I’m often asked to write songs for TV commercials. The thing about TV commercials is they’re made by companies. And for the most part companies don’t want to offend anyone or be controversial. They need lyrics with a positive message that speaks to as many walks of life as possible.
How do I write a song that’s positive, inclusive, and as universal as possible? I ask myself, “Could Mister Rogers sing this?”
It’s a useful question because it quickly filters out the vast majority of lyrics. Lyrics I may have been confused about suddenly clearly work or don’t work. Let’s face it, Mister Rogers probably wouldn’t sing existential lyrics about whether we’re all alone in the universe. He certainly wouldn’t blame anybody or anything for his problems.
He would, on the other hand, sing about seeing the good in the world. He’d sing about being curious and full of wonder. He’d talk about friendship. He’d talk about facing adversity with honor.
Side note: I’m not saying you have to use the Mister Rogers filter for a song to be commercially viable. There are plenty of amazing and popular songs that Mister Rogers wouldn’t sing. But if you want to write a song for the majority of TV commercials, then consider it. Also, it doesn’t have to be Mister Rogers. That just works for me. Maybe yours is someone else. Oprah, Jesus, Ghandi, Dolly Parton. Anyone who embodies a spirit of kindness and inclusion.