Word Box Wednesday #4 - Human

It's WBW once again. Things are rolling along pretty well and each Wednesday I'm definitely getting some good ideas in the attempt to get my head out of this brain freeze that it's been in lately. Hopefully I've been giving you some good insight on what the songwriting process is all about.

Last Wednesday's word was "human". I tooled around with the word a little bit, mostly last Friday while I was laying in bed. This is a ballpark figure but I'd say around 65% of my quality song ideas come after I've curled up in bed ready to doze off. I guess that's where my mind is finally relaxed. Often I'll hear full songs play in my head as if I just heard them on the radio. It's the epitome of frustration because I really don't want to have to get up but I'll take the inspiration whenever or wherever it comes.

I was lucky that this bit of inspiration concerning the word "human" came before lights out. I can't count how many times I've fumbled in the dark to find my cell phone to light my notebook just enough to get down a line or two. (No lamp on my side of the bed. No nightstand either. I like to think of myself as a minimalist at times.)

The somewhat sloppy lyric that flowed out of me that night has the working title "Tin Man". And yes, it's the very Tin Man you're thinking of from the Wizard of Oz. I got KJ the Sci-Fi miniseries for Christmas and the title found it's way into my title list. It seemed to fit my state of mind at the time as my thoughts wandered around the concept of what makes us human. The Tin Man from Oz sort of straddles the line of what you think to be human and what is not. I mean, he's made of metal, but he used to be a person, chopping wood like anyone else.

So are we human because we have skin, organs, bodies, or minds that can think rationally and fingers that can type blog posts? Scientifically, that's probably true. But are there times when you feel a little less than human, maybe because you're timid, scared, or don't feel you make a significant contribution to society? Or maybe because you feel alone and don't have someone to love? (Going to the Wizard to get a heart, see where this is going?)

Since the word "human" has got my synapses firing a little more than usual I'm going to extend the word for another week. We'll see what happens. Hopefully by then I'll have something to share or at least or more solid concept. (It's a big mess all over the page right now, but that's how I like it, it means my mind is working the way it should.)

Feel free to contribute in the comments below and let me know what "human" means to you. Keep rockin', you know I will.