Got you, Al:

That's not my gift. Looks like it is Amos's. You know, they talk about "gifted children," but everyone is gifted. Everyone. The secret is to recognize what your gift is (and isn't,) and be grateful for it. And not envious of other's gifts. It seems like most songwriters have the gift of setting out to write a song with a particular statement. When I try to do that, I get too self-conscious, and it doesn't work well for. I mean, the words rhyme, but it sounds like a song someone really tried hard to write. It should sound effortless... or at least, that's true for me. If I tried to write a song about a kitchen table, you probably wouldn't want to hear it. You, Amos and many others have that gift. I don't.
I don't write songs, I tame them. They are like shy, timid wild creatures. If I approach them too aggressively, they run for cover. I need to coax them out, encourage them and if they draw back, let them. They will come to me in their own time.

A few weeks ago, I invited a wonderful singer to sing with the Messengers as a possible replacement for our tenor who moved away. He considers himself a lead singer, and has sung lead most of his life. I told him that Joe, Frankie and I all sing leads, but we're not "lead singers." We're just guys who sing lead. There is a very different mind-set that "lead singers" have. They're itching to sing leads and when they aren't, too often they are thinking about how they would sing a song that someone else is leading (and of course, do it better.) The same perspective is true for me as a songwriter. I write songs, but don't think of myself as a singer-songwriter. I'm just a singer who writes some songs every once in awhile. That may be a subtle difference, but I think it is an honest description of my music.. where my gifts lie, and where they don't. It's why I could never do a songwriter's workshop where I give people advice on "how" to write a song.

Other than maybe "Don't make any quick moves or it will run and hide." :-)

Jerry