Nature's Influence on Nashville Songwriters
Many of the songwriters wandering the streets of Music City looking for inspiration know that they don't just love the songs they can find around every corner․ They are‚ in fact‚ fans of the foliage too․ There are many Nashville songwriters who love their plants as much as their songs․ When you see the plants‚ that's part of the process․ It was part of the process for me․ And there's something about driving from West Nashville that takes that feeling to another level․ Like the sounds and sights of Music City‚ the flowering plants and brush of spring and trees of summer were endless sources of color and texture for The Band's songs․
For these songwriters‚ nature is more than a metaphor or a backdrop․ Caring for the garden helps transport them to an oasis and grounds them in the rhythm of life․ Some people water the ferns in their garden‚ some people prune the roses‚ and that's how they gather their thoughts and compose themselves․ It's sometimes the fact that you aren't being distracted by life that will suddenly allow that idea for lyrics to come out of nowhere‚ and you get to reflect on your history‚ your dreams‚ your problems․ For example‚ a growing plant‚ the unbudding of a flower and the transition from winter to spring may all be heard as metaphors for a songwriters creative process and the cycles of nature they channel into their art․
Songs Use the Language of Flowers to Express Emotion
Many songwriters use plants as metaphors‚ so that a drooping flower might symbolize lost love‚ or a budding flower might symbolize something new and wonderful․ Songwriters that use the language of flowers to express emotion‚ the struggle and the success of life‚ and the passage of time through the life cycles of plants find it a valuable artistic tool to make their lyrics more substantive‚ and thus have more meaning․ On this subject‚ a listener may hear a song about a weed growing through concrete‚ a symbol for overcoming adversity‚ and be able to relate because they have achieved a similar feat․
It can have a very positive effect on writing․ It can be a grounding influence and a reminder of the life that goes on outside the studio‚ and all the things that you can enjoy․ Some songwriters in the past would bring a few potted plants into the room where they composed songs‚ or go to a garden or park‚ and likened caring for plants to the cultivation of their art․ It took patience and care․ Once the notes began to flow and the words were formed into verses‚ the life force of the natural world suffused their music‚ changing their work from mere sounds into an experience filled with the essence of life․
Nature's flora and fauna are often mentioned in song lyrics‚ such as "flowers blowin' in the wind" or "the scent of pine trees in the air"․ These plants help create a picture of the scene or give the requested emotional picture‚ and allow the listener to interpret a more elaborate picture in their mind relating to the lyrics․ For example‚ talking about a sun-drenched garden in the spring‚ or autumn leaves blowing on the ground‚ gives the listener something they can relate to‚ something concrete in nature‚ that they can draw on‚ and that will give them that feeling of universality in terms of talking about love‚ loss and hope‚ in terms of earthy metaphors․
Songwriters Refer to Gardens When Plants are a Part of Who They Are
Just as there are no two Nashville songwriters alike‚ so‚ too‚ are the gardens of the wordsmiths․ Some would have stark patches of wildflowers in random fields of color and shape related to the more eccentric lyrical formulas they would adopt in songwriting․ Other people like neat rows of herbs that bring forth the culinary world and earth tones that color their lyrics․ The gardens of their souls became places to retreat from the stress and tumble of the world‚ to heal and recharge‚ and to prepare to create․ When songwriters talk about their gardens‚ it sounds clear that plants have been an integral part of the creative world and that plants are a part of who they are․
The Nashville songwriters imbue songs with their passion for plants‚ and the beauty of the world of plants mirrors the journey of humankind on Earth․ The beauty of the world of plants comes alive in the music‚ illustrating the vitality and depth of the connection between art and nature․ Just as a seed or a plant begins to flourish with proper care and intention‚ so does a song blossom authentically and beautifully․ In doing so‚ these musicians create a narrative that not only expands around the nurturing aspects of nature‚ but just as importantly reminds us to appreciate the simple things in life․ In this way‚ they ensure that the songs that they sing continue to carry like the wind in the trees‚ the heartbeat of their hearts and the heartbeats of the earth․
