I've very much enjoyed reading this whole thread. For me this is what Mudcat is all about!

My songwriting method involves quite a bit of "reverse engineering". Analyze the great songs, see what makes them work and try to emulate it. In reading this thread I kept trying to think of examples of Navel comtemplation."At Seventeen" - Janis Ian, "Brooklyn Roads" - Neil Diamond, "Fire and Rain" - James Taylor, "Both Sides Now" - Joni Mitchell, and "Sunday Mornin Comin Down" - Kris Kristopherson, What do these songs have in common? They all have an element of self contemplation and self pity. But the narative and visual images which are used to protray the emotions is what makes them great.

You can see the lonely girl in "At Seventeen", sad while the other girls are busily doing teen-aged things and leaving her out. You can see the lonely little boy wandering around in "Brooklyn Roads". "Flying machines, in pieces on the ground" representing James Taylor's depression. Joni, projecting her emotions onto the clouds. The character in "Sunday Mornin" doesn't say "Pity me, I'm a helpless alcholic." but the picture painted couldn't be clearer.

I think what makes a navel gazing song interesting is novel image or idea which can paint a clear picture in your mind as you listen to the song. I think, to a degree these writers looked at themselves while they were self contemplating, then painted a picture of themselves in that state.

P.S.

Why do I keep finding good songwriting threads under BS?