Songs Without Rhyme: Prose By Celebrated Songwriters [Hardcover]

Rosanne Cash (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 2001

This wholly original collection brings together the talents of todays most accomplished songwriters in a compelling and rewarding anthologynot of songs, but of prose.Between these covers are pieces by Marc Cohn, Paula Cole, Stephen Page, and Johnny Cash, whose daughter, Grammy winning musician and songwriter Rosanne Cash, serves as editor of this volume. Each piece is paired with the song lyric that inspired it, offering a rare glimpse into the artists creative process.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rosanne Cash continues to champion genre-crossing singer/songwriters with Songs Without Rhyme: Prose by Celebrated Songwriters, in which 14 artists use the lyrics of one their own songs as a starting point for a prose piece. With works by luminaries like David Byrne (his funny, disturbing and well-wrought story concerns a future black market of genetic engineering), Johnny Cash (whose Cold War story from 1953 tells of the USSR's use of holograms and phonetic spelling to maintain its occupation of the "USSA"), Shawn Colvin and the editor herself, the collection expands on wide-ranging themes explored more briefly or obtusely in the original songs. Rock, folk and pop fans will enjoy this broader view into the imaginations of certain stars. ( Mar.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Cash has gathered a group of songwriters of unquestionable talent and created a unique volume of prose. Convinced that songwriting is a literary form unto itself and that those who dedicate their careers to this endeavor are unappreciated as writers, Cash asked 13 others, including David Byrne, Paula Cole, Shawn Colvin, and John Stewart, to join her in compiling this book. With the premise that songs are an accomplished form of storytelling, Cash requested that each author use one of his or her own songs, characters, or themes as the basis for a new prose piece. All of the writers, except her famous father, Johnny Cash, complied with her request. He did, however, submit a story that he had written back in 1953. The selected songs of each of the artists are coupled with their new offerings, providing a surprising unity when read in pairs. A brief biography of each songwriter is also included. Recommended for all libraries, but especially popular culture collections in public libraries. Cynde Bloom Lahey, New Canaan Lib., CT
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 186 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (March 21, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786862777
• ISBN-13: 978-0786862771
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,129,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get inside the artist's head., April 20, 2001

By 

W. Andrews "uncwilly" (Greater Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Songs Without Rhyme: Prose By Celebrated Songwriters (Hardcover)

In this book, we can see the creative process taken one step further. Normally the fans see songs as the end of the creative cycle. However with this book, we can are given glimpses of the world that a song is born into. This adds a completely new dimension to these songs, it makes the songs pop into full three dimension. This is a wonderful compliment to books that show the history and birth of songs, such as Suzanne Vega's "Passionate Eye", where we see early poems, stories, and other writtings that lead up to songs that appeared on the radio.

This book is one of the beautiful boundary breakers. It is part music. It is part literature. It is part poetry. It is part prose. It is part fiction. It is part a personallity study of the authors.

If you are a fan of any of the singers in this book it would be well worth your money to purchase it just for their contribution alone.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Stories Behind The Music, April 3, 2001

By 

"allegory1973" (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Songs Without Rhyme: Prose By Celebrated Songwriters (Hardcover)

As both a music fan, and a sometimes writer, I'm always curious about what inspires people. Songs Without Rhyme satiates that curiousity within me.

Rosanne Cash pulled together a diverse group of musicians and asked them to write a story based on one of their songs. Whether it was one line, or the entire song, all of the stories contained within are incredible.

The material runs the gamut from verite by Rodney Crowell, Loudon Wainwright III and Steven Page to futuristic fiction by Johnny Cash, David Byrne and Rosanne Cash. At the end of each story is the song that the musicians took their inspiration from.

All in all, Songs Without Rhyme is a very well-written, well-edited book and would be a welcome addition to any music (or book) fan's collection.