Kenny Rogers’ career was resurrected from the doldrums by the song LUCILLE. The setting for the song was barstools. The writer had never been to Toledo, Ohio, but he thought up this line that rhymed to initiate the action, “IN A BAR IN TOLEDO ACROSS FROM THE DEPOT”, which had no relationship to geographical truth. There is no bar across from the railroad depot in Toledo. The song title wasn’t established until the first line of the chorus.

The gospel song, AMAZING GRACE, begins with the line, “AMAZING GRACE HOW SWEET THE SOUND”. This sets up the title and the two words are never used together again. The ex-slave ship captain who wrote it as a poem was inspired by the same word that most Christians use to indicate prayer before a meal. And Gospel record buyers still hum it on the way to the record store no matter what other song they are going for.

A country song writer was standing in a line at a checkout counter in a grocery store. Two women were in front of him in a conversation. He never heard the question but the answer inspired a hit song he wrote. One woman showed the other her wedding ring and said, “this is a ONE MAN BAND”.

So song writers, most of whom may never be inspired every day by his or her life’s encounters, should be constantly on the lookout for song titles or hooks.