back in ‘63
Where the cotton is white but there ain’t much green
An old sharecropper and his family
Coolin’ off one summer night

Young man ‘bout seventeen
Pluckin’ on a banjo high and sweet
His daddy lookin’ on proud as could be
But he wore a troubled smile

Stood up and walked inside
The old screen door slapped shut behind
Came back in a little while
With a rusty coffee can

Said, “Boy this is all I’ve ever saved
I’s hopin’ to buy this land someday
But dirt cost more‘n I’ll ever make
So do the best you can.”

Chorus:
(And He Said…)
Run run and don’t look back
You ain’t never gonna drag another cotton sack
Me and your Mamma gonna be alright
Just run Sonny, run

Be free to find your dreams
Like a bayou finds the sea
Don’t tell nobody that you used to be
A sharecropper’s son

Pretty soon he was travelin’ round
Double thumb chuckin’ in a Jackson band
And all who saw him always said
He’s the best they’d ever heard

Went to Nashville and made a name
His hot lick pickin’ soon brought him fame
But still each night in his lonely dreams
He heard his daddy’s words

Repeat Chorus

Walkin’ out of a bank one day
Was a good-lookin’ man in a suit of suede
With a hat pulled down over his face
And a land deed in his hand

Old man barely hangin’ on
Folks gathered ’round he was almost gone
Sonny took his hat off and kneeled down low
Beside the old man’s bed
Held that deed up and read the words
Then he softly said

Daddy run, run and don’t look back
You ain’t never gonna drag another cotton sack
Me and Momma gonna be alright
Just run, Daddy run
Be free to find your dreams
Like a bayou finds the sea
I’m gonna tell everybody that I’m proud to be
A sharecropper’s son

Repeat chorus