# Rod Stewart recorded writing lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408 "2009-08-23T19:12:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/1 "2009-08-23T19:12:26Z")
I was listening to the Howard Stern show a few weeks back and he was playing a “tape” of Steward singing behind a music track of Maggie May (I think). The interesting thing is that he hadn’t written any of the lyrics yet and was just singing random words trying to come up with lyrics for the song. It is an insightful look at how artists write songs. Howard said it was going to be released on CD. Any one else hear it? Any one know where I can hear it again? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/2 "2009-08-23T20:04:47Z")
Well, I don’t listen to Howard Stern, but it’s Rod Stewar **t**. You might have better google-fu if you used the correct spelling. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/3 "2009-08-23T22:48:43Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > Well, I don’t listen to Howard Stern, but it’s Rod Stewar **t**. You might have better google-fu if you used the correct spelling. Thanks for your helpful reply. “I don’t listen to Howard Stern”. Well EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME! for your not being a fan of his show. I was simply iidentifying the source of the song in question. If you know anything about google, you would know that the result for “Rod Steward” provides one with the same result as typing in “Rod Stewart” I did do a search on him with the correct spelling of his name and didn’t find what I was looking for. I was hoping to find an intelligent reply here on SD, but so far have failed to do so. (I simply misspelled Rod’s name in the post.) I thought it was the policy here at SD that if you don’t have a helpful reply to offer, you simply don’t reply at all. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/4 "2009-08-23T23:20:11Z")
Um, dude, chill. > [@Mangosteen](#): > > If you know anything about google, you would know that the result for “Rod Steward” provides one with the same result as typing in “Rod Stewart” What? I get 4 million plus results for “Rod Stewart” and 140,000 for “Rod Steward.” Seemed like a helpful enough suggestion to me. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/5 "2009-08-23T23:25:37Z")
[And here’s what you’re looking for,](http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2009-07-09-stewart-sessions_N.htm) found courtesy of Google. And [here’s the Howard Stern page](http://www.howardstern.com/rundown.hs?d=1248148800) the Google link initially led to. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/6 "2009-08-24T05:36:39Z")
It’s actually a common technique among songwriters, Ellie Greenwich who co-wrote “Do Ron Ron,” used exactly the same technique. She said she used the buzz word “Do Ron Ron,” and had planned to go back later on and write somthing that actually made sense, but then she actually liked the meaningless words and kept them. I can write lyrics and do comic parodies at the drop of a hand, it’s seems a lot harder than it is. Try it, practice a few times singing into a mic and see how it goes. Sure a lot of it is junk but you’ll be surprised when you come up with something good. Also remember Stewart has been in the business for decades a lot of what seems improvised by him probably is material he has worked on and stored in the back of his head for years. So he’s coming out with a bit of an advantage. I didn’t hear the show, but its conceivable the lyrics you heard were bits and pieces of songs he started and never finished and had in his head for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/7 "2009-08-24T07:29:57Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Thanks for your helpful reply. > > “I don’t listen to Howard Stern”. Well EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME! for your not being a fan of his show. I was simply iidentifying the source of the song in question. > > If you know anything about google, you would know that the result for “Rod Steward” provides one with the same result as typing in “Rod Stewart” I did do a search on him with the correct spelling of his name and didn’t find what I was looking for. I was hoping to find an intelligent reply here on SD, but so far have failed to do so. (I simply misspelled Rod’s name in the post.) > > I thought it was the policy here at SD that if you don’t have a helpful reply to offer, you simply don’t reply at all. 😕 That reply was helpful. And lots & lots of people don’t listen to Howard Stern. Defensive much? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/8 "2009-08-24T11:17:02Z")
As has been noted, a LOT of songwriters will make up nonsense lyrics to fit a melody, before they get around to writing “real” words. Paul McCartney, famously, sang about scrambled eggs while working out the melody to “Yesterday,” and worked in the more serious, romantic words later. Sometimes this doesn’t pan out. Phil Collins, for instance, made up the nonsensical word Sussudio, figuring he’ d eventually replace the word with a girl’s name. He later found there WEREN’T any girls’ names with the right number of syllables that fit the song’s rhythms. Hence, he stuck with the nonsense word. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/9 "2009-08-24T13:14:09Z")
My post was not meant to be snarky. I was informing you that you had misspelled Stewart, and that I was not familiar with the clip because I don’t listen to Stern. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/10 "2009-08-24T13:24:45Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Sometimes this doesn’t pan out. Phil Collins, for instance, made up the nonsensical word Sussudio, figuring he’ d eventually replace the word with a girl’s name. He later found there WEREN’T any girls’ names with the right number of syllables that fit the song’s rhythms. Hence, he stuck with the nonsense word. Cecilia? I guess Simon and Garfunkel got that one already. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/11 "2009-08-24T14:22:48Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > As has been noted, a LOT of songwriters will make up nonsense lyrics to fit a melody, before they get around to writing “real” words. > > Paul McCartney, famously, sang about scrambled eggs while working out the melody to “Yesterday,” and worked in the more serious, romantic words later. > > Sometimes this doesn’t pan out. Phil Collins, for instance, made up the nonsensical word Sussudio, figuring he’ d eventually replace the word with a girl’s name. He later found there WEREN’T any girls’ names with the right number of syllables that fit the song’s rhythms. Hence, he stuck with the nonsense word. I sometimes wonder about Paul McCartney’s little Beatles anecdotes… in this case, I can’t see how “scrambled eggs” scans. It has the stress on the wrong syllable, the third. “Scrambled eggs, oh my baby how I love your legs”. Nope, doesn’t scan properly. And I refuse to believe that “Blackbird” was written with “black birds” (i.e. African American women) in mind :rolleyes:. But ISTR from an earlier thread that that he has said that. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/12 "2009-08-24T14:33:51Z")
How does Scrambled Eggs not work for Yesterday?!?!?😕 SCRAM buld eggs = YES ter day ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Alan\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Bird)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/13 "2009-08-24T17:03:20Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > How does Scrambled Eggs not work for Yesterday?!?!?😕 > > SCRAM buld eggs = YES ter day Yah, I’m also confused. How does the third syllable get stressed? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/14 "2009-08-24T22:57:43Z")
I don’t understand how you can be confused about it. **Singular1** ’s explanation seems the most straightforward possible. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/15 "2009-08-24T23:01:07Z")
Here’s a Youtube video of someone singing McCartney’s original provisional lyrics: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/eC6h4A9Mz_U/hqdefault.jpg "Scrambled eggs - Words by Paul mc Cartney(?)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC6h4A9Mz_U) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/16 "2009-08-25T01:13:07Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I don’t understand how you can be confused about it. **Singular1** ’s explanation seems the most straightforward possible. I think the confusion is not to **singular1** ’s explanation, but to **Ximenan** ’s that “scrambled eggs” doesn’t scan properly as it has an accent on the third syllable. Color me confused, too (in regards to **Ximenan** ’s post.) ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/17 "2009-08-25T05:42:43Z")
I found an interesting nugget on You Tube, the lyrics to Paul Simon’s Was a Sunny Day set to Mother and Child reunion, before either song was fully fleshed [out.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mB74Pch3Ns) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/18 "2009-08-25T06:24:00Z")
Like this sort of thing? You gotta check out “Voice of Herald”. A Must! ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rod-stewart-recorded-writing-lyrics/507408/19 "2009-08-25T06:56:44Z")
Here is an interesting evolution from my favorite band, The Cult. [Wildflower](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yLVufAfby0) (Rick Rubin, Ian, and Billy) [Wildflower on tour](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRlPw0U9cGg&feature=related), one of the best tours of the last, 30 years. Oh, how I wish I would have been a Canadian in the '80’s to see those spectacular shows. [Wildflower](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0vLlsZMQqU) of the 21st Century [Wildflower](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlLhzKPWeBc&feature=related) of the next decade… Does the new **Nickelback** song, [Something in Your Mouth](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJs9CEhXTFM&feature=PlayList&p=8656BF2426D47796&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=7) sound familiar? (Gee, they’re not even trying to be subtle anymore, ladies here accused them of being misogynist… wait til you see those lyrics.) The reason it sounds familiar? The Cult, once again… what do you think, blatant rip-off, or mere coincidence? The riff, the style of lyrics, keywords all familiar… [Lil Devil](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9H1zYOOkWU&feature=PlayList&p=FA6DC3BBC09599ED&index=1) (Rick Rubin version) [Lil Devil](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BMZdmFa-HU&feature=PlayList&p=FA6DC3BBC09599ED&index=0) (Ian, Billy, and Rubin) [Lil Devil of the 21st Century](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw67OHVZ61s)