IJ’s Song Blog

The video below will play automatically, so hit the pause button on the video if you’d like to read the article before hearing the song!

“Never Is Forever” is Floyd Murray’s lottery ticket to a happy retirement, if he has his way.  He is offering the copyright to this song for auction on eBay for a million bucks.

When I read the CNN iReport it said that a search of “hit song copyright”, including quotes, would bring up the auction, which was reportedly to begin on March 26, 2010.  However, when I went to eBay and did the search, it did not come up.  Did he perhaps have second thoughts?  Here is an excerpt of his response when asked why he is selling the rights to the song:

“My age and my life situation (and the current industry and economy) dictates that I won’t be going on tour any time soon to promote and perform my music, and I haven’t actively pursued any publishing or licensing deals. I’ve been sitting on this song, and every time someone hears it, they tell me how great it is and ask why it’s not on the radio. So I’m just offering it up to someone who sees it on its merits and can take it and run with it. I guess I’m selling my pension plan. I’m creating my own economic stimulus package.”

I listened to the song and you can too on the video posted below.  While I appreciate that Mr. Murray may really only be hoping to create a little nest egg for his retirement, the fact that he has been sitting on it and not pitching it to publishers himself first, was a mistake.  What most songwriters with any experience will tell you is that you need decent and honest feedback from people who are objective and know what they’re talking about.  Your friends, family and acquaintances don’t count!  Some smaller publishers will respond within a few weeks as to whether or not they are interested in the song, and sometimes they will give some feedback in their response.

Why am I saying all of this?  Because as far as I can hear, the song has some glaring flaws.  First of all, it has the same chord progression throughout, the same three chords, so there is no contrast between verses and chorus (if, indeed, there was a chorus).  That alone wouldn’t necessarily spell disaster, except for the fact that it’s a county song and most country publishers or labels won’t even let you in the door without a big, splashy chorus.

Secondly, the word “never” is used ad nauseum.  Now I know that the song has “never” in the title and this is obviously the theme, but using it in almost every line is enough to put anyone to sleep.

Which is why I only made it through the first half of the song.  So he may have actually switched the chords up at the end of it, or used the word “never” less as it went along, but I wouldn’t have heard it.  And neither would most industry-types if they threw it on in its present state.  Which is the sad reality:  most songs sent to publishers or industry people aren’t listened to past the first verse and chorus (if there is one).  It doesn’t take long for them to decide that “this ain’t it.”

It could very well be that Floyd Murray is just trying to get a little attention for himself, but actually I think he is probably sincere and really thinks he has a hit on his hands.  Which kind of reminds me of that guy I wrote about a couple of months back who wants to sell a million CDs.  I wonder how he’s doing?

I wish them both luck.  This is the day and age when it takes a lot of creative thinking to come up with ways to draw attention to yourself and your songs.  But first, the songs have to be good.

IJ

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