Best Songwriting Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 9

“You have to be unique, and different, and shine in your own way.”

Way Different Unique Shining Songwriting

“What is it that makes you want to write songs? In a way you want to stretch yourself into other people’s hearts. You want to plant yourself there, or at least get a resonance, where other people become a bigger instrument than the one you’re playing. It becomes almost an obsession to touch other people. To write a song that is remembered and taken to heart is a connection, a touching of bases. A thread that runs through all of us. A stab to the heart. Sometimes I think songwriting is about tightening the heartstrings as much as possible without bringing on a heart attack.”

People Thinking Way Want Writing Heart Sometimes Running Song Taken Connections Bases Bigger Instruments Plant Obsession Remembered Songwriting Touching Thread Resonance Heart Attack Heartstrings

Book:Life

Source: Life

“If you don't want anyone to know anything about you, don't write anything.”

Ifs Knows Want Writing Songwriting

Author:Pete Townshend

“I sit down to the piano regularly at nine-o'clock in the morning and Mesdames les Muses have learned to be on time for that rendezvous.”

Music Morning Nine Clock Piano Songwriting Muse Rendezvous

Author:Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

“Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.”

Way Heart Beautiful Music Creativity Divine Music Is Poetic Songwriting Carpe Diem Inspirational Music Power Of Music Art And Music World Music

Author:Pablo Casals

“Songwriting, I have to take myself away from everybody to do. It's an unsightly act.”

Songwriting

Author:Nick Cave

“There's an element to songwriting that I can't explain, that comes from somewhere else. I can't explain that dividing line between nothing and something that happens within a song, where you have absolutely nothing, and then suddenly you have something. It's like the origin of the universe.”

I Can Happens Song Universe Lines Elements Songwriting Somewhere Else Absolutely Nothing Dividing

Author:Nick Cave

“The big problem with songwriting for me is starting a new song. It's the thing where all the anguish exists, not in the writing of the song, but the starting of the new song.”

Writing Problem Bigs Song Starting Songwriting Anguish Big Problems New Songs

Author:Nick Cave

“The idea of songwriting is a transformative thing, and what I do with songwriting is take situations that are quite ordinary and transform them in some way. Apart from things like the murder ballads, the songs I write, at their core, are quite ordinary human concerns, but the process of writing about them transforms them into something else.”

Way Writing Humans Ideas Song Process Situation Ordinary Concern Murder Core Songwriting Ballads

Author:Nick Cave

“Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.”

“Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.”

“In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of.”

Needs Writing Funny Remember Order Music Tunes Songwriting

Author:Robert Schumann

“Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought.”

Thinking Feels Feelings Wisdom Song Music Dance Thoughtful Thought Provoking Songwriting Power Of Words Make You Think Playing Music Dance Music Music And Dance

Author:Yip Harburg

“Songwriting is a very mysterious process. It feels like creating something from nothing. It's something I don't feel like I really control.”

Feels Process Creating Mysterious Songwriting Songwriters Singer Songwriters Writing Songs Creating Something

Author:Tracy Chapman

“We must begin to make what I call "conscious choices," and to really recognize that we are the same. It's from that place in my heart that I write my songs.”

Inspirational Writing Heart Song Choices Consciousness My Heart Equal Musician Conscious Producers Songwriting Follow Your Heart Recognise Singer Songwriters Sameness Power Of Choice Choose Wisely

Author:John Denver

“Music is spiritual. The music business is not.”

Funny Spiritual Music Music Is Humorous Songwriting Music Business

Author:Van Morrison

“I don't think you can ever do your best. Doing your best is a process of trying to do your best.”

Thinking Trying Wisdom Process Perfection Songwriting Doing Your Best

Author:Townes Van Zandt

“It seems to me that those songs that have been any good, I have nothing much to do with the writing of them. The words have just crawled down my sleeve and come out on the page.”

Writing Has Beens Seems Song Music Pages Singing Memorable Songwriting Songwriters Sleeves Writing Songs Singing Songs

Author:Joan Baez

“I'm writing all the time. And as the songs begin to coalesce, I'm not doing anything else but writing. I wish I were one of those people who wrote songs quickly. But I'm not. So it takes me a great deal of time to find out what the song is.”

People Writing Song Wish Deals Songwriting Take Me

Book:Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen

Source: Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen

“If you want to be good at anything, you have to work hard at it. It doesn't just fall from the sky. I work every day at trying to improve my writing, and I really enjoy it. Nothing fascinates me more than putting words together, and seeing how a collection of words can produce quite a profound effect.”

Ifs Want Writing Trying Hard Together Fall Enjoy Seeing Sky Effects Produce Hard Work Profound Be Good Collections Songwriting

Author:PJ Harvey

“I really, really enjoy fitting words together - but I only enjoy it when it's easy, when it sort of rolls along by itself. I never erase anything [and] I hardly ever write anything down... The song will be finished before I write it down... I won't write a song unless it serves me in some way, unless I feel I have to write the song to make myself feel better. If you're not overflowing with something, there's nothing to give.”

Ifs Way Giving Feels Writing Together Song Easy Enjoy Finished Songwriting Feel Better Fitting Erase

Author:Fiona Apple

“If I come up with rules or limitations it focuses me in a direction. And those rules can change if you realize it's a dumb idea. You start to mutate it to see what fits best.”

Ifs Ideas Realizing Fit Come Up Dumb Limitation Songwriting

Author:Trent Reznor

“Out of my entire annual output of songs, perhaps two, or at the most three, came as a result of inspiration. We can never rely on inspiration. When we most want it, it does not come.”

Want Doe Two Inspiration Song Three Results Rely Songwriting Songwriters Writing Songs Annuals Output Gershwin

Author:George Gershwin

“I thought he might hit me over the head, knowing that he wanted to do the whole show. He was young, ambitious, and a huge talent. But he was also very gentle, and we got along fine.”

Whole Shows Might Wanted Young Knowing Talent Huge Fine Gentle Songwriting Ambitious

Author:Jule Styne

“I have never acknowledged the difference between serious music and light music. There is only good music and bad music.”

Light Differences Music Serious Acknowledge Songwriting Composer Bad Music

Author:Kurt Weill

“I think it's probably, musically, probably the most sophisticated. ("The Woman in White") There's a lot more daring harmony in it than in some of my pieces... If you know what you want to do, as I always loved musicals, and then to have been lucky enough to be successful with them, I think that's all you can ask, isn't it?... Sondheim is absolutely wonderful and Alan Jay Lerner was wonderful.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Want Has Beens Enough Asks White Successful Pieces Wonderful Lucky Harmony What You Want Being Successful Songwriting Daring Sophisticated Sondheim

Author:Andrew Lloyd Webber

“You write a hit the same way you write a flop.”

Way Writing Songwriting

Author:Alan Jay Lerner

“It won't be long before we'll be writing together again. I just hope they have a decent piano up there.”

Writing Long Together Music Piano Decent Songwriting Together Again

Author:Frederic Loewe

“Music breeds its own inspiration. You can only do it by doing it. You may not feel like it, but you push yourself. It's a work process. Or just improvise. Something will come.”

Feels May Inspiration Process Songwriting Songwriters Writing Songs Push Yourself

Author:Burt Bacharach

“I tended not to be concerned about whether a song was going to be a hit when I wrote it. Because it became evident that none of us knew what was a hit and what wasn't. So I thought if I just write what I like, why shouldn't people like what I like?”

People Ifs Writing Song Concerned Songwriting Songwriters Evident Writing Songs

Author:Hal David

“People have been brainwashed into believing that it's got to be down or it wouldn't be blues. But it's not so. It's got to be a fact or it wouldn't be blues.”

People Believe Has Beens Facts Songwriting Brainwashed

Author:Willie Dixon

“Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams. All of them are different styles, but those are the songs that make the times. They're the songs that last through time.”

Different Lasts Young Song Music Style Songwriting Bob Dylan Rough Times Different Styles Haggard Hank Williams

Author:Dolly Parton

“Johnny Cash's face belongs on Mount Rushmore...I don't write as much as I did back when I was writing songs every day. I've come to know when I've got a good one, although sometimes it takes the world awhile to catch up with me...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.”

Ifs Knows World Want Writing Sometimes Reason Faces Song Rich Songwriting Cash Get Rich Writing Songs Back When Mount Rushmore

Author:Kris Kristofferson

“A song that sounds simple is just not that easy to write. One of the objectives of this record was to try and write melodies that continue to resonate...Everything that happens to you influences your writing...The writing process for me is pretty much always the same-it's a solitary experience...I have yet to write that one song that defines my career...Beck said he didn't believe in the theory of a song coming through you as if you were an open vessel. I agree with him to a certain extent.”

Ifs Writing Trying Believe Said Happens Certain Song Easy Process Sound Simple Careers Records Influence Theory Agree Objectives Melody Songwriting Solitary Writing Process Vessel

Author:Sheryl Crow

“I've written so many songs about Englishmen, I have to go elsewhere.”

Song Written Songwriting Elsewhere Englishmen

Author:Ray Davies

“I didn't think anything we did was spectacular. I remember we thought, 'Let's just write some scary music.'”

Thinking Writing Remember Scary Songwriting Spectacular

Author:Ozzy Osbourne

“I had this talent for these stupid little teenage songs. I just couldn't get anyone to sing my songs, so I had to sing my own tunes.”

Littles Song My Own Talent Stupid Tunes Songwriting Teenage

Author:Paul Anka

“I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record. Originally I was not writing songs for myself. Songwriting is my gift from God.”

Want Writing Trying Song Records Songwriting Writing Songs Gift From God

Author:Smokey Robinson

“I don't think about commercial concerns when I first come up with something. When I sit down at the piano, I try to come up with something that moves me.”

Thinking Trying Firsts Moving Concern Come Up Piano Songwriting Songwriters Writing Songs

Author:Lamont Dozier

“When I'm writing I've been playing something for a couple of hours and I'm almost in a trance. At two or three in the morning you can actually see bits inspiration floating about and grab them.”

People Thinking Writing Two Inspiration Song Three Bits Hours My Own Morning Seeing Couple Lonely Dancing Songwriting Going Out Floating Trance

Author:Kate Bush

“I'd spent five hours that morning trying to write a song that was meaningful and good, and I finally gave up and lay down. Then, "Nowhere Man" came, words and music, the whole damn thing, as I lay down...Song writing 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 sleep.”

Men Writing Trying Whole Song Hours Sleep Morning Five Lays Meaningful Get Up Damn Demon Songwriting Possessed Songwriters Gave Up Going To Sleep Writing Songs Damn Things Words And Music

Author:John Lennon

“We worked the medley on side two of "Abbey Road" out carefully in advance. All of those mini songs were partly completed tunes; some were written while we were in India a year before. So there was just a bit of chorus here and a verse there. We welded them all together into a routine.”

Years Two Together Song Bits Sides Music Written India Tunes Songwriting Routine Verses Chorus Abbey Medley Abbey Road

Author:George Harrison

“As a teenager I started painting and playing guitar...Music has been my playmate, my lover, and my crying towel...This song ("Until It's Time for You To Go") popped into my head while I was falling in love with someone I knew couldn't stay with me. The words are about honesty and freedom inside the heart.”

Heart Has Beens Song Fall Cry Honesty Painting Lovers Falling In Love Guitar Teenager Songwriting Towels Stay With Me Playing Guitar My Lover Guitar Music

Author:Buffy Sainte-Marie

“I wake up from dreams and go, 'Wow, put this down on paper'. The whole thing is strange. You hear the words, everything is right there in front of your face.”

Whole Dream Faces Fronts Strange Paper Wake Up Songwriting Your Face Wow

Author:Michael Jackson

“I really do seek to create music that is timeless, ... Each project takes on its own life, and the songs from "A Time To Love" are the most appropriate for the statement I wanted to make...The most important thing is, when I do give the music, I'm satisfied with it, that it speaks for what I want to do...It is a different kind of lyric; it's very picturesque. I can see everything that I'm writing, I can visualize all those things happening.”

“I write a lot from instinct. But as you're writing out of instinct, once you reach a certain level as a songwriter, the craft is always there talking to you in the back of your head...that tells you when it's time to go to the chorus, when it's time to rhyme. Real basic craft... it's second nature.”

Writing Real Certain Levels Talking Instinct Crafts Songwriting Songwriters Rhyme Chorus

Author:Janis Ian

“The Bee Gees were always heavily influenced by black music. As a songwriter, it's never been difficult to pick up on the changing styles of music out there, and soul has always been my favourite genre.”

Soul Difficult Black Style Picks Genre Songwriting Favourite Bees Songwriters Black Music Bee Gees

Author:Robin Gibb

“What we try to do with all of our albums, is live out our musical fantasies in the most honest fashion we know how...We want to include songs that lyrically cover subjects ranging from the heaviest things we've ever done to light-hearted experiences that can best be presented through sentimental bluesy ballads that are usually good for a chuckle or two.”

Knows Want Trying Two Done Light Song Fantasy Know How Subjects Honest Fashion Musical Albums Songwriting Sentimental Hearted Ballads Chuckles Light Hearted

Author:Michael Hutchence

“You know, a song is like a kid. You bring it up. And sometimes something you thought was going to be fantastic, by the time it's finished, is a bit of a disappointment...Beyond a certain point, the music isn't mine anymore. It's yours.”

Knows Sometimes Kids Certain Song Bits Mines Music Is Disappointment Finished Fantastic Songwriting

Author:Phil Collins

“There are no limitations with a song. To me a song is a little piece of art. It can be whatever you like it to be. You can write the simplest song, and that's lovely, or you can just write a song that is abstract art.”

Writing Littles Art Song Pieces Lovely Limitation Abstract Songwriting Be You Simplest You Like It Abstract Art

Author:Laura Nyro

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