Steven Tyler of Aerosmith

by Bruce Pollock

Emerging from the same fertile New England delta that produced the Cars, Boston, and the J. Geils Band, Steven Tyler started his career as a drummer for the Chain Reaction, which was where I first saw him, on my first assignment as a rock journalist, playing a dance in Stamford, Connecticut in 1966, opening for the Left Banke. When I brought this gig up to him, years later, he almost seemed to recall the evening in question. "That was you?" he said.

Of course, with Tyler, you never know when he's making sense or when he's just making change. Matching wits and licks with Joe Perry, who was once a dishwasher at the club in New Hampshire where Tyler regularly played, he formed Aerosmith, which soared in the early '70s before crashing and burning by the early '80s, only to return a few years later, stronger.

In 1984, prior to the comeback awaiting a year up the road, Steven and I sat down for a talk on a subject near and dear to his heart: songwriting.
Tyler with Aerosmith<br>photo: Ross HalfinTyler with Aerosmith
photo: Ross Halfin
The Trees Heard It

All the bands I'd ever been in were the kinds of bands where everyone would always be practicing but never get anything clear when it came to writing songs. Then I saw this band in New Hampshire that was the makings of Aerosmith. It was Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Pudge Scott. They played at this place called the Barn, where I used to play. They were horrible, but the way they did "Rattlesnake Shake" was something else. Joe was really into Alvin Lee. And I went, if I can get this groove with this guy and start writing songs...

Then I met Joe on the front lawn of my parents' resort, Trow-Rico Lodge (in Sunapee, New Hampshire). Joe pulls up in his little MG. I was mowing the lawn. I said, 'Listen, maybe someday we'll have a band together.' I'll never forget saying that to him. It's in the trees. They heard it. It's still there.


You Jump on Something That's Really Pretty

My father was a classical musician. When I was a child in the Bronx, he had a piano in the apartment and he would literally practice four hours a day. That's what I grew up with. I don't play guitar or piano very well, but it seems to me as though it's easier to write on instruments I can't play too well. You don't have that many choices, but if you're well-versed and have a good ear, you tend to jump on something that's really pretty and work with it, as opposed to going to a million different changes and chords and augmented and diminished and so on.

So it's very easy for me to write on piano, where I'm limited although the piano is a limitless instrument. I play in the key of C, F, F minor. If somebody plays some chords I'll go "stop," and sing a melody over it. It's as easy as that. It comes natural to me. If you can get the melody line out of the way you can start working on other things. If you're collaborating with someone and you're both from the same school - which is a good song is a good song, a good tune is a good tune, and sometimes majors don't go under minors but when they do it's beautiful - if you both know about that then things can work out really good together.


It Brought a Tear to My Eye

I write about the joys of life, sometimes the sorrows. Some albums are more full of sorrow than joy, therefore, those albums didn't sell as well. People like to listen to music to identify with the songs. You don't want to identify with really down songs. I recognize when I'm in a down head. I'll write the song and stash it away in my memory bank. If it's a good song I'll put it on record anyway.

"Seasons of Wither" was written in the winter. It was cold outside. I was pissed off about the tour. I was pissed off about my taxes, which were $680,000 in 1976. Joey Kramer pulled a guitar out of a garbage can, put a couple of strings on it. It could only take four strings because the neck was bowed. You could shoot arrows with it.

"Dream On" was written four or five years before the group even started. I wrote it on an upright piano in my parents' living room at Trow-Rico Lodge, in New Hampshire. Never in a million years did I think I'd take it to guitar. When I transposed it to guitar Joe played the right fingers and Brad played the left hand on guitar. Sitting there working it out on guitar and piano I got a little melodramatic. The song was so good it brought a tear to my eye.

"Walk This Way" came out all at once. If you listen to the words, they're all really filthy. If you listen closely you'll hear that I disguised it quite cleverly. The song title evolved from watching The Three Stooges on TV. They walked this way and that.

Out of some of the worst times the best songs have come. I had all my ideas to the Rocks album in a manilla envelope. The whole album was finished and I left all the lyrics in a cab. I lost the whole thing, all the words to the songs. I had to go back to the Ramada Inn on 8th Avenue and sit with the headphones and bring it all back. I got about 50% of it. Can you imagine what was in that cab that went into the wastebasket?


It Got Ridiculous After a While

The way time goes by when you're in rock 'n' roll band is so strange. I started ten years ago and the first five years were wonderful. You'd just become a rock star and you'd just become famous, or semi-famous and it was all new. In the beginning we toured nine months straight. Maybe we'd be off for two weeks in Hawaii. But we were always touching new ground. The audiences were getting bigger and screaming louder. Then we'd come back and do an album. It got ridiculous after a while.

Then again, it's funny. It depends on how you look at it. There was literally a time when I would go home and roll off the bed and dial 71 for room service. For the last three or four years what I've been doing is wondering where the last ten years have gone. I'm wondering where the eight million dollars that I earned in the last ten years has gone. Sometimes I write about what I'm wondering. They become bummer songs. As Stevie says, now I no longer wonder; now I am a wonder.

November 30, 2012

Aerosmith Songfacts entries
Our interview with Joe Perry
Our interview with Brad Whitford

More Songwriter Interviews

Comments: 8

  • Heide Burge from Los Lunas, New MexicoI have always wanted to say thankyou to Aerosmith because one of their songs seriously saved my life. And a Thankyou to Tyler for his voice being the only constant in my life and the band its music being a constant. Seriously if God came down and asked me who (besides him) would I most want to thank in the world it would be Steven and the band. Thanks for letting me comment. 58 years old finally got to see concert April 26 2019 in Vegas but could not afford to meet them. THANK YOU AEROSMITH!
  • Rose from Ashland, WisconsinSteven Tyler and Aerosmith have always been 1 of my favorite all time bands. I grew up in Germany listening to them and I bought a lot of their albums, which I still have and still play. Seasons of Wither is definitely 1 of my all time favorite songs. Love learning new 'tidbits' about 1 of my favorite artists, Steven Tyler is an extremely talented singer, songwriter, and his music will never be 'old'. I love that man <3.....Rock on Steven Tyler!
  • Shannon from Camarillo Steven Tyler I have a question for you I really want to write song lyrics just like I you can you help me Steven Tyler I am your fan
  • Michelle from Manchester, NhBest rock band to ever walk my way.
    Aerosmith is the epitome of showing your worth, as a BAND.

    This band Worked their
    Butts off to sell TICKETS to their LIVE shows. They we legends
  • Nelson Barlow from New BrunswickI LISTEN TO ALL THEIR SONGS LIKE ANGEL, RAGDOLL AND LIVIN ON THE EDGE THEY ARE THE GREATEST ROCK BAND IN THE WHOLE WORLD.
  • Newport Pagnell from UsaIn Steven Tyler biography he says the title Walk This Way is from a line in Mel Brooks-Young Frankenstein movie.
  • Ed from Manchester, NhI used to go to the barn in the early 70's. A kick ass place and what I loved as much as the music, and the beer, and the chicks, was breakfast was served at closin' time, 1 AM! So frikin' great to be rather buzzed and for a few bucks have a full breakfast as usually it would stop the spins. LOL Great times. Steve lived 5 houses down from me in Sunapee Harbor. My brother had the same name as another band member and my name was the same as the brother of that band member. My sister went to school with "Mr Hamilton". Hey! Just respectin' my elders! Steve is just like you would think he would be like. A down to earth guy dealing with some of the same issues we all deal with and others we would LOVE to deal with. LOL. One day he came to a yard sale my Mom was having and he bought a brass umbrella stand. Don't we all need a place to park our umbrella ella ella ella yeah yeah yeah... Ooops. Sorry. I just like that song. Trow Rico was a place with a bunch of little cabins that people would rent out. So all in all, that's not a lot in the way of info or musical comments but more of a few memories I thought I would share without interfering with someone else's privacy. Like many things in life, its' something that you value more as you have less. TTFN
  • Fredson Chinaka from Nigeria.RockNRoll without Aerosmith Is Worthless.Aerosmith will ever reign in my life.
see more comments

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