No, I'm Not Interested In Co-Writing With You

     A few years ago, I was contacted by a guy who had written a charting country radio hit back in the '80s. He said he wanted to co-write with me. I told him we could check it out. Then he sent me a finished (but in my mind, poorly-written) song for us to work on. I told him I wasn't in the business of "fixing" people's songs, and that wasn't what I considered co-writing to be. He got very angry, and told me "I don't need nobody to tell me how to write songs!"

     That was the last I heard from him for a while.

     He approached me again, right after I came offstage one night about 6 months ago, to introduce himself, give me a business card, and inquire about co-writing. I politely tucked his card into my guitar case, but told him I didn't do much co-writing these days. I thought he would take the hint.

     I have run into him three or four times since then. He always tries to give me his card, and he always asks me about co-writing. I always tell him I'm not interested. I don't say "I've heard you play your songs, and they are nothing I am interested in", even though that's what I'm thinking. I attempt to be more diplomatic than that, but I guess I'm doing a poor job of dissuading him.

     He can't seem to grasp the fact that I am not interested in trying to write songs with him. There are a number of people who flock around him, and tell him he's "great". I guess it doesn't make sense to him that there is someone who doesn't think that. I am unfailingly polite to him, but crossing paths from time to time is as far as I want to take our relationship.

    Today, he stepped it up a notch, and sent me this private message:

          "i became a fan of your writing,ill never be able to write em like you do,

           your awsome,iam just learning songwriting, your a great 

           entertainer also, iam also sorry,for asking about cowriting,iam 

           not that good,a songwriter you probaly noticed that, so my 

           mastake,it wont happen again,my word, keep up your amazeing 

           carear,,your fantastic"

           "sorry to bother you,"

     He also attached a photo of his younger self, standing in a room with some instruments, and a bunch of records on the wall. Passive-aggressive, much? I guess he showed me.

     I'm still not interested in writing with him. Even less, now.

     I wonder how long before he asks again.