Bob Cheevers


A Maxim

June 15, 2017

The Webster dictionary definition of a”Maxim” is “A well-known phrase that expresses a general truth about life or a rule about behavior.” As a songwriter, I’m always on the lookout for maxims to use in my songs…especially maxims that push the boundaries of the Webster definition. For example, somewhere I read the following statement: “People say a lie can travel half way ‘round the world before truth can catch its breath”. That line felt like a maxim that espoused a great truth, so I decided it to make it the first line of a song. My job was to figure out a story for the song that would equal what I felt was such a powerful maxim. One of the biggest challenges for a songwriter is to turn a song title, maxim or other great idea into a complete story that supports that great idea. That moment is often a crossroads that separates the great writers from the “I have no idea where to go with this line” writers. Its a point where imagination takes over but even more that that, its the ability to follow where the muse takes you. Letting go and letting the song write itself is maybe the most important part of writing anything…the ability to be quiet and listen. You can hear where I went with the above-mentioned “maxim” by listening to the song “Falling” which is the last song on my “Tall Texas Tales” CD. My name is Bob Cheevers, and I’m an Emmy winning songwriter and the 2011 Texas Music Awards “Singer/songwriter of the year”.