Home / Quotes / Quote by Sufjan Stevens

Quote by Sufjan Stevens

“I think a lot of my interest in history now isn't so much in places and names and texts and public figures, but more in examining all the nuances and idiosyncrasies of particular stories of everyday people. And if that doesn't happen, then I usually transplant myself and my own stories to a particular historical event. Which is why you'll see me, the first person pronoun, interacting in a song about Carl Sandburg, or you'll find my [sic] interacting with Saul Bellow. It's sort of a re-rendering of history and making it my own.”

Quote by Sufjan Stevens

Author

Sufjan Stevens, born on July 1, 1975, is an accomplished American singer-songwriter. His music style blends folk, electronic, and classical elements, known for his unique creative talent and artistic expression. Stevens' songs often delve into themes of personal emotion, social phenomena, and religious beliefs, enjoying great popularity among fans. more

You May Also Like

“Songwriters I've always been drawn to are people who deal with something of depth in the lyric writing. ...I've always been influenced by the folk song, the storytelling tradition in folk music. And so for years I wrote mostly story songs. I still do that, but as I've gone on, it's gotten a little more personal. I used to write mostly in the third person. I write a little more in the first person now.”

“I've always thought that a lot of really good writers go wrong by getting so into the craft and the technique and perfection. Perfection can be the enemy sometimes. Some songs don't need to be told perfectly. Life is messy and has loose ends, and sometimes I think the songs should reflect that.”

Thinking Needs Should Writing Ends Sometimes Life Is Song Enemy Perfection Technique Crafts Songwriting Messy Good Writers Loose Ends

Author:Patterson Hood

“Hemingway was very sparse in his writing. Kris Kristofferson is like that. He can take four words and say it all.”

Writing Four Songwriting

Author:Todd Snider

“Kristofferson was writing what was really in his heart and saying it in ways we hadn't heard up till that point.”

Way Writing Heart Heard Songwriting

Author:Jeffrey Steele

“I don't own an ABBA album, and I never had the urge to go and buy one. If you're just talking about well crafted pop songs, they were fantastic.”

Ifs Wells Song Talking Albums Pops Fantastic Urges Pop Song Abba

Author:Phil Collins

“If you're in it because you love it and you have to do it, that's the right reason. If you're in it because you want to get rich or famous, don't do it. People often say that my first years in Nashville, when I wasn't getting anything cut, were tough. Hell, those were great years.”

People Ifs Want Writing Years Firsts Reason Hell Rich Cutting Tough Songwriting Get Rich Nashville Great Year

Author:Kris Kristofferson

“Solitude. It is way underrated in our world of writing. We stay busy. We act busy. We thrive on busy. The truth is there is a lot of beauty that lives in the solitude. Quiet is not the enemy. Quiet is necessary for brains to not self-destruct.”

World Way Writing Self Brain Enemy Truth Is Solitude Quiet Busy Thrive Songwriting Our World Underrated Self Destruct

Author:Bonnie Baker

“I write some crappy songs. ... but every once in a while I get just the right words put together for the right moment, and it feels like magic. There is no explaining the magic. It floats in and then just like that, it floats out. There's no amount of money that will buy magic. I've watched myself try to coax it, but it is only when I relax and totally allow magic to envelop me that it has ever been kind.”

Feels Writing Trying Kind Moments Together Song Magic Amount Relax Songwriting Floats Explaining Right Words Right Moment

Author:Bonnie Baker

“When I write, I never know the endings. What I think works in [my] stories is the fact that when I write, I really want to find out what is going on-I'm writing for myself as a reader. It's like when you dream a dream. I want to know what's behind the door. If I navigate, it's from a place that's totally intuitive.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Want Writing Facts Stories Dream Behinds Doors Reader Songwriting Intuitive Navigate

Author:Etgar Keret

“Writing is a way of living other lives. It is a way of expanding your life. It's not actually living a different life, it just means that you're hungry for life. There are so many things you want to do.”

Way Want Writing Mean Different Hungry Songwriting Expanding Different Life Actually Living

Author:Etgar Keret