Best Songwriters Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 8

“From the moment [Bob] Dylan arrived as a songwriter, he was [so] much better than everybody else around.”

“I was comparatively late in understanding Bob Dylan's overwhelming importance as a songwriter. Everybody who does my job exists in the shadow of Bob Dylan. There are two categories: Dylan and everybody else. It's as simple as that. And it's going to be that way until he dies.”

Way Doe Two Jobs Dies Understanding Simple Late Shadow Importance Categories Overwhelming Bob Songwriters Dylan

Author:Steve Earle

“There are some singer-songwriters who start out as poets. So someone like Leonard Cohen wrote and published poetry in the early 60s, but then started writing songs. Bob Dylan's a poet in the sense of bard, aoidos or vates.”

Writing Song Poet Singers Bob Songwriters Dylan Singer Songwriters Writing Songs Bards

Author:Richard F. Thomas

“I think Americana music is music that is generally more singer/songwriter oriented. It has more to do with the songwriting. The music, it's more like stories set to music.”

Thinking Stories Music Is Singers Songwriting Songwriters Singer Songwriters Americana

Author:Billy Bob Thornton

“The [Nobel] prize is for literature.[Bob] Dylan is a songwriter. Here is where the argument starts to get interesting, because here is where it is no longer a question of either cultural orthodoxy or personal taste.”

Literature Interesting Taste Argument Prize Bob Songwriters Dylan Orthodoxy Nobel Nobel Prize Personal Taste

Author:David Bennun

“The confessional singer-songwriter movement of the 1970s was in full swing, and Bob Dylan's emotional album [ Blood on the Tracks] resonated with the times. There would be other hits, but never the same alchemy of emotion and time.”

Would Be Emotion Blood Movement Emotional Track Albums Singers Bob Swings Songwriters Dylan Alchemy Singer Songwriters

Author:Bob Dylan

“I just figured if I'm going to call myself a songwriter throughout my life, then writing for most genres of music is something I should at least attempt.”

Ifs Should Writing Music Is Genre Songwriters Genres Of Music

Author:Phil Collins

“I think Bob Dylan's a good songwriter. I think he's the best songwriter in the world probably.”

Thinking World Bob Songwriters Dylan

Author:Chrissie Hynde

“I wanted to honor [George Gershwin]. He's a great American songwriter.”

Wanted Honor Songwriters Great American Gershwin

Author:Kristin Chenoweth

“What was nice about the nineties is that it was an example of music that responded to a desire of the times. It spoke to the social conditions of the times. Women were making more money. Women were saying, "My voice counts. If we're going out on a Friday night, I don't want to see a Rambo movie. I want to go see a singer/songwriter who sings about my life".”

Ifs Want Desire Night Social Voice Nice Conditions Example Singers Spokes More Money Going Out Songwriters Friday Singer Songwriters Friday Night Social Conditions Rambo

Author:Dar Williams

“Adam [Cohen] is a great singer-songwriter in his own right.”

Singers Adam Songwriters Singer Songwriters

Author:Leonard Cohen

“I think that any songwriter - and I think that Bob Dylan knows this more than all of us - you don't write the songs anyhow.”

Thinking Knows Writing Song Bob Songwriters Dylan

Author:Leonard Cohen

“I tell the songwriter's story. When I read people's lyrics, I'm so amazed. I want to tell this story and make it part of my life. I usually can't write lyrics down, but I can sure tell that story. You've got to make people feel the hurt and love in each song.”

People Want Feels Writing I Can Stories Song Hurt And Love Songwriters Amazed

Author:Sharon Jones

“I was one of several songwriters I think interviewed [for Moana]. I'm a huge fan of Disney animated movies, and I've always wanted to write an animated score since I was a little kid.”

Thinking Writing Littles Kids Wanted Fans Huge Score Songwriters Little Kid Animated Animated Movies

Author:Lin-Manuel Miranda

“It's hard to be serious about so many things. [Look at the whole emphasis] on the charts, if you're a songwriter.”

Ifs Looks Hard Whole Serious Songwriters Emphasis

Author:Leonard Cohen

“[George Michael] is a great songwriter and he makes very classy videos, like me.”

Video Like Me Songwriters

Author:Madonna Ciccone

“Its hard to take in. One of our most talented singer songwriters has left us. RIP George Michael. Such sad, tragic news. 2016 please end.”

Ends Hard Left Please News Singers Tragic Songwriters Rip Singer Songwriters

Author:Mick Hucknall

“I'd like to talk to Bob Marley. I'd just like to ask him what was his method. Bob is one of the greatest songwriters ever. I don't know if people understand how powerful his songs are and the simplicity and genius behind them.”

People Ifs Knows Song Asks Powerful Behinds Genius Method Simplicity Bob Songwriters Marley

Author:Bruno Mars

“I think perhaps people don't dig deep enough when they're looking for covers, so you get the same things covered over and over again and there are 'go-to' songwriters that people choose.”

People Thinking Enough Covered Songwriters Dig Deep

Author:Tracey Thorn

“As a songwriter, the minute you start having sex, you can totally see the difference in the writing. You become an adult - that's kind of the whole backbone of it, really, your identity as a person and what sex means to you.”

Writing Kind Mean Persons Whole Sex Differences Minutes Identity Adults Songwriters Backbone Having Sex

Author:Nick Jonas

“People don't tend to notice, but in the past 10 years especially there's been a lot of growth in how I write songs and what goes into them. You can listen to Mountain Goats from 1991 to 2007 and never hear a seventh chord. In 2007 or 2008, I started working on the piano to grow as a songwriter. I started throwing major sevens in and sixes and more interesting stuff.”

People Writing Years Past Song Grows Stuff Growth Interesting Mountain Majors Piano Throwing Songwriters Chords Goats Interesting Stuff

Author:John Darnielle

“I was sixteen, I became a working guitar player gigging in LA, mostly in top 40 bands, then touring. I learned to take songs apart, down to their bones. Songwriters would hire me to produce their demos, which lead me to become a songwriter. The relationship and power music has to TV and film attracted me to composing [and] I learned to write for instruments other than guitar.”

Writing Film Song Player Produce Tvs Band Instruments Guitar Bones Songwriters Touring Sixteen Composing Guitar Player Leading Me Demos

Author:Danny Jacob

“Patti [ Scialfa] was an artist and a musician and she was a songwriter. And she was a lot like me in that she was transient also. She worked busking on the streets in New York. She waitressed. She had - she just lived a life - she lived a musician's life. She lived an artist's life. So we were both people who were very uncomfortable in a domestic setting, getting together and trying to build one and seeing if our particularly strange jigsaw puzzle pieces were going to fit together in a way that was going to create something different for the two of us. And it did.”

“Songs come when they wanna come and I'll work at it when I feel like working at it. There are some songwriters that write every day, and I'm definitely not one of those guys. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's just kind of what I do.”

Ifs Knows Feels Writing Kind Guy Song Good Things Bad Things Songwriters

Author:William Clark Green

“Trying to make your own sound is hard. When I was producing for other artists, I could just produce and write songs as a normal songwriter, and almost make them generic. The artists themselves, whoever is singing that song, can put their own twist on it. When it came to my own material, I had to really dig deep, because I was just writing generic stuff. It sounded like everybody else, like Justin Timberlake, like Usher. I never wanted to sound like someone, that's when you know it's not going to work.”

Knows Writing Trying Hard Wanted Artist Song Stuff Sound My Own Produce Materials Normal Singing Songwriters Going To Work Twists Justin Dig Deep Generic

Author:Karl Wolf

“I just love all the music. My grandma was a church organist for 40 years, and she got me into jazz music and great songwriters, Harold Arlen, George Gershwin, all those folks. I can't do it, but I have a profound respect for it.”

Years I Can Church Jazz Profound Folks Songwriters Jazz Music Grandma My Grandma Gershwin

Author:Zach Anner

“I try to write lyrics that will be able to function on their own if they get separated from the music. But I wouldn't want to take anything away from poets, who work without the frames songwriters get from melody, and I think lyrics should be considered as their own thing.”

Ifs Thinking Want Should Writing Trying Able Poet Function Melody Songwriters

Author:John K. Samson

“Writing for somebody else is really fun 'cause I consider myself a songwriter first and foremost.”

Writing Firsts Fun Causes Songwriters

Author:Kesha

“Any pianist and singer/songwriter would say "Carnegie Hall." It's such a legendary place. I'd love to play at Carnegie Hall. That's definitely dream of mine.”

Play Dream Mines Singers Halls Songwriters Singer Songwriters Pianist Legendary Carnegie Carnegie Hall

Author:Angela Aki

“My aspirations and dreams keep evolving. I think dreams evolve and I want to become a better songwriter. I want to do more collaboration within my genre and I want to continue to make records. I want to just keep getting stronger as a musician and make movies.”

Thinking Want Dream Records Musician Stronger Evolve Genre Aspiration Collaboration Songwriters Getting Stronger

Author:Morgan James

“Being a better songwriter, that's top of the list because I think that is a very intimidating, difficult task. I really admire people that just continue to write and get stronger.”

People Thinking Writing Difficult Tasks Stronger Lists Admire Songwriters Intimidating Difficult Tasks

Author:Morgan James

“America's a funny place. Every time I've come over it just feels absolutely gigantic and massive. I've always had good shows there, but I just go and come back, feeling like another singer/songwriter in a sea of thousands of singer/songwriters. I don't really know what "breaking it in America" is or means. I just focus on touring day-by-day, and show-by-show, and see where it goes.”

Knows Feels Mean Shows Feelings America Focus Sea Singers Over It Massive Songwriters Touring Singer Songwriters

Author:Conor O'Brien

“Each song has its own secret that's different from another song, and each has its own life. Sometimes it has to be teased out, whereas other times it might come fast. There are no laws about songwriting or producing. It depends on what you're doing, not just who you're doing.”

Different Sometimes Might Law Song Secret Depends Songwriting Songwriters Writing Songs

Author:Mark Knopfler

“A lot of people pretty much only listen to the chorus.”

People Songwriting Songwriters Writing Songs Chorus

Author:Lenny Kravitz

“I don't think about the styles. I write whatever comes out and I use whatever kind of instrumentation works for those songs.”

Thinking Writing Kind Use Song Style Songwriting Songwriters Writing Songs Instrumentation

Author:Lenny Kravitz

“I definitely consider myself a songwriter first because that's my best attribute.”

Firsts Attributes Songwriters Chad

Author:Chad Kroeger

“Social media is a giant distraction to the ultimate aim, which is honing your craft as a songwriter. There are people who are exceptional at it, however, and if you can do both things, then that's fantastic, but if you are a writer, the time is better spent on a clever lyric than a clever tweet.”

People Ifs Social Can Do Media Ultimate Aim Social Media Clever Crafts Fantastic Giants Distraction Songwriters Exceptional Tweet Honing

Author:Bryan Adams

“A songwriter writes songs all the time, whereas just writing a song can be done by anyone, anytime.”

Writing Done Song Music Songwriting Songwriters

Author:Bryan Adams

“I've always felt, even as a songwriter, that the rhythm of speech is in itself a language for me.”

Language Felt Speech Rhythm Songwriters

Author:Cyndi Lauper

“I always saw myself as a singer-songwriter, a solo-artist, that's why working with other artists was never satisfying for me.”

Artist Saws Singers Satisfying Songwriters Solo Singer Songwriters Working With Others

Author:John Legend

“I feel I want to grow as an actress and be better. I want to progress as a singer and songwriter, and produce movies and everything. So there'll be no time when I feel I've done it all.”

Want Feels Done Grows Progress Produce Actresses Singers Songwriters

Author:Jennifer Lopez

“When people who are songwriters say 'That's my property and if you give it away for free then I'll lose my incentive,' then, well, good riddance.”

People Ifs Giving Wells Loses Property Songwriters Incentives Riddance Good Riddance

Author:Ian MacKaye

“There's so much fear involved in trying to do something you don't know how to do that drugs and alcohol can become a big part of your life if you have an addictive personality or are very unsure, which most songwriters are.”

Ifs Knows Trying Bigs Know How Personality Involved Drug Alcohol Songwriters Singer Songwriters Drugs And Alcohol Unsure

Author:Barry Mann

“I feel, as a songwriter, it's one of the hardest things to do - to sit down and say how you feel.”

Feels Down And Hardest Things To Do Songwriters Hardest Thing How You Feel Hardest Thing To Do

Author:Bruno Mars

“Songwriters, you have to work - you have to wait for residuals. You have to pray that the song's going to be a hit. And then a year later, you might get a check.”

Years Might Song Waiting Praying Checks Songwriters

Author:Bruno Mars

“Today, I'd like to talk to Bob Marley. I'd just like to ask him what was his method. Bob is one of the greatest songwriters ever. I don't know if people understand how powerful his songs are and the simplicity and genius behind them, from 'Redemption Song' to 'Is This Love?' and 'I Shot the Sheriff.'”

People Ifs Knows Today Song Asks Powerful Behinds Genius Shots Method Simplicity Redemption Bob Songwriters Sheriffs Marley

Author:Bruno Mars

“When I listen to my favorite songwriters, they have such simple melodies and chords. I occasionally manage to stop at the right time, but all too often I keep on going until I have way too many notes and words. But that's just what I do.”

Way Simple Notes My Favorite Manage Melody Songwriters Right Time Chords Singer Songwriters

Author:Dave Matthews

“I wanted to be a blues guitar player. And a singer. And a songwriter. Not a shock jock.”

Wanted Player Guitar Singers Shock Songwriters Guitar Player Jocks

Author:John Mayer

“It's my responsibility as a singer-songwriter to report the news.”

Responsibility Media News Singers Reports Songwriters Singer Songwriters

Author:John Mellencamp

“You could write a song about some kind of emotional problem you are having, but it would not be a good song, in my eyes, until it went through a period of sensitivity to a moment of clarity. Without that moment of clarity to contribute to the song, it's just complaining.”

Writing Kind Moments Problem Eye Song Music Emotional Periods Complaining Clarity That Moment Songwriting Songwriters Sensitivity Moments Of Clarity Emotional Problems

Author:Joni Mitchell

Songwriters Quotes

Related topics

Songwriters Quotes