Kevin - thanks for taking the time to do this.
Quote:

Songs of this "era" don't need a bridge

This is me adjusting to the country music rule of repeating the hook line x times for listener memorability.

I usually don't have a rhyming pattern in mind when I start a song - it depends on where the first line takes me and how the story unfolds to the beat. But my format is usually v - ch - v - ch - inst/bridge - v - ch - repeat hook in some way. This link that follows is loaded with Nashville ideas and analyses of country music formats. I find it all interesting. http://www.ascap.com/nashville/murphy/
Thanks for the suggestions - I tried singing them and - surprise! - it doesn't feel like me. LOL
Which of course it isn't.

Merry Christmas - Ian

Ian
My "Original Tunes" Site
My gene pool needs more chlorine.