Open Your Ears.

Sometimes, you can create a song by listening. Make it a conscious effort when you're around others, to truly listen to what they say. The more diverse the people that you associate with are, the more interesting your songs can be. Write down some of the phrases people around you use. Even people you don't know can provide excellent sources of inspiration, for songwriting greatness!

Sometimes, I like to sit down in a crowded place, and just listen to the people around. Being by yourself, isn't always a bad thing! If you're with friends, pay special attention to the funny one. There's always a funny friend in every group. If you're the funny person, find what situations trigger you to laugh, and write a song about it!

Another example of listening, if you're haveing a really hard time, is to take your inspiration from other songs. Don't steal a song straight out, but just get a feel, or a mood from whatever you may be listening to. To add a twist to this, I like to sometimes go on youtube, and find not so popular, but talented people, and listen to their music. There are millions of these random folk musicians out there on the internet, just dying to be discovered. Take a listen, and find your own melody, write based on the mood you feel from the song. Just because your song is inspired by an artist, doesn't mean it'll sound anything like that artist.

Good examples of songs inspired by other artists would include: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. Kurt Cobain himself said that all music is pretty much the same thing played in many different ways. This particular song was inspired by Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla"

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." By the Beatles. Not just the song, but the whole C.D. was inspired by the harmonies, and brilliance of the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" The originality that the Beatle's added however, was the fact that they pretended to be a whole nother band. This is one of the rare cases where the inspiration for something pales in comparison to the legacy that the artist who was inspired created.

Jack White!