Songs in the Rough: From "Heartbreak Hotel" to "Higher Love": Rock's Greatest Songs in Rough-Draft Form
Categories: Arts & Photography
Songs in the Rough is a 1996 book by singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop, published by St. Martin's Press. It reproduces handwritten rough drafts of well-known rock songs, letting readers see the crossed-out lines, revisions and early ideas behind lyrics that later became famous. The collection runs from "Heartbreak Hotel" to "Higher Love" and pairs the facsimile drafts with interviews with the musicians who wrote them. Across about 140 pages, it offers a look at how familiar rock songs took shape on paper.
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- Jimmy Fallon: “Loving this book by Stephen Bishop - compilation of hand written first drafts of super famous songs. If you can check it out - it's like a rock museum in a book.”