Working The Words

“Be original. That's my best advice. You're going to find that there's something that you do well, and try to do it with as much originality as you can, and don't skimp on the words. Work on the words.”

  – Bob Seger

 Turning 75 today, Robert Clark “Bob” Seger is America's quintecential guitarist, pianist and singer-songwriter.   Born in Detroit and the son of a Ford autoworker, Seger reflects the American story, self-teaching himself the music that would ultimately lead to his success, and enduring many years of ups and downs before settling in as one of music’s icons.

His also is the story of perserverance, just “knowing” that the songs he was writing eventually would catch on.  That finally happened in 1973 when his Silver Bullet Band – made up of other Detroit-area musicians who jelled together with their hit song “Night Moves."

  

Seger also wrote songs recorded by many other artists, but perhaps the most important was for his friend Glenn Frey of the Eagles when he wrote their number one hit “Heartache Tonight” from the award-winning album The Long Run.  That collaboration grew out of the pair’s friendship dating back to the 1960s when both were literally starving and struggling musicians on the Detroit scene.  That successful song with The Eagles led to another massive hit for Seger and his own band, “Against the Wind,” the anchor song on their number one album by the same name. 

To hear some of Seger’s best, check out his 2011 double disc "Greatest Hits," which not only includes those mentioned above but “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” the terrific “Like A Rock.” Seger has written hundreds of songs over the years and has lyrics for dozens more. “I write a lot of songs people don’t hear,” he said.  “I finish ‘em all.  I don’t think there’s a whole lot of difference between the bad ones and the good ones.  I really just enjoy the writing process."

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