“When I finished a song that I thought was good, I thought, I don't know where that came from, so I have no idea if I can do that again. I'm talking like, a hundred and fifty songs down the line. I still feel that.” IfsKnowsFeelsStillsI CanIdeasSongCan DoLinesTalkingHundredFinishedNo IdeaFifty Author:Trevor Rabin
“My main goal as a songwriter is to make something that inspires people. To write things about my life that people can relate to. Whether it's a whole record or just one song for someone, I hope it can do that for them. Knowing that I have the ability to do that is inspiring to me.” PeopleWritingWholeSongGoalCan DoAbilityKnowingRecordsInspireRelateJust OneSongwriters Author:Kate Voegele
“The very best thing you can do is to try to write a song that has some sort of impact.” WritingTryingSongCan DoImpactBest Things Author:Dar Williams
“Well I'm not just gon' go and do rap songs. I wanna touch, and maybe help, and see what I can do in these areas.' As I start looking around me, looking at things in ways that I can become helpful, starting at the first thing, water. Something as simple as water.” WayFirstsWellsI CanHelpingSongWaterCan DoSimpleAreasStartingRapHelpfulRap Song Author:Jay-Z
“I think in some ways, it can do a listener a disservice to explain a song. I think I'd rather leave a little room for people to put themselves in it.” PeopleThinkingWayLittlesSongCan DoRoomsListenersDisservice Author:St. Vincent
“I try to find little things that you can do to move the song along and things that serve the song.” TryingLittlesMovingSongCan DoLittle Things Author:Benmont Tench
“When songs fall from the sky, all I can do is catch them before they hit the ground.” I CanSongFallCan DoSky Author:Willie Nelson
“Back in the old days, everyone was shocked if a band had a sponsor for their tour. Now, Bob Dylan can do a commercial for Victoria's Secret and people don't really blink; the Beatles' songs are in all sorts of commercials these days and it doesn't seem to offend anybody. The times are changing.” PeopleIfsSeemsSongCan DoSecretBandThese DaysBobShockedDylanOld DaysBlinkVictoriaSponsorsVictoria's SecretTimes Are Changing Author:Judd Apatow
“Songs are pretty easy. They are small, they are modular, they are about as big as a bagel. They are easy to build. Films are overwhelming in their magnitude and scope. By comparison, a lot of film directors wish they were writing songs because you can do it while getting your hair cut.” WritingBigsFilmSongWishEasyCan DoCuttingHairDirectorsComparisonOverwhelmingYou Can Do ItScopeMagnitudeWriting SongsFilm DirectorsBagelsHair Cut Author:Tom Waits
“When I sing along with Britney Spears I will sing in an American accent. But eventually I found my own voice. My songs are so brutally honest, it would be alien to sing in any accent other than my own. Don't get me wrong - I can imitate singers. I can do bar mitzvahs and weddings.” I CanWould BeSongFoundVoiceCan DoMy OwnHonestSingersBarsAliensAccentsSpearsBar MitzvahBrutally HonestMitzvah Author:Ellie Goulding
“We're often afraid to do anything unless we know we can do it extremely well. But we get to Carnegie Hall by practicing. I remember how freeing it was several years ago to read in an interview with Joan Baez that some of Bob Dylan's early songs weren't so wonderful. We have this image of genius springing fully grown out of Zeus' forehead.” KnowsYearsWellsRememberSongCan DoWonderfulGeniusYears AgoInterviewsHallsBobDylanForeheadsZeusCarnegieCarnegie Hall Author:Marianne Williamson
“The whole trouble with a folk song is that once you have played it through there is nothing much you can do except play it over again and play it rather louder. Most Russian music, indeed, consists in ringing changes on this device, skilfully disguised though the fact may be.” MayPlayWholeFactsSongCan DoTroubleFolksDevicesFolk Songs Author:Constant Lambert
“To write a love song that might be able to make it on the radio, that is something that is terrifying to me. But I can definitely write a song about that chair over there. That I can do, but to sit and write a pop song out of the clear blue sky, that is very difficult and I admire the people that can do it.” PeopleWritingI CanMightAbleSongDifficultCan DoClearSkyBlueRadioPopsAdmireChairsBlue SkyPop SongClear Blue Sky Author:Barry Manilow
“Punk. . .was more a kind of do-it-yourself, anyone-can-do-it attitude. If you only played two notes on the guitar, you could figure out a way to make a song out of that, and that's what it was all about.” IfsWayKindTwoSongCan DoAttitudeFiguresNotesGuitarPunkDo It Yourself Author:David Byrne
“The easiest thing I do is assignment songs. They tell me what they need me to write. I can do that fairly quickly. Writing for an orchestra is difficult. Writing songs [on your own] is most difficult of all. Though [writing for] the orchestra is close.” NeedsWritingI CanSongDifficultCan DoOrchestraWriting SongsAssignments Author:Randy Newman
“Sometimes, the simple messages are the best thing music can do, really. Sometimes, songs can stir people up, motivate them to make change.” PeopleSometimesSongCan DoSimpleMessagesBest Things Author:Jack Johnson
“When you're writing a song and there are five people invested in it, it's easy for one person to say, 'Oh, this song is about this and that', and everyone has to hear the idea and see if they can do better.” PeopleIfsWritingPersonsIdeasSongEasyCan DoFive Author:Jason Mraz
“I'm not so in with the prescriptive avant-garde agenda. I can do that sort of thing, but I feel that I'm still interested enough in song structure. When I look at a lyric on the page, the lyric is alive to me, looking like soldiers in a field. I can move it around, and it's very black-and-white.” FeelsLooksStillsI CanEnoughMovingSongBlackCan DoWhiteAliveFieldsPagesStructureSoldierAgendasBlack And WhiteAvant Garde Author:Scott Walker