They're Playing My Song - (Excelsior Editions) by Bruce Pollock (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The greatest songwriters of the rock era tell how they created their biggest hits.

They're Playing My Song collects for the first time over fifty in-depth, personal interviews with the greatest songwriters of the rock era. Author Bruce Pollock has been writing about rock and pop music for over six decades and has enjoyed unique access to leading songwriters, some well-known, others only known through their work. His interviews span all genres, from doo-wop to hip-hop, and all of pop music's greatest eras from the fifties to today. Unlike other books that focus on personalities, Pollock focuses on the songwriter's craft, encouraging his subjects to reflect on how they've created the hit songs that defined their eras. A sensitive interviewer with a deep knowledge of the songwriter's work, Pollock is able to draw unique insights from a range of songsmiths, from John Lee Hooker reflecting on how he created some of his iconic blues songs, to Paul Simon's deeply analytical approach to crafting his hits, to contemporary songwriters like Julie Gold who speak to the ever-changing world of the pop music industry. Many of the interviews have been expanded and updated from their original publication. Anyone interested in how songwriters approach their craft will be enthralled by this book told in the unique voices of the creators themselves.

Review Quotes

"Songwriting is a mysterious gift. It's a blessing. A calling. For an illuminating inside glimpse at some of this magic, read this book." - Julie Gold, Grammy Award-winning songwriter

"Bruce Pollock has been writing about songs and songwriters from the inside out, and the history from the outside with great perspective for decades. He knows, he cares, and he delivers. It's why his books have such resonance, and his insight is so trusted." - Holly Gleason, editor of Woman Walk the Line: How The Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives and Prine on Prine: Interviews and Encounters with John Prine

"Pollock is perhaps the most important scholar of American pop music." - Greg Shaw, founder, Bomp! Records

About the Author

Bruce Pollock has been writing about rock music since the 1970s when he began his career as a music journalist. The author of over twenty-five books, he is a well-known authority on popular song.