Dierks Bentley has written a long list of romantic tunes, including 'Draw Me a Map,' 'Come a Little Closer' and 'I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes.' So it's no surprise that Esquire magazine asked the happily married country star to write a guest column for their latest issue, appropriately titled, 'How to Write a Song (for a Woman).'

"Learn three chords: G, C, and D. If they're good enough for Bret Michaels and 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn,' they're good enough for you," he writes. "And a really slow ballad is best. Hum out a little melody, get to the chorus quickly, and keep it simple. Whatever you're playing is merely supporting your clever, sincere, heartfelt and occasionally funny lyrics that she never in a million years expected you to sing. The right words are 90 percent of what you're going for."

The multi-platinum selling singer says the lyrics are the most important part of the song, unless you're a reigning teen singing sensation. "Avoid the generic," Dierks insists. "The only reason Justin Bieber can get away with a whole chorus that uses only the words 'baby' and 'ooh' is because he's Justin Bieber. Specificity and originality beats cliché every time. So maybe instead of 'I love you, I need you the rest of my life,' go with 'I could live without your love -- I'd just have to get used to feeling numb the rest of my life.'"

However, Dierks is confident anyone can write a good song. "Greatness in this context is easy," he maintains. "You don't have to be Kris Kristofferson. (Or Mumford & Sons. I really dig their simple but gigantic lyrics.)"

Although, writing the perfect songs is meaningless unless the writer can deliver it. "Look at her," he notes. "And if you screw up, it's no big deal. When I forget the words during a show, I rewrite them on the spot. No one ever seems to mind. She won't either. (Some emergency rhymes: Crazy/baby, girl/world, apart/heart, desire/fire.) The key to screwing up a song is to laugh it off and press on. No matter what happens, good things are waiting for you after that last note."

Dierks is currently working on a follow up to his award-winning bluegrass album, 'Up on the Ridge.' He is in the middle of his two-month Jagermeister tour, with Josh Thompson and duo Miss Willie Brown serving as opening acts. See his concert schedule here.

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