it's a weird thing songwriting-when people know you do it they produce words for you, fantastic pieces of rhyme and prose that they want you to put to music- I have dozens of them, most tucked away never to see light of day - and frankly those I use I have to wing it because my songs are always based on my words and the rythmn of the words - because frankly I am not a musician. The words dictate the melody and the mood of the song - forceful, soulful, happy or sad. I developed song writing from a long association with poetry and prose and I am lucky that I happen to sing and can be creative with voice and harmony. I write songs very quickly always the words first and the tune develops from there. My tools are a dictating machine and very little else.