“Love Washes Off”
Written by Michael R. J.Roth
Interview by American Songwriter
Michael R. J. Roth scored 1st place in the March/April 2024 American Songwriter Lyric Contest for his song “Love Washes Off.” American Songwriter caught up with Roth to get the scoop on the inspiration behind the lyrics and other musings.
What made you decide to enter the American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest?
I have been entering for quite some time. I had some honorable mentions in 2003, 2008 and 2023. Two of those songs were co-writes with Harri Wolf, including the last year. I usually throw something in the ring when I get a chance. It’s one of the most affordable contests, so for the price of a good hamburger, I can enter a lyric. It is certainly one of the premiere lyric-writing contests, maybe the most important because it focuses on lyrics rather than just having it as a category prize. And it does the best promotion for winners I have seen.
How did you feel when you learned you won?
Very excited. Lyricists are, by and large, the ghost writers of the music business. Anything that gets us recognition is a big help along our musical paths.
What was the inspiration for your submission? Why did you want to write it?
I seem to have a genetic predisposition to sad love songs. It actually came from a writing exercise, writing down a list of song titles, during an NSAI workshop with Kim McLean. A few of them caught my eye, turned into song lines, and I started to play with them. The inspiration started later as I began writing the song. Ironically, the title was the last thing, the cherry on top of the song after it was written. I usually write the title last, after I figure out what the song’s about. For me, the writing is a journey of discovery. The exercise part is just a tool to jostle your mind into pondering the things it sets loose, a door from the subconscious. You want to write something that moves people, that can conjure up something from their own experience.
What’s the story behind the song “Love Washes Off”?
There’s no particular story or person that inspired it. Like most people, I have experienced loss, and those experiences informed the song. Though I often write in the first person, I am not the characters in my songs. They are imagined characters, as if I were writing a novel or a movie script. In 300 words or less.
Have you written music for this lyric? If so, how would you describe it?
Working on it with Eric Ramsey. I was picturing a cross between a Parisian cafe and a sea shanty. He’s come up with a tune I really like. Click here to listen!
Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2024 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:
How long have you been writing lyrics?
As long as I can remember. I started out writing songs in high school, but poetry has always been a strong influence. My only claim to fame as a poet is a poem that was published in Rolling Stone. At some point, it seems everything started turning into a song. I think I like the discipline of songwriting, and its emphasis on writing to communicate to the listener. I guess I’ve been doing it for 50+ years.
What keeps you motivated as a songwriter?
Life. I write songs like people take photographs, you see or hear something that catches your attention, or impacts you, and you try to capture it so you can share it. Part of it is that need to make sense out of life and the things that happen to us. I guess for a lot of songwriters it’s a form of therapy, but you can’t let yourself get lost in that. It’s a craft, and you have to work at it. For me, I think it’s essentially a spiritual act, a kind of prayer, like the Psalms. I like to say that writing songs is like mining for stars. Doesn’t make sense, but it’s great when it works.
Who are your all-time favorite songwriters and why?
There are so many, but the one who has haunted me throughout my life is Leonard Cohen, who brought spirituality to music in a way that no one else had, and made sex a spiritual act. Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell were early influences as well, for their mastery of the craft. People like John Prine, Townes Van Zandit and Tom Waits were others who provided encouragement to write outside the box. There are so many good writers these days, but some of the people I look to for inspiration are Jason Isbell, Lori McKenna and Gretchen Peters. And friends like Eryn Michel, Mike P. Ryan, Eric Ramsey, Harri Wolf, Chris Robley, Scott Thorn, Shanna in a Dress, people I have written with. It’s good to have friends who inspire you and understand this odd business we’re in.
What’s next for you?
The next song. Who knows? You just have to keep moving. You cast your bread upon the waters.
What would you tell other songwriters who are considering entering the Lyric Contest?
Do it. Don’t give up. It takes courage to be a songwriter, and persistence. Don’t do it if you are doing it for any reason other than to write songs. You might never get those other things, but you can still write songs.
