You've heard the hauntingly beautiful music in movies, on radio and TV. Now, you can show a loved one how special they are with an exclusive playlist. Perfect for the copywriter in your life.
1. The English U - Alison Moyet
Moyet has been a radio staple since fronting 80s electro band, Yazoo. Her unmistakable vocals straddle sweeping strings as she pontificates the importance of grammar and apostrophes.
2. What a Day - London Grammar
These guys only made the list because they have the word grammar in their name. However, the song, What a Day, from their sophomore effort (seasoned music journo, see) is something all copywriters can relate to. From the haunting tribal call opening to the heart-wrenching crescendo, Hannah Reid's voice will bring you out in goosebumps every time.
3. Everday I Write a Book - Elvis Costello
You're not alone, Elvis. I spend 90% of my thinking time mentally writing a book. So far, I've only physically written one. But in my head, I could give Corin Tellado a run for her money.
4. Sealed With a Kiss - Jason Donovan
Okay, this was originally by Bobby Vinton, but I decided to dedicate this to my first love, Jason Donovan, who sent me all his love every day in a letter, I'm still waiting for them all to arrive. Bloody Royal Mail. So now, I seal all my copy docs with a kiss before I send them for a stakeholder review.
Ain't it the truth. Anyone who works in the creative industries knows that a copywriter is way more than words. We're strategists, analysts, psychologists and all-around entertainers.
6. Word Crimes - Weird Al Yankovic
While the rest of the world was outraged at the blatant sexism of smarmy crooner, Robin Thicke, Weird Al exercised his unique knack for the parody. This time focusing on word crimes... Perhaps Twitter trolls should spend more time on YouTube or Spotify (other music streaming sites are available).
7. Paperback Writer - The Beatles
No list about writers, words or anything remotely musical would be complete without The Beatles, since they did invent music. Lyrical hero, John Lennon was let down by his creative partner, Paul McCartney, the day he recorded The Frog Chorus with the inspired "pom pom pom, ayeyah".
Not a slur on my colleagues or rivals. This made the list purely because it mentions Jack Kerouac. Although, it's all about the pretentiousness of people who like On The Road and Nick Cave, which is me on both counts. Oops.
9. Broken English - Marianne Faithfull
The title track from the 60s legend's seminal (see, I'm at it again) album is actually about war, but with copywriters switching New Hart's Rules for social media no-rules to craft colloquial sentences, it's fair to say we're all speaking in broken English.
Taken from their third album, Just Enough Education To Perform, the song's meaning is a bit ambiguous. I think it's about the band's management, but could easily be about a tortured writer's solitude. And it's got the word writer in it.
There had to be a song from Bowie on the list, especially since he started his career as an ad man. And because of his unique way of writing lyrics. This particular track made the list because the life of a copywriter is about perpetual change. Sometimes good, sometimes for the sake of change, sometimes completely stepping on your toes.
