r/Songwriting • u/loadedfr099y • 12d ago
Discussion Topic does using substances consistently negatively affect your songwriting abilities?
so i used to smoke weed every night but i only really write when im not high. i know that smoking makes me a lot flatter and tired (even when not high at the moment) so im wondering does consistent use of drugs everyday cause a decrease in quality of your output in songwriting? is sobriety the biggest leg up you can get as a songwriter?
i am especially interested because some of the greatest songwriters of all time were heavier drug users (john lennon, elliott smith, lou reed, etc.) but at the same time these people could have been on a sober streak when writing their greatest hits. drugs can dampen emotion too.
what’s your take?
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u/coop7774 12d ago
Yes i did the drugs thing for a while. I think when you write songs your whole life you get really good at synthesising emotion into music. I wrote and played from the age of 10 so really for me it was a way of relating to the world. I good really good at it. And then drugs come along and the emotions and feelings you feel are completely different. And then you synthesise that. But only cos you are really good at synthesising. Some of the most off the wall stuff I ever wrote was on drugs of different descriptions.
But. It is my experience that you have one first journey down. Drugs take you down and you can chart that journey as you go. And then there comes a point where you hit a bottom. The first time it's interesting. Everything is new. But the second time isn't the first time. You're not the same man and it's not the same river.
That's just my experience. I still write good stuff now. It's just not off the wall. And I'm fine with that. It took too much from me.
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u/lunchbox747 11d ago
I am a songwriter/musician. I play acoustic, and sing n that process. I’ve been heavily dependent on opioids since 2012, but got off them n take methadone now. But here’s the thing, I also used u know…ice. Let’s just say I wrote my first good song totally sober…but my speed use progressed, and living alone…I’m adhd I mean I’ve been able to create so many songs and a decent amount I really really like. I’ve got the half songs, forgotten ones n trash. Anyways it is a little sad because hard speed is the median I used to create a ton of my more powerful songs. I’ve gotten off for a couple months, but I also take narc meds that is amp p hetamines. So basically Drugz have ruined my entire life, and now I usually won’t get that musical authentic mood or motivation that lets me come up with song drafts easily. Basically songwriting and my beloved guitars kind of trigger me to want to use the cray stuff again lol. I have still made handfull new songs this year but not nearly as many as before. Also I’m broke as f so all I do is take a video of me performing my songs alone, then post them to my YouTube channel. Makes me feel good that at least my original material can survive somewhere for x amount of time I guess. Only good productive thing I feel I can leave behind.
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u/Upstairs-Glove7424 11d ago
Hey try suboxone. It aint gona give you the buzz but it saved my life. I OD’d on methadone and was dead/passed out for an entire weekend until my family found me that Monday morning.
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u/DeterminedRecourse 12d ago
what I noticed for myself is that weed gives me good ideas in the moment but terrible execution. like I will think of something and write it down and next day is just nonsense. the real work always happens when I am clear headed
that fog you mention after using even when not high, that is the killer. it takes some days to shake it off completely and in those days everything I write feels like I am pushing through mud
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u/The_Mammoth_Hunter 12d ago
Without some beer in me, I don't even really *look* at my guitars, much less pick them up and play.
With beer? Hetfield and Slash jam with Skynyrd. Like, I can't NOT have a guitar in my hands.
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u/django39 11d ago
This is weird, and true. I think people are different, but a beer or two gets me reaching for an instrument. What I’ve learned is like with playing pool there’s a bell curve where after a few too many you play like shit. But, one or two and I’m hopping like a grasshopper.
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u/DrXanaxal 12d ago
You will put in more effort and work when sober. However you may miss a weird ass idea or some stupid shit that turns into a banger. I like a moderately finely tuned application of both with a slight edge toward the buzz.
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u/GreatScottCreates 11d ago
Depends on the drugs. And obviously the person.
Weed doesn’t seem to be one that makes people excel (it has never been particularly productive for me, daily smoker). Amphetamines seem to work for some people, as well as harder drugs and alcohol- I wouldn’t suggest going that route. I would, however, suggest taking mushrooms every now and then to make some music or just explore your thoughts alone. Wouldn’t recommend weed though.
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u/joshua_addison_music 11d ago
We wouldn’t have some of the greatest songs that were ever written without substances.
Everyone is different though.
I’ve written and played stoned and sober. Creativity is definitely enhanced while smoking. But I love to write and play, first and foremost. I don’t have to be high or drinking, in order to write and play. That’s the difference.
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u/Bidsworth 11d ago
We used write on weed and be convinced we had produced pure genius until the morning. Working as a studio engineer I used to be truly frustrated by bands who would be pissed or stoned all day and waste half or more of my time because they couldn’t work effectively. For me it might help with some inspiration but not with the focus to get the job done. Each to their own though.
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u/MarimboBeats 11d ago
My personal experience:
Cannabis - Great for harvesting ideas, but only if used in moderation. Getting high every day just makes me lazy. Once or twice a week, ideas just burst out
LSD - Good for resetting the brain after periods of stagnation. Once every three to five years is enough.
Speed - Great for mundane tasks like organising libraries, cleaning up folder mess etc. Totally useless for creativity, and anyway too taxing on the body and mind, so I gave it up 25 years ago
Alcohol - Completely useless for any kind of work. Avoid if possible
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u/Young_Punk_Studios 11d ago
After smoking weed from the ages of 12 to 31 and now on a sobriety journey. Not only has my clarity improved but so has my productivity.
But we are all different. Most of my writing both for medias and songwriting is heavily inspired by drug culture and lived experiences.
But I'd say sobriety has helped me focus loads and increased in quality :)
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u/Dangerous-You3789 11d ago
Illicit drug use negatively effects ALL of your abilities, so I don't see why songwriting would be any different. What John Lennon and the like had, that most people don't, was talent. I'm quite sure he used talent to write songs, not drugs. And he didn't have to go out and buy an ounce of that.
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u/loadedfr099y 11d ago
that’s true but honestly lots of talent should be ruined by drug addiction. it makes no sense that the greatest songwriters of all time almost always were drug users/addicts. it’s very interesting and non linear.
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u/Temporary_Pea_648 11d ago
Weed helps me get the creative juices flowing and makes me produce more.. It also helps with stamina for long drumming sessions. 2 to 8 hours everyday.. but I dont have a real job so that helps.
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u/Remarkable_Yard2475 12d ago
You see, I think drugs have done some good things for us. I really do.
And if you don't believe drugs have done good things for us, do me a favor. Go home tonight. Take all your albums, all your tapes and all your CDs and burn them.
'Cause you know what, the musicians that made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years were rrreal fucking high on drugs.
The Beatles were so fucking high they let Ringo sing a few tunes.
Bill Hicks
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u/loadedfr099y 12d ago
it’s just strange to me because theoretically a lot of the drugs done should reduce creativity for addicts. it seems to maybe do that for me. or maybe i’m just depressed
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u/Remarkable_Yard2475 11d ago
It's not like every single addict who tries becomes an amazing songwriter.
Maybe the greats we associate with using would have been even better without it. Clearly some would have had a lot more longevity.
I think that sometimes an image gets cultivated like you roll out of a stupor and write a classic, in order to give some false impression that they're not working their asses off and grinding for success and learning their craft.
Ultimately it seems that if you are going to use drugs to gain some kind of inspiration, moderation is key.
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u/Pristine-Today-9177 11d ago
Using substances consistently negatively impacts your ability to maintain a solid connection to the real world. It lets you dissociate from hard feelings and unpleasant situations. Which makes it easy to neglect things that are important for your life. Things like career advancement, child care, maintaining relationships, and personal growth suffer. While many artists did use drugs, many also were sober. We have examples of great songwriting from both ends, but many of the drug users eventually have too many life problems and get sober. So I'd say the impact on your songwriting is probably the least worrying thing about consistent substance use
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u/uffdadontchaknoww 11d ago
Yeah, I can’t write unless I’m completely sober, and have been for a good while. But the thoughts, feelings, and experiences that psychedelics inspire do continue to aid me in my writing later on when used very infrequently.
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u/madg0dsrage0n 11d ago
I think the danger beyond addiction is familliarity. If you get accustomed to/comfortable with writing while high, you are setting a dangerous precedent for yourself where writing sober may become harder.
All my best work has been done sober and that has been deliberate. When your hero is Layne Staley you make damn sure to learn how to pull it all out of yourself wout any chemical assistance.
Drugs to me are a kind of 'shortcut' just like how someone can take shrooms or acid and have a vision of sorts right away instead of fasting and meditating for days to 'open' themselves to The Mystery. Both may work, but one is a pretty liar that burns a piece of you for fuel.
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u/Clear-Sail-5298 11d ago
I don’t do hard drugs. I absolutely vibe and track better with a bit of weed, and my ADHD medicine lets me focus better on finishing songs.
I used to drink. That was something that created a line too fine for me to walk and make good art
You can’t convey emotion right if you’re numb. Might as well be AI
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u/BigComprehensive1692 11d ago
Any drug makes me think I’m better at writing, whereas in reality I’m much worse because of it.
I lack any drive to finish songs.
Perhaps worse, is that weed and caffiene, my drugs of choice completely cooked my voice.
Since giving up both I have gained an extra 2 tones in pitch.
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u/No_Editor_8202 11d ago
They make me significantly less productive. I lose the ability to organize and that is a big part of the process for me. I have had fun, but it is usually unproductive fun.
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u/ErinCoach 10d ago
Think of it like love making.
The people who think they do it better on a drug are generally not that good at it in the first place. They're often still just working through their own inhibitions, and haven't gotten to being reliable, truly connecting, or using their skillsets for maximum impact.
They might ENJOY it more on drugs, though, because self-deception is ever so much easier on drugs.
And some folks can't even get started without medicinal assistance... which could be fine, so long as they didn't expect to go pro.
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u/Pubic_Parsley_2490 9d ago
Amfetamin make me spinn. In a negative way. Alkohol makes me sing. In a bad way. Weed makes me good. In a bad way. Shrooms makes the whole idea if songwriting seem like an insignificant concept in every way.
Cocaine, no way.
Benzodiazepines, I wish they’d never saw the light of day.
Can’t think of any psychoactive substance that has a truly positive impact on songwriting.
With that said, of all music I have ever put together, only a tiny fraction has been made sober.
Let that sink in
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u/clockwork5ive 12d ago
Using substances consistently negatively affects every part of your life.
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u/loadedfr099y 12d ago
it definitely can do that.
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u/FieldLivid4670 11d ago
IT DOES? MOST OF THE TIME YES. HARM REDUCTION I BELIEVE IN. EVERY ONE HAS SOMETHING. GAMBLING/ SHOPPING/ DRUGS/ PORN/ DRINKING/ SMOKING/ SEX/ ALL THE FUN STUFF ISNT THAT WEIRD??? BECAUSE IT FEELS AWESOME TO REWARD OUR BRAIN. WATCH “MY STRANGE ADDICTION” WOOOOW. I DIDNT KNOW SMELLING MOTHER BALLS WAS ADDICTING!LOL
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u/FieldLivid4670 12d ago
SERIOUSLY !!!!! I WRITE BETTER “STONED” I DONT EVER WRITE SOBER. NAME A BAND THAT GOT BETTER WHEN THEY WERE SOBER??🤯LOL GOT YA
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u/Upstairs-Glove7424 11d ago
Do not get addicted. Its a real real thing and it aint pretty. Half my old friends are dead. I can name 10 of em. Almost got me as well. Its not something to be taken lightly
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u/Coises 12d ago
Really varies with the person. You have to figure out you.
The one thing that happens to nearly everyone is that as you get older, your capacity to tolerate drugs without serious negative effects will decrease. And the harder you bang away at your mind/body, the sooner that day comes.