How does my (prose) writing inspire my (song) writing?

This is a harder question to answer than the others in this series, so I’ve sat with it for a bit.

Lately, I’ve been co-writing songs. A few trusted partners send me poems or lyric ideas. I listen to melodies I’ve recorded on my phone, find one that fits the rhythm, and begin from there.

Melodies still come fast. It’s the lyrics I struggle with now. Maybe I’ve used all my words on larger projects, like books and essays. Maybe growing older means my contemplations are too complex and layered for a three-minute song.

Or, like many of us in this speeding modern life, my bandwidth for attention has shrunk. You need attention to write something good, something true.

What I have to do is set time aside, block out the noise, stop asking if this will go viral, and do the work. Just do the work.