Best Writing Songs Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings

“If you're putting that energy into performance," he said, "you're also getting it back out again, right? You're giving so you can receive." He spread his arms wide. "If you were writing songs with it, you'd be holed up in your room in the middle of the night, scribbling them in a notebook and feeling self-important. You'd think you were getting it out, but really you'd be keeping it inside and quiet. You'd take what upset you and turn it into art, and now it would fester, because you think other people ought to share your outrage at what happened to you.”

Energy Emotion Feeling Outrage Writing Songs Giving And Receiving Sam Self Importance

Book:Dirty Little Secret

Source: Dirty Little Secret

“Nowadays it seems to me nobody takes trouble about anything, especially writing songs.”

Writing Seems Song Trouble Writing Songs

Author:Marian McPartland

“I have writing songs on my own for about six years.”

Writing Years Song My Own Six Writing Songs

Author:Joanna Newsom

“The first four and a half years was me in the studio every day, writing songs for other people. I had jobs, too - eleven jobs. I worked at Kinko's, Fatburger, Subway - I was a sandwich artist - and I was a claims processor at Allstate Insurance.”

People Writing Years Firsts Jobs Artist Song Half Four Claims Studios Sandwiches Eleven Writing Songs Subway Half A Year Processors

Author:Frank Ocean

“Writing songs is a profession; so it's not an attempt to take things from my interactions with other people and for some reason give them to a total stranger to listen to. I find it offensive to hear other people do that.”

People Giving Writing Reason Song Stranger Profession Interaction Offensive Writing Songs Interaction With Others

Book:Will Oldham on Bonnie

Source: Will Oldham on Bonnie

“I'm just writing songs about how I feel or about how people I know feel.”

People Knows Feels Writing Song Writing Songs

Author:Elliott Smith

“Bob Dylan and John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen, these are soul guys. Bruce Springsteen might not sing like Otis Redding, but he sings with white soul. He's singing and he's writing songs from the bottom of his gut.”

Writing Soul Might Guy Song White Singing Bottom Guts Bob Dylan Writing Songs Lennon Springsteen

Author:Robin Thicke

“Writing songs is about trying to connect with people on a deeper spiritual level - but I'm not a fan of contemporary Christian music.”

People Writing Trying Christian Spiritual Song Levels Fans Deeper Contemporary Writing Songs Christian Music Contemporary Christian

Author:Ryan Tedder

“Music is just a really fun hobby that I do, because I'm actually really good about writing songs and producing. People don't realize this, but I am an excellent writer for artists.”

People Writing Artist Song Fun Realizing Music Is Excellent Hobbies Writing Songs

Author:Tila Tequila

“I started playing guitar and writing songs when I was 15. I think what mainly sparked my interest was just the fact that I grew up listening to Cheryl King, Joni Mitchell, and James Taylor, and was just always inspired by that sort of organic art, and organic songs and just very natural songwriting that came out of some of those artists.”

Thinking Writing Art Facts Artist Song Interest Natural Listening Grew Kings Grew Up Inspired Guitar Songwriting Writing Songs Playing Guitar

Author:Kate Voegele

“My second album was written while I was on the road promoting the first record. I tried to take my personal experiences and elevate them to universal experiences, so that I wasn't writing songs about living on a tour bus or being on a TV set for the first time.”

Writing Firsts Song Records Written Tvs First Time Universal Albums Bus Promoting Living On Writing Songs Personal Experiences

Author:Kate Voegele

“Sometimes writing songs is like waiting for deliveries.”

Writing Sometimes Song Waiting Delivery Writing Songs

Author:Alex Turner

“I realized that I started writing songs to make people feel how I felt, rather than just making them feel something. That's not the way I should do things.”

People Way Feels Should Writing Song Felt I Realized Writing Songs

Author:Marilyn Manson

“I love writing songs. I love doing my radio show and talking to the fans and listening to what they have to say, but there's a certain responsibility that comes along with being given the gift of music. I take that seriously, but at the same time I try to use it to do something that makes a difference in a positive way.”

Way Writing Trying Use Shows Certain Song Given Differences Responsibility Talking Fans Listening Radio Making A Difference Writing Songs

Author:Randy Owen

“It is setting goals and trying to be a business person, but at the same time not losing sight of who you are writing songs for and what your goals are as a songwriter. So believe me, if you think I've got it down I don't it is a constant struggle.”

“I feel like writing songs is cheating on acting. It's weird.”

Feels Writing Song Acting Cheating Writing Songs

Author:Ester Dean

“I've been writing songs on little pieces of paper since I was a little kid, and it's just always been something I've done.”

Writing Littles Done Kids Song Pieces Paper Little Kid Writing Songs

Author:Chris Carmack

“Writing songs for other people was never the goal for me.”

People Writing Song Goal Writing Songs

Author:Skylar Grey

“We have a tradition of passing our history orally and singing a lot of it and writing songs about it and there's kind of a calling in Irish voices when they're singing in their Irish accent.”

Writing Kind Song Voice Calling Singing Tradition Passing Passings Accents Writing Songs Irish Accent

Author:Sinead O'Connor

“I always loved writing songs - writing for myself and demo-ing songs, really with no intention of ever letting anyone else hear them.”

Writing Song Intention Writing Songs Demos

Author:Dave Grohl

“I do write. I actually do want to start my music as well. My sister and I are starting a band. I've been playing a guitar for nine years, and she plays piano, and we sing together. We're going to start up something soon. I mostly am writing songs right now actually, but I would love to write a script someday.”

Want Writing Years Wells Play Together Song Right Now Band Guitar Starting Scripts Nine Piano Someday My Sister Writing Songs Nine Years

Author:Kaitlyn Dever

“I've always appreciated people like Graham Parker or Loudon Wainwright III, who spend their entire lives writing songs and working their asses off just to have complete artistic freedom. They're just sharing their lives with you through their music. That's the same kind of work that I'm trying to do, in my own weird way.”

People Way Writing Trying Kind Song My Own Ass Artistic Appreciated Writing Songs Artistic Freedom

Author:Judd Apatow

“You've got to concentrate on the business of entertaining and writing songs. Always think different from the next person. Don't ever do a song as you heard somebody else do it.”

Thinking Writing Persons Different Song Next Practice Heard Entertaining Writing Songs Think Different

Author:Otis Redding

“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.”

Writing Bigs Film Song Wish Easy Can Do Cutting Hair Directors Comparison Overwhelming You Can Do It Scope Magnitude Writing Songs Film Directors Bagels Hair Cut

Author:Tom Waits

“I probably spent more time listening to albums than writing songs. But I think that gave me all the tricks in terms of wordplay, from how I pronounced my words to the actual delivery.”

Thinking Writing Song Term Listening Albums Tricks More Time Delivery Writing Songs Wordplay

Author:Kendrick Lamar

“Writing songs is no different than explaining to somebody what you dreamed last night: No one ever gives you crap for what you dreamed last night. "I was laying in my bed, and all of a sudden a stallion jumped on my bed and the next thing I know I was in Mars but it looked like my kitchen"... That's kind of what I do with my songs, write them in a dream-like manner. It's up to people to swallow it however they want.”

People Knows Want Giving Writing Kind Different Dream Lasts Night Song Next Bed Kitchen Crap Mars Last Night Explaining Writing Songs Stallions

Author:Jason Mraz

“When I was writing songs or performing or producing or dabbling in movies or even putting my career on hold to go to art school, I was just following my muse. A woman who did that then was criticized for having no direction. Today they call it versatility.”

Writing Art Today School Song Careers Following Performing Muse Writing Songs Art School Versatility Dabbling

Author:Jackie DeShannon

“I can pinpoint the moment when my first band recorded, when I was 14 and 15 years old. I always enjoyed writing songs and playing, but there was something about going in and capturing it that felt very Zen and perfect for me. A light switch went on and I just realized that's where my musical capacity was the most suited. I just followed on blind faith that that was like a calling for me.”

Writing Years Firsts I Can Moments Light Song Felt Perfect Calling Band Capacity Blind Musical Enjoyed Writing Songs Blind Faith Just Realized Perfect For Me

Author:John Congleton

“I always saw songwriting as the top of the heap. No matter what else you were going to do creatively... writing songs was king.”

Writing Matter Song Saws Kings No Matter What Songwriting Writing Songs

Author:Jakob Dylan

“I think the more emotional you are, the better. I'm sort of writing [songs] as I go and I can never tell how it's going to be or how it's going to feel until I get into the studio. But I definitely think it will. I probably can't help but have the emotions in my voice.”

Thinking Feels Writing I Can Helping Song Voice Emotion Emotional Studios Writing Songs

Author:Miranda Lambert

“Breaking up monotony is key to life and it doesn't matter whether I'm stacking shelves or writing songs, if I was doing the same thing every day I just couldn't take it.”

Ifs Writing Matter Song Keys Shelves Writing Songs Monotony Stacking

Author:Doc Brown

“I always loved writing songs - writing for myself and demo-ing songs, really with no intention of ever letting anyone else hear them. Finally the Foo Fighters stuff happened when I just went to the studio down the street from my house and recorded some stuff in about five or six days, and all these people wanted to release it as an album. I wanted to release it on my own, with no photos and no names on it.”

People Writing Wanted Song House Names Stuff My Own Five Happened Streets Six Intention Albums Studios Release Fighter Writing Songs Demos Foo Fighters

Author:Dave Grohl

“There are many people writing songs. That is absolutely wonderful. Who knows, there may be some kid in diapers and he or she might succeed in capturing in a few dozen words what great writers have spent years trying to say. Just the right word in the right place with the right melody behind it and the right rhythm. It might get around the world inch by inch, and people realize that this world is in danger, that we're in danger. That's the way "This Land Is Your Land" got to be so well known.”

“I love writing songs with people, which is about really taking risks, throwing yourself over the falls and really seeing what you're made of and seeing how it sticks. Seeing how others react to it, and seeing also how it can become a melody and how it can really take off from your experience. It's a way of seeing life unfold on the page before me.”

People Way Writing Made Song Fall Seeing Risk Pages Sticks Melody Throwing Writing Songs Taking Risks

Author:Jason Mraz

“I really had a great time working with Modest Mouse, just because of the people. I loved writing songs with Isaac Brock, and Jeremiah Green is probably my favorite musician that I've worked with.”

People Writing Song Musician Green My Favorite Modest Mice Great Times Writing Songs Isaac Had A Great Time Jeremiah

Author:Johnny Marr

“There's a band in a garage right now writing songs for an album that will do the same thing 'Nevermind' did some 20 years ago. We don't know who and where, but it will f***ing happen again. All it takes is for that storm to break.”

Knows Writing Years Happens Song Break Right Now Band Years Ago Albums Storm Writing Songs Garage Nevermind

Author:Dave Grohl

“Writing songs is not something I wanted to share with people for a long time. It was precious to me. I didnt want someone to crush it. I waited until I felt strong enough to take the criticism.”

People Want Writing Long Enough Wanted Song Strong Felt Share Long Time Criticism Crush Strong Enough Writing Songs

Author:Ray LaMontagne

“I remember those days right after I graduated from college. All I had to do was wake up in the morning and think about writing songs. It's not like that anymore, needless to say.”

Thinking Writing Remember Song Morning College Wake Up Writing Songs

Author:Josh Turner

“I usually can be more honest writing songs than actually talking to people.”

People Writing Song Talking Honest Writing Songs

Author:Joshua Radin

“It's rather mystifying when you think about writing songs - where they come from, and how they're born.”

Thinking Writing Song Born Writing Songs

Author:Tom Waits

“I just always wrote songs as a side hobby. So it was sort of a natural thing to write comedy songs. But when I started writing songs, I wrote very serious songs. Or things that a 13-14 year-old would think are very serious issues.”

Thinking Writing Years Song Sides Natural Issues Comedy Serious Hobbies Writing Songs Natural Things Serious Issues

Author:Kyle Dunnigan

“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.”

Needs Writing I Can Song Difficult Can Do Orchestra Writing Songs Assignments

Author:Randy Newman

“We've all got to earn a living. And writing songs is what I do. But when I've done a record, it's not that I think it's better or worse than anyone else's, but if I think that nobody else would have done it if I hadn't, well then that's ok.”

Ifs Thinking Writing Wells Done Song Records Writing Songs

Author:Robert Wyatt

“We've had musical stuff in the show [South Park] forever. That's mostly because Trey's a big musical fan, and he's a great songwriter. He's been writing songs his whole life. So since the beginning, we've always put a lot of musical moments.”

Writing Whole Moments Shows Bigs Song Stuff Forever Fans South Musical Whole Life Parks Songwriters Writing Songs

Author:Matt Stone

“My favourite thing in the world, apart from my wife and kids, is writing songs. Ever since I was a kid.”

World Writing Kids Song Wife My Wife Favourite Writing Songs Favourite Things Worlds Apart My Wife And Kids

Author:Richard Hawley

“I started writing songs after I heard Hank Williams.”

Writing Country Song Heard Writing Songs Hank Williams

Book:The fiddler now upspoke: a collection of Bob Dylan's interviews, press conferences and the like from throughout the masters career

Source: The fiddler now upspoke: a collection of Bob Dylan's interviews, press conferences and the like from throughout the masters career

“I remember people would talk about Country Music like it was this sexist, lame thing. Well, no, because Dolly Parton is writing songs and playing her guitar and producing. She's doing it all and she's got hits on the radio.”

People Writing Wells Country Remember Song Guitar Radio Writing Songs Lame Sexist

Author:Neko Case

“I'd be hanging out in my bathrobe all day, stinky, just writing, and my mom allowed me to do this-as long as I was writing songs. She said, 'As long as you're seriously working on music, I'll support you. Don't get a job, because if you work, it will crush you.”

Ifs Writing Long Said Jobs Song Support Mom My Mom Crush Working It Hanging Out Writing Songs Support You Stinky

Author:Rufus Wainwright

“When I start writing songs, and they come easily, I'm always very suspicious. That usually means they're reminding me of something I've already done before. When the songs become unsettling, and I feel anxious about what I'm doing, that usually means it's going to be more interesting later on when we actually record the stuff.”

Feels Writing Mean Done Song Stuff Interesting Records Anxious Suspicious Writing Songs Reminding

Author:Nick Cave

“If I'm not writing songs about things I've actually been through, it ruins the idea of making music to me.”

Ifs Writing Ideas Song Ruins Writing Songs

Author:Austin Carlile

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Writing Songs Quotes