If you're not involved in the music industry, you're probably under the impression that songs are written in their entirety by one person, and that if there is more than one person credited with writing a song, it's because they worked together as friends. However, many singers, from famous artists to small time lounge singers, cannot write their own music, and if they can, they may be skilled only at writing music or lyrics but not both. As you will see, there is room for all types in the music industry.

Some song writers write both parts of a song themselves - both the music and the lyrics. They may even perform these songs themselves, although this is not always the case. Many songwriters couldn't carry a tune orally to save their lives and are not able to play an instrument! All the same, they have an instinct for how musical notes can fit together harmoniously, just like natural born chefs can intuitively absorb a cooking lesson in Toronto and then go out and invent their own award winning dishes.