Best Songwriting Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 13

“Songwriting is Hell on Earth. If it isn't, then you're doing it wrong.”

Ifs Writing Earth Hell Songwriting Hell On Earth

“People like to say their songs are like children, but you gotta get those kids out there so they can make some money and pay the rent.”

People Writing Children Kids Song Pay Songwriting

Author:Amanda Shires

“By the time I wrote those first three songs for his new CD ... I wanted to push the poetics as hard as I could push them, and not decide the songs were finished until I committed them to whatever the recording format was. I went through drafts right up until I recorded every single one of them.”

Writing Firsts Hard Wanted Song Three Committed Finished Songwriting Cds Format

Author:Steve Earle

“For me songwriting is very...it's almost like an accident. 'Oh I accidentally wrote about that.' I sit down with the urge to write a song and then afterward it turns out being really personal. I get really overwhelmed by how I feel a lot and sometimes - I feel like my body and my brain can't deal with all the different emotions and I feel like I'm just going to explode.”

Feels Writing Different Sometimes Body Song Turns Deals Emotion Brain Accidents Urges Songwriting Being Real Overwhelmed Get Real Different Emotions

Author:Jessica Lea Mayfield

“That's the essence of songcraft: making something everyone can understand yet it still sounds new.”

Writing Stills Sound Essence Songwriting

Author:Tristen Gaspadarek

“The last thinkg I want to do is spend the rest of my life pretending to be 17 or 27. Now it's pretty interesting to me to see what can be said in the point of view of where I am now.”

Want Writing Said Lasts Interesting Views Point Of View Songwriting Pretending

Author:Tristen Gaspadarek

“Songwriting can be cathartic, but then you just keep it private. If you're going to play out and have other people listen to you, then you need to make sure there's some point to what you're saying.”

People Ifs Needs Writing Play Songwriting Cathartic

Author:Patterson Hood

“Every time I finish a song... most of the time it's in my own head, like this sounds too much like a Townes Van Zandt song, or whoever. I realize there are so many melodies and chord progressions in pop and rock music that are so similar that you can kind of trace it back to other things. Most of the time it's just in your head.”

Writing Kind Song Sound Realizing My Own Too Much Rocks Pops Melody Songwriting Vans Chords Progression Rock Music

Author:Conor Oberst

“Songwriting is ... all about intuition - this thing pops into your head for a reason and it's up to you to follow it. It's like there's a spirit, or intuitive network, that comes through all of us, but most people don't take the time to think about it or remember it. These little things pop into our heads - it's just a process of intuition. The initial thought comes in a baby state, and you work on that some more.”

People Thinking Writing Littles States Reason Remember Spirit Process Baby Pops Intuition Songwriting Little Things Intuitive Initials Up To You Time To Think

Author:Jim James

“Often the simplest song is the hardest to write.”

Writing Song Hardest Songwriting Simplest

Author:Patti Smith

“Songwriting is like working on a jigsaw puzzle, and it doesn't make any sense until you find that last piece. It has to make sense or it doesn't work.”

Writing Lasts Pieces Make Sense Songwriting Puzzles Jigsaw Jigsaw Puzzles

Author:Chrissie Hynde

“Songwriting becomes a conscious attempt to delve into the unconscious. Even those writers who scoff at the concept of a spiritual source for their songs admit that the phenomenon of having them simply arrive feels magical.”

Feels Writing Spiritual Song Source Conscious Concepts Unconscious Phenomenon Songwriting

Author:Paul Zollo

“The poems are part of my attempt to understand being in the world in an honest way.”

World Way Writing Honest Songwriting

Author:Dan Beachy-Quick

“Poetry challenges you. Much of its importance is that it's one of the few places left in culture that makes things difficult-it asks you to think, to perceive and not to take for granted what we think about the world.”

Thinking World Writing Culture Asks Left Difficult Challenges Importance Granted Perceive Songwriting

Author:Dan Beachy-Quick

“[The publication of his first poem] was wonderful ... but it taught me early on that the only thing that really matters is writing the next poem. Publication is best seen as a happy accident.”

Writing Firsts Matter Next Wonderful Taught Accidents Songwriting Publication Happy Accidents

Author:Dan Beachy-Quick

“The world does not know it needs poems any longer, but we believe it does.”

Knows World Needs Writing Believe Doe Songwriting

Author:Bin Ramke

“Lonnie says it doesn't take long to write a song if you're stricken with a severe case of the Tennysons. He wasn't necessarily talking about a chart-climber.”

Ifs Writing Long Song Talking Cases Songwriting Severe Climbers Tennyson

Book:Baja Oklahoma

Source: Baja Oklahoma

“I've always known that I was a gifted person. ... I've always felt like I would be punished, severely, if I didn't continue to make use of that gift. It's very important that you don't let the muscle get flabby. It's really hard, as an old human being, to press as much weight as you pressed when you were a kid.”

Ifs Writing Humans Persons Important Hard Use Would Be Kids Felt Human Beings Known Weight Presses Muscles Songwriting Gifted

Author:Merle Haggard

“We need to have music that contributes to the well-being of the spirit. Music that cradles people's lives and makes things a little easier. That's what I try to do, and what I want to do. You don't want to close the door on hope.”

“She knew the intensity of adolescence, and knew no cure for it except growing up. And then one has age and experience, and mourns the loss of intensity. Maybe it's why musicians and mathmaticians are said to peak young-poetry needs the fire of an unbounded universe.”

Needs Writing Said Age Young Universe Loss Growing Up Fire Growing Musician Cures Songwriting Intensity Adolescence Mourn Age And Experience

Book:Bleeding Kansas

Source: Bleeding Kansas

“When I write a song today, basically it goes on the stage tomorrow. That's the way it works. You cannont interrupt your consciousness; it all comes from the subconscious, it can happen anywhere. It could be in a telephone booth.”

Way Writing Happens Today Song Consciousness Stage Goes On Tomorrow Songwriting Subconscious Telephones

Author:Richie Havens

“All I know is when I start getting serious about songwriting... it's like a playground. All responsibilities slip away and you're with your essence. There can be delight there and self-discovery. You can dance there... I think of it as my serious playground.”

Thinking Knows Writing Self Responsibility Serious Discovery Essence Delight Self Discovery Songwriting Slips Playgrounds

Author:Laura Nyro

“I don't know exactly where the ideas come from, but when I get into a songwriting mode and it's coming along, it's like you're on the front end of a boat and you're going through the water, and the breeze is blowing through your hair and the water's smooth, and you're going out to sea. I love that feeling.”

Knows Writing Ideas Ends Feelings Water Sea Fronts Like You Hair Boat Songwriting Going Out Smooth Breeze

Author:Robert Earl Keen

“I think I have to work to write a happy song. I write them carefully; they're simple and they're about when it's fun to walk down the street. You know? Because that's the best thing about when you're happy. It's just one little thing that makes you happy, and you're making friends. The kind of thing I can do is capture this moment.”

Thinking Knows Writing Kind Littles I Can Moments Song Fun Can Do Simple Walks Streets Best Things Just One Songwriting Little Things Capture Make You Happy Making Friends

Author:Rickie Lee Jones

“I think it's absolutely possible to write a song and go somewhere where no one's been before, uncharted territory. In terms of content, I see limitations where there should be none. I know there are things I wouldn't write about, but that shouldn't be the case. You should be able to make a song out of anything, out of any situation.”

Thinking Knows Should Writing Able Song Term Situation Cases Limitation Songwriting Territory Uncharted Uncharted Territory

Author:Richard Thompson

“The healing power of music is vast. Music therapy is in its infancy in Western psychology. If we knew more, we'd be able to do amazing things, and maybe even make permanent changes in the brain's mysterious workings. With a simple song and four chords, you might be able to do something useful, even life-changing. With all the songs you know, you might be a virtual, veritable medicine chest for the right person.”

“Asked if he knew how important Stardust would be, Mitchell Parish said he did have a gut feeling that this was a momentous one. But had no idea it would become a standard. You don't sit down and write a standard, he explained. A standard evolves.”

Ifs Writing Said Important Ideas Feelings Would Be Standards Down And Evolve No Idea Guts Songwriting Stardust Parish Gut Feelings

Author:Paul Zollo

“The thing I'm writing now, I have various characters, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this couple dies. And they have a daughter. ...I thought, 'OK, we have to do something with the daughter' ... then I realized she's not really their daughter. She has her own story. And she's become the most interesting character. She was this throwaway character that I didn't even conceive of before I started writing her into it, and now she's become very important in this book.”

Writing Important Book Character Stories Dies Interesting Couple Daughter Various I Realized Songwriting Most Interesting Interesting Characters

Author:Sandra Dallas

“Well, [bluntness in songwriting]'s a lot cheaper than therapy.... There's been a lot of things going on for the past 10 years that I just never really confronted, or used metaphors to do so. This time out I wanted to make sure that everyone knows what I'm talking about and where I'm coming from.”

Knows Writing Years Wells Wanted Past Used Talking Metaphor Therapy Songwriting Cheaper Bluntness

Author:Brent Smith

“There's room for everyone. There's room for pop country, for 'rock & roll' country, for stone-cold country, and everything in-between. Great music is great music.”

Writing Country Rooms Rocks Cold Music Is Stones Pops Songwriting Great Music Stone Cold

Author:Miranda Lambert

“I definitely still have ... angst but I also wrote some songs that say it's okay to love, now. I'm happy in my life, and it's a bit easier to write happy songs when you are actually happy.”

Writing Stills Song Bits Easier Okay Songwriting Angst

Author:Miranda Lambert

“But the only rhyme he could summon for 'out' was 'sauerkraut,' which lacked poetic glory. He let it go. The right line would come in time. That was the thing about poetry. It crept up through the draws and coulees of the brain.”

Writing Lines Brain Glory Draws Poetic Songwriting Rhyme Let It Go Sauerkraut

Book:That Old Ace in the Hole

Source: That Old Ace in the Hole

“Be serious. Life hurts. Reflect what hurts. I don't mean that you can't also be funny, or have fun, but at the end of the day, stories are about what you lose.”

Writing Mean Ends Stories Fun Loses Hurt Serious Having Fun The End Of The Day Songwriting Serious Life Life Hurts

Author:John Irving

“Songwriting is like ... being possessed. You try to go to sleep but the song won't let you.”

Writing Trying Song Sleep Songwriting Possessed Songwriters Going To Sleep Singer Songwriters Writing Songs

Author:John Lennon

“I spent a fair amount of time editing the lyrics and allowing the song to kind of evolve. ... anytime there's anything worthwhile, it certainly 'feels' like it happened on the spur of the moment, but it's a composite of lots of spurs of the moment, hopefully. And over time, you catch up with those, and then you have a full set of lyrics you've thought of and you feel comfortable singing.”

Feels Writing Kind Moments Song Happened Amount Comfortable Singing Fairs Hopefully Evolve Songwriting Allowing Worthwhile Editing Spurs Composites Spur Of The Moment

Author:Jeff Tweedy

“I like to make up songs. And it's my opinion that all these songs mean a lot to me, but that doesn't mean I think everything needs to leave the house. If it helps me through my life and doesn't bore anybody in theirs.”

Ifs Thinking Needs Writing Mean Helping Song House Opinion Help Me Songwriting Bores

Author:Todd Snider

“I don't care how good a song is. If it holds back the storyline, stalls the plot, your audience will reject it.”

Ifs Writing Care Song Audience Don't Care I Don't Care Plot Rejects Songwriting Storyline

Author:Dorothy Fields

“A song doesn't just come on. I've always had to tease it out, squeeze it out. 'No thesaurus can give you those words, no rhyming dictionary. They must happen out of you.”

Giving Writing Happens Song Songwriting Dictionary Tease Rhyming Thesaurus

Author:Dorothy Fields

“Fearlessness, absolutely. Discipline. You also need open-minded creativeness that lets everything in. You never want to lose a word or a phrase, yet every one should count. Always the best language possible. And, finally, knowing when to leave it alone. Stop when it's done.”

Want Needs Should Writing Done Language Loses Knowing Discipline Phrases Songwriting Open Minded Fearlessness Creativeness

Author:Ben Harper

“Glen Campbell told me, 'Stay out of the way of a good song.' I think it's true. If a song's good, don't overdo it.”

Ifs Thinking Way Writing Song Songwriting

Author:Chris Isaak

“I think if you sing a song for the first time to your mom and dad, or your friends, and they go, 'That's pretty cool'-if you're playing at the local bar somewhere, or the coffee shop, singing songs, or if you have a gig somewhere and you're singing your own songs, I think that's some version of making it. ... It's not just about having commercial success; it's about having a great life.”

Ifs Thinking Writing Firsts Song Mom Dad Singing First Time Coffee Bars Locals Versions Shops Songwriting Gigs Your Mom Mom And Dad Coffee Shop Singing Songs

Author:Dierks Bentley

“Anyone involved with songwriting will testify to the fact that each song, no matter how pure or from the heart, has its own story, its own peculiar way of getting written.”

Way Writing Heart Matter Facts Stories Song Written Involved Pure Songwriting Peculiar

Author:C. Sigman

“I don't think I have any right to say I belong to that [Woody Guthrie/Bob Dylan tradition]. I think that's something that eventually maybe you get inducted into. I'm just experimenting.”

Thinking Writing Tradition Songwriting Bob Dylan Woody

Author:Justin Townes Earle

“There was no single moment when I thought, Aha! What a great idea! Rather there was a slow and gradual accumulation of numerous small ideas.”

Writing Ideas Moments Songwriting Accumulation Great Idea Single Mom Small Ideas

Book:The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel

Source: The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel

“At the time I begin writing a novel, the last thing I want to do is follow a plot outline. To know too much at the start takes the pleasure out of discovering what the book is about.”

Knows Want Writing Book Lasts Pleasure Novel Too Much Plot Songwriting Discovering Outlines

Author:Elmore Leonard

“It might be a meaningless moment, but those sparks that ignite the song.... It's mystical maybe, those magic moments. And to make music for a living, to perform these songs over and over, you have to safeguard those sparks. If you can do that, they'll last a lot longer.”

Ifs Writing Moments Might Lasts Song Can Do Magic Over You Songwriting Sparks Meaningless Mystical Ignite Magic Moments

Author:M. Ward

“I like using concrete imagery, but I don't feel that's what it's about. It's a combination of concrete and abstract to take the listener somewhere they know better than you. That's true for music, seeing a painting, watching a movie... it's all some kind of an escape.”

Knows Feels Writing Kind Seeing Painting Combination Abstract Songwriting Concrete Listeners Imagery Better Than You

Author:M. Ward

“If I'm writing... even a piece of a song... I write it down. If it still resonates six months down the line, a year, even five, those are the ones you put in your bag and you take to the studio. You come to realize, the ones that don't make it, they were only meant to live for that moment in your notebook or on the 4-track-and plenty of songs never get any farther than the 4-track.”

Ifs Writing Years Stills Moments Song Realizing Lines Five Pieces Months Six Track Studios Plenty Bags That Moment Songwriting Six Months Notebook

Author:M. Ward

“It was Rick's Rubin idea to have the 'Brooklyn' verse repeat. It already was a story, but having that made it a folk song. Instead of this rambling march of verses, Rick understands that music needs hooks. You need that repeated chorus, that everyone can sing along to.”

Needs Writing Made Ideas Stories Song Folks Made It Repeats March Songwriting Verses Hook Brooklyn Chorus Folk Songs Rambling

Author:Scott Avett

“I had a dream that Louis Armstrong was playing the 'Swept Away' melody. I have no idea where it came from. But Louis Armstrong was playing it and singing the song to me. I woke up-it's a borrowed melody no doubt-and wrote it down. If I hear a song and I choose not to put it down, that's me neglecting to accept that song. I think there's a very spiritual and godly-type ting that happens, and it happens to way more people than we know. It's just that very few of us choose to engage it.”

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Songwriting Quotes