- Songs should be accessible, but not TOO accessible. If you can sing along on the first try, that's TOO accessible. But if you've got the hook rattling around in your head after the fourth listen, that's about right.- Every song has its own destiny. I don't look for a consistent sound between songs -- each one eventually tells me how it should sound, what the arrangement and vocals should be. While each CD may have an overall feel, each song usually stands alone.- Songs are like really, really short stories, with nods to plot and character.- Leave something to the listener's interpretation most of the time. Words can spell things out clearly, but they can also create a fog that the listener has to peer through to find personal meaning.