One of the beautiful things about music is the way that it brings people together. When the world isn’t experiencing a pandemic, millions attend festivals and gigs throughout the year. Relationships have been formed and held together by a mutual love of a certain song, album or artist. The lyrics of a song can be so poignant that they form bonds that never break.
It is rare these days for a song to be written by only one songwriter, particularly in the pop world. Take Beyonce’s Bootylicious, her top-selling song. Aside from Mrs. Knowles-Carter, there are three others who receive songwriting credits on the track. This isn’t to take anything away from her influence and supreme ability as an artist, but it proves that even the best don’t do it all alone.
But collaborative songwriting is nothing new. Over the last fifty years, music has seen some of art’s greatest partnerships. While they’re sometimes fuelled by love, sometimes competition (and on occasion, money), they have delivered unto us some of the world’s best music.
If you’re unsure about what you want on your personalised greeting card, learning about your favourite songwriters is a great way to start.
Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Candle in the Wind, I’m Still Standing, Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man. Almost everyone knows these songs, and if they don’t, they’ve heard of Elton John. For over fifty years, this red-headed, flamboyant genius has dazzled the world with his performances.
But many don’t know that there is a genius behind the genius, and even more, that the two met by way of one of the world’s most fortunate coincidences.
In 1967, Elton John had a failed audition with Liberty Records – on his way out he mentioned to someone working there that he couldn’t write lyrics. They handed him an envelope containing the poems of another failed auditionee, and the man with whom Elton would work with throughout most of his career – Bernie Taupin.
Since then, the two have collaborated on over 30 albums, with Taupin penning the lyrics and Elton the music.
Big Boi and Andre 3000
Everyone has a different experience at school, and often it comes down to who you meet. People make lifelong friendships with the kids they happen to sit next to one day in an English or maths class. But what is really rare is when two game-changing talents happen to go to the same school. But so begins the story of OutKast.
Well actually, André Benjamin (André 3000) and Antwan Patton (Big Boi) met a shopping mall, but as it turned out they did both go to the same high school. After cutting their teeth with rap battles in their cafeteria, the duo formed OutKast and became some of the founding members of Atlanta’s infamous Dungeon Family collective.
OutKast first gained international recognition with their 2000 album Stankonia and its standout track Ms. Jackson. But it was their next release, the Grammy-winning double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below that made them the legends they are today. It featured two number one singles, The Way You Move and Hey Yah!. The latter of which has been featured on almost every ‘best tracks’ list it has been eligible for since its release.
The pair went on hiatus in 2006 but returned to play over 40 festivals worldwide in 2014. With six Grammys and 25 million sales between them, the world is holding out hope they might one day release new music.
Jack and Meg White
After the pop-filled 90s, America was screaming out for some guitar music. Justin and Britney were all good, but where were the licks and solos? This paved the way for a nationwide underground rock scene, whose most well-known export was The White Stripes.
The White Stripes were weird. That was kind of their point. Their breakout song, Seven Nation Army has become a modern classic. It’s the first song new guitarists learn, it’s a football chant, it’s played on radio stations around the world, thousands of times a year.
But even after a host of hits, one of the main things people remember is the weirdness that was Jack and Meg White. For years after they became famous, nobody was sure whether they were husband and wife or brother and sister. And their tailored aesthetic was unique, from their stripped back, red, white and black stage sets to their roadies’ top hats and suits.
The band has long since split, with Jack going on to form multiple other bands and Meg doing what she was known for in the band (namely, nothing), but they remain ingrained in music culture.
If you’re looking for greeting card ideas on Say it with Songs, a great way to start might be looking up who exactly wrote some of your favourite songs. Creating a personalised card would be so much more meaningful with lyrics from some of your favourite songwriters. Have a look through our roster, you might be surprised by what you find.
