If you're a fan of David Lee Roth, you probably already know that he's responsible for some of the most iconic lyrics in rock music history. But did you know that he has a peculiar but brilliant way of writing those lyrics and coming up with ideas for his songs?
In a recent clip from the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Roth shared his creative process for writing lyrics he calls “ banking”. He starts by making a list of "titles, phrases, and words that are just intriguing," and then he uses those as a jumping-off point for his lyrics.
Roth explained that he often comes up with his titles and phrases by taking inspiration from things he sees and experiences in his daily life. He mentioned that he once saw a sign that said "Slow Children" and immediately wrote it down as a potential title for a song. He also mentioned that he keeps a notebook with him at all times so he can jot down any interesting phrases or ideas that come to him throughout the day.
Once he has his list of titles and phrases, Roth starts to build his lyrics around them. He likened his process to putting together a puzzle, where each piece (or lyric) fits together to create a cohesive whole. He also mentioned that he likes to incorporate multiple meanings and layers into his lyrics so that listeners can interpret them in different ways.
One example he gave was his classic Van Halen song "Panama." The title was inspired by a car he saw in a parking lot with a Panama license plate, but he also used it as a metaphor for a woman's anatomy. Roth explained that he enjoys playing with language and using double entendres to make his lyrics more interesting and memorable. Check out the video
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