Book Review: The Words of Every Song

The Words of Every Song,by Liz Moore, was just one of many books I chose from the stack that Sarah was purging when she moved. I liked the title. I skimmed the description long enough to know it was about the music industry. I was sold.

I didn't quite expect this book to grab me, squeeze me, shake me and finally let me go, gasping for air. It's just a series of vignettes, the kind of thing you'd see in a Robert Altman movie, about the way the lives of strangers intersect. From Paul, the dad turned girl group Svengali, to Tommy, the rock star at the peak of his fame, the stories all speak of the danger of dreams. Of what happens when you have to give up the dream of stardom and work behind the scenes, and what happens when you get what you want, and it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Liz Moore is a songwriter, which is evident in her prose. She is able to weave a story out of few words, lyrical and lilting, flowing from one vignette to the next as simply as a chord change. Written in the present tense, there is an urgency to the story, as though everyone in the story is up against a deadline. The music business is a constant hustle, with age and attention span the biggest enemies.

I'll keep this book around, because I feel it's one of those books that will move me in different ways upon each reading, based on what's going on, how I've aged, or even just the weather or season. I recommend it lover of music and a lover of books.