Skip to content

The Underbelly Project and Sinatra’s Songwriting Strategy

Great read, courtesy of the NYTimes on the “Underbelly Project”, a subterranean “gallery” highlighting some the world’s best graffiti artists. If nothing else, have a look at some of the photos.

And, just across the page, this tidbit from Sinatra, describing how he sang his songs starting with a sheet of lyrics and no music:

“At that point, I’m looking at a poem. I’m trying to understand the point of view of the person behind the words. I want to understand his emotions. Then I start speaking, not singing the words, so I can experiment and get the right inflections. When I get with the orchestra, I sing the words without a microphone first, so I can adjust the way I’ve been practicing to the arrangement. I’m looking to fit the emotion behind the song that I’ve come up with to the music. Then it all comes together. You sing the song.”