Best Songwriting Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 18

“The first rule of improv is 'Never say no.' Use it when co-writing. To co-write, you need to be willing to be vulnerable with each other. You need to be stupid with each other.”

Needs Writing Firsts Use Stupid Willing Vulnerable Songwriting

Author:Chuck Cannon

“She did get put through the system with a lot of the hit songwriters, who were great songwriters, but it was more like 'This is how it's done here. It turned her off - not specific people, but the whole system turned her off. And she wanted to do something, I think, that she could play for her friends in Texas and they would say, Okay, well you're still Miranda.”

People Thinking Writing Wells Stills Done Play Whole Wanted Okay Songwriting Texas Songwriters Miranda

Author:Frank Liddell

“Maybe poetry's not so important, but ... it makes life worth living.”

Writing Important Songwriting Worth Living Life Worth Living

Author:Arda Collins

“It seems like songwriting for most songwriters is only one season in their life, a five or ten year period. For me, I don't worry about it, but I know there might come a day when I can't write anymore, or don't have good song ideas or the fire to do it anymore.”

Knows Writing Years I Can Ideas Seems Might Song Worry Fire Five Periods Ten Seasons Songwriting Songwriters

Author:Rodney Clawson

“I enjoy writing songs that could have been written before [my time]. When I feel like I'm tapping into a deep vein in the body of American music, it gives me strength as a writer, like I'm dipping my pen into a deep ink well. That's the folk music tradition. Like Pete Seeger said, 'Everyone's a link in the chain.' It's a strong chain, so rely on it. ... I believe it takes all those great songs in the past to make your song even a little bit good.”

“I think it is good for people who are incarcerated or who are bound up one way or the other-people like Lily Kimball and all the prostitues of Memphis. This gal, she needs some wings, and a good song can make that happen.”

People Thinking Way Needs Writing Happens Song Wings Bounds One Way Songwriting Lilies Gals Memphis

Author:Ketch Secor

“Cowriting is very personal. A great song is an honest song, so you have to be able to open up to the person in the room. It's like a blind date. I know in the first five minutes if it's gonna be weird.”

Ifs Knows Writing Firsts Persons Able Song Rooms Five Minutes Honest Blind Songwriting Five Minutes Blind Date

Author:Liz Rose

“The "Kumulipo" is an old Hawaiian prayer chant that poetically describes the creation of the world. The word literally means "beginning-in-deep-darkness." Here darkness doesn't connote gloom and evil. Rather, it's about the inscrutability of the embryonic state; the obscure chaos that reigns before germination.”

World Writing Mean States Evil Prayer Darkness Creation Chaos Songwriting Reign Obscure Gloom Hawaiians Creation Of The World

Book:Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings

Source: Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings

“I write one step at a time, always finishing off the part I'm working on before even thinking about the next part. I need to hear it all together before deciding what goes next. I even mix before moving on...in other words, I write by recording.”

Thinking Needs Writing Together Moving Next Steps Songwriting Finishing One Step At A Time

Author:Zach Condon

“The way Jacques Brel writes a story, getting into the character, bringing out all his faults and qualities in the same song.... Not that I could ever write in such an epic way, but it really is a different way to go about writing lyrics...and I find that quite inspiring.”

Way Writing Different Character Stories Song Quality Faults Different Ways Songwriting Epic

Author:Zach Condon

“If you don't try and force it, a song will find the proper moment to come to life.”

Ifs Trying Moments Song Force Songwriting

Author:Valerie Simpson

“It's unfashionable to admit, but playing music makes us happy and makes us smile.”

Songwriting Playing Music

Author:Chris Hesse

“Upwell is one of the most terrifyingly great bands I have ever known out of Seattle. Their musicianship and songwriting is monstrous... They're heavy like Soundgarden or Zeppelin with killer female vocals, but with their own unique style.”

Known Style Band Unique Female Heavy Songwriting Killers Vocal Monstrous Seattle Zeppelins Musicianship Unique Style

Author:Jack Endino

“But this is pretty new for me, both songwriting and singing.”

Singing Sight Songwriting

Author:Krist Novoselic

“The songwriting has never really stepped forward from the '50's.”

Songwriting

Author:Brian Setzer

“I consider music to be storytelling, melody and rhythm. A lot of hip-hop has broken music down. There are no instruments and no songwriting. So you're left with just storytelling and rhythm. And the storytelling can be so braggadocious, you're just left with rhythm.”

Left Broken Instruments Hip Hop Storytelling Rhythm Hips Hops Melody Songwriting

Author:Jack White

“Songwriting is about getting the demon out of me. It's like being possessed. You try to go to sleep, but the song won't let you. So you have to get up and make it into something, and then you're allowed to sleep. It's always in the middle of the night, or you're half-awake or tired, when your critical faculties are switched off. So letting go is what the whole game is. Every time you try to put your finger on it, it slips away. You turn on the lights and the cockroaches run away. You can never grasp them...”

“I'm just following the Irish tradition of songwriting, the Irish way of life, the human way of life. Cram as much pleasure into life, and rail against the pain you have to suffer as a result. Or scream and rant with the pain, and wait for it to be taken away with beautiful pleasure . . .”

Way Humans Pain Beautiful Suffering Waiting Pleasure Results Taken Tradition Following Songwriting Scream Rail Rant

Author:Shane MacGowan

“Basically, I'm just a guitar player that figured out I wasn't ever gonna be able to buy dinner with my guitar playing so I got into songwriting, which is a little more profitable business.”

Littles Able Player Guitar Dinner Songwriting Profitable Guitar Player Guitar Playing Profitable Business

Author:J.J. Cale

“But there's a thin line between songwriting and arranging.”

Lines Songwriting Arranging

Author:Warren Zevon

“Taking a song and bringing it to life in a professional recording studio can be an intimidating process at first; I know it certainly was for me. So to be able to offer support and guidance to an emerging singer-songwriter is a huge honor. I look forward to playing a role in such an exciting time of someone's songwriting career.”

“When people ask me what 'American Pie' means, I tell them it means I don't ever have to work again if I don't want to.”

People Ifs Want Mean Funny Song Asks Work Music Fame Musician Asking Ask Me Songwriting Pie Funny Music Hidden Meaning American Pie Passive Income

Author:Don McLean

“For instance, I may bring a certain feminist perspective to my songwriting, because that's how I see life. I'm interested in art, poetry, and music. As that kind of artist, I can do anything. I can say anything. It's about self-expression. It knows no package - there's no such thing. That's what being an artist is.”

Knows Kind May Art I Can Self Artist Certain Can Do Expression Perspective Feminist Instance Songwriting Say Anything Packages Self Expression Being An Artist Poetry And Music

Author:Laura Nyro

“Songwriting is kind of like a craft. It's not something that just comes in a dream. You've got to work at it.”

Kind Dream Crafts Songwriting

Author:Sean Lennon

“Songs, and songwriting keeps me inspired, moving forward. I tend to scribble down notes, lyrics or just random thoughts on pieces of paper, backs of cigarette packs, sometimes on my shirt cuff. Rock n’ roll is closest thing I’ve got to a spiritual power. It’s been the higher voice in my life and it’s never let me down.”

“I believe I love my guitar more than the others love theirs. For John and Paul, songwriting is pretty important and guitar playing is a means to an end. While they're making up new tunes I can thoroughly enjoy myself just doodling around with a guitar for a whole evening. I'm fascinated by new sounds I can get from different instruments I try out. I'm not sure that makes me particularly musical. Just call me a guitar fanatic instead, and I'll be satisfied.”

“I see pictures in my mind and become the character in the song as I'm writing. It's kind of method songwriting, where you're the actor in the song.”

Writing Mind Kind Character Song Actors Method Songwriting

Author:Diane Warren

“I feel like songwriting is an experiment in empathy.”

Feels Empathy Experiments Songwriting

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“It wasn't so much that I had to leave to make it in the music business as I was curious to be out on my own and sort of explore. I never felt that where I was ever influenced my songwriting.”

Mind Felt My Own Curious Songwriting Music Business Own Business Mind Your Own Business

Author:Matthew Sweet

“Not that there is anything wrong with confessional songwriting, there are plenty of people that do that I admire. I think it is great; it just isn't how I do things.”

People Thinking Admire Plenty Songwriting

Author:Zooey Deschanel

“In writing songs, I've learned as much from Cezanne as I have from Woody Guthrie.”

Writing Song Wise I've Learned Songwriting Songwriters Writing Songs Woody Cezanne

Author:Bob Dylan

“Songwriting is different from music, although I don't deny now that it would be nice to have a little more background in music theory.”

Littles Different Would Be Nice Theory Deny Backgrounds Songwriting Being Nice Music Theory

Author:Neil Diamond

“Performing is the easiest part of what I do, and songwriting is the hardest.”

Hardest Performing Songwriting Songwriters

Author:Neil Diamond

“A lot of times I have the song inside of me and I have to fight to get it out. I'm a very visual person, so I can see the song but I can't hear it. But I think that if your music becomes a war for it to happen, in the end there's a certain kind of aggression in the music. And I think that's a lot more interesting.”

Ifs Thinking Writing Kind Persons I Can War Ends Happens Certain Song Fighting Interesting Music Is Visuals Songwriting Aggression

Author:Zola Jesus

“The music is in the lead here, and a large part of this, I have no idea what I'm doing. I feel a closer bond with the craft of songwriting, stronger than I ever have.”

Feels Ideas Music Is Stronger Crafts No Idea Ties Songwriting

Author:Ben Harper

“I don’t shake at the site of alcohol anymore. I don’t feel the need for it. If anything I’ll get stoned. I always told myself if it got to the point that it was affecting my songwriting and music that I’d stop. And it did get to the point.”

Ifs Needs Feels Alcohol Shakes Songwriting Site

Author:Julian Casablancas

“Someone should have a record that doesn't have any singing. It's my favorite Miles Davis record. I love hanging out in the summer, in New York, when it's miserably hot. I love electric Miles Davis in the summer. Jack Johnson, the songwriting especially, is a premier example of that. It always makes me feel hot in the city. It's also nice to have something not yelling in your ear. For me, as a lyricist, it's nice to put on something without any words.”

Feels Should Cities Records Nice New York Example Summer Singing Should Have Ears Hot My Favorite Miles Hanging Out Songwriting Electric Johnson Yelling Lyricists

Author:Craig Finn

“Annie Lalley is one of the funniest and most likable personalities you'll ever see on stage --which makes the depth of her songwriting all the more striking”

Stage Personality Depth Songwriting Annie

Author:Pierce Pettis

“George Harrison is perhaps one of the most creative people I ever met, not only in his music and songwriting, but just the way he lived his life, decorated his gardens and homes. He was a dear friend of mine. His entire approach to music was very unique.”

People Way Life Home Creative Mines Mets Approach Unique Garden Dear Songwriting Creative People Dear Friend

Author:Gary Wright

“The key to songwriting is just to be able to observe, and put yourself in situations to be around people, and let those ideas come to you.”

People Ideas Able Situation Keys Songwriting

Author:Eric Church

“Songwriting is an art unto itself, not to be confused with performing.”

Art Performing Confused Songwriting

Author:Jo Stafford

“Wonderful songwriting, beautiful production, and deeply rooted in what makes American Roots Music great: Deep Southern Pain. It's the hurt that brings the songs, and it's the songs that heal the hurt. Jonathan's songs bring us there, and back. Check this record out, it's a good 'un.”

Pain Beautiful Song Hurt Records Wonderful Roots Productions Heal Checks Songwriting Southern Rooted

Author:Mary Gauthier

“To me, songwriting is the backbone of Nashville. Looks can go, fads can go, but a good song lasts forever.”

Looks Lasts Song Forever Songwriting Backbone Nashville Fads

Author:Alan Jackson

“I think my songwriting might be a little more on the darker side maybe.”

Thinking Littles Might Sides Songwriting Darker Side

Author:Neko Case

“I consider myself a poet first and a musician second. I live like a poet and I'll die like a poet.”

Firsts Dies Poet Musician Songwriting Songwriters Writing Songs

Author:Bob Dylan

“Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.”

World Whole Tables Coffee Whole World Songwriting Boots Bob Songwriters Cowboy Vans Dylan Cowboy Boot My Cowboy

Author:Steve Earle

“I don't believe that songwriting has to be profound, but I truly believe that it's a crime for you to go outta your way for it not to be.”

Way Believe Crime Profound Don't Believe Songwriting

Author:Steve Earle

“Most of us have the residue of thousands of songs in our ears, that if you end up songwriting, I think you're mostly smoking the residue of all that material you absorbed over time.”

Ifs Thinking Ends Song Materials Ears Smoking Songwriting

Author:Tom Waits

“Self-discovery in songwriting, bringing something forth that's instructive to yourself - some of the best songs that you will ever write are the ones where you didn't have to think about any of that stuff, but nonetheless that's what's happening in the song.”

Thinking Writing Self Song Stuff Music Happenings Discovery Self Discovery Songwriting

Author:Jackson Browne

Songwriting Quotes

Related topics

Songwriting Quotes