I’ve noticed something interesting in my own songwriting — how much the choice to use names (or not use them) changes the entire feel of a song.
Take “Southern Gothic” for example. I grounded it in specific characters: Mister Jones, Bobby Hollander, Sheriff Thompson, Judge Ellerbee. That concreteness makes the town feel real. You can almost picture it on a map. Without the names, it would just be vague archetypes — “the sheriff,” “the judge” — and the song would lose its grit.
On the other hand, a song like “You Move Backwards” never mentions a name at all. That’s what makes it universal — anyone can step into it, feel the heartbreak, and recognize themselves in the story.
It fascinates me how the smallest choice — to name or not to name — shifts a song’s identity. One paints a place. The other opens a mirror.
How about you? Do you lean toward naming characters, or keeping your stories open-ended?
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One of the most interesting habits of modern singer/songwriters picking random titles is Dave Matthews. Like Samuri Cop- it's a song about birth and early childhood. The name could either throw you off or make the song memorable.
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Libby Wright, I will have to look for that song. Actually, in my songs, I give no thought as I write them. Southern Gothic came out with specific characters because that is where the words wanted to go. My song You Move Backwards did not require specific names. All of my songs are written in five minutes or less. I just start typing and whatever comes out comes out. I give the finished words a quick look over and then decide how it should sound.