94 Songwriters Quotes for You to Enjoy

When I first got to Motown, Smokey was already a fixture there. To me, he is one of the greatest songwriters and poets, so anything they ask me to do for Smokey is going to get a yes. Dennis Edwards

Me First Poets He Songwriters Smokey Greatest Got Motown Yes Get Going Anything Ask

That's what we get to do as songwriters, right? You get to explore stuff. Dierks Bentley

You Songwriters Stuff Get Explore Right

Sometimes songwriters and singers forget that. They get a melody in their head and the notes will take precedence, so that they wind up forcing a word onto a melody. It doesn't ring true. Don Henley

Sometimes Word Will Wind Forcing Melody Ring Onto Take Songwriters Head True Singers Up Precedence Forget Get Notes

I'm in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Jimmy Page gave me the MOJO Maverick award. I got an Ivor Novella Award for my very first song. Donovan

Me Song First Gave Jimmy Songwriters Hall Rock Got Rock And Roll Fame Very Maverick Roll Mojo Page Award

Some people are songwriters, and some people are just recording artists. I'm both. I write and record. Frankie Ballard

People Some People Recording Record Some Both Write Songwriters Just Artists

The '60s was a magical time in the music business. So much creativity and talent. I think a lot of it came from the fact that we had grown up before rock n' roll. We listened to all the great songwriters and big bands, songs with great lyrics and melodies. I think that really influenced everybody. Frankie Valli

Music Time Great Business Creativity Big Before Think Music Business Everybody Lyrics Melodies Magical Fact Had Songs Songwriters Talent Rock Came Rock-N-Roll Lot Up Bands Roll Listened Influenced Much Really Grown Grown-Up

I think a lot of songwriters would agree that it's often easier to find inspiration in misery. Grant-Lee Phillips

Think Easier Would Find Inspiration Misery Songwriters Lot Often Agree

Most songwriters who have been lucky enough to have their song on the radio or be heard widely don't know anything about science. The best songs have a strong dose of metaphor. Most songs about science don't have that. Like 'She Blinded Me With Science.' It's a stupid song, no offense to Thomas Dolby. Greg Graffin

Best Me Science Song Strong Stupid Enough Thomas About Songs Songwriters Like Know Most She Blinded Metaphor Been Heard Offense Anything Dose Who Radio Lucky Widely

There's a lot of songs and songwriters out there - you have to make something stand out to pitch songs. Sometimes you have to be bold and just try something different. And just stick with it - don't give up if nothing happens. Greg Kurstin

You Sometimes Try Nothing Out Give Something Songs Songwriters Make Stick Lot Up Pitch Just Different Happens Stand Bold

It may not be the most popular but there is a place for it. I think about the kind of music I love, acoustic, melodic, and I guess it kind of took a bit of courage on my part to think I could be one of those songwriters. Helen Slater

Love Music Courage Think Took Guess Bit Melodic Those Kind About Could Part Songwriters Most May Place Acoustic Popular

Hanson is not the pop band that a lot of people think we are. I think we're a lot more rooted in a lot of music history... we're songwriters, we're singers, we're players first. We're not entertainers, we're not celebrities, and frankly, we don't really want to be. Isaac Hanson

Music History People First Band Think Frankly Entertainers More Songwriters Singers Lot Celebrities Want Really Rooted Pop Pop Band Players

If you're somebody who writes songs or writes fiction, a writer that people pay for your opinion in any way, you shouldn't be the least bit uncomfortable giving it to them. People want songwriters to tell them how they think and how they feel. That's what a song is. That's what I want to hear in a song. Jason Isbell

You People Song Somebody Giving Pay Think Way Bit Tell Uncomfortable Writer Writes Songs Songwriters Feel Opinion How Least Hear Any Want Fiction Them Your Who

The more you read, the better you are at writing, no matter what you're writing. A lot of songwriters miss that and don't see the connection there, and I've always felt like you're more able to communicate if you have a bigger toolbox to work with. Jason Isbell

Work You Writing Communicate Better Matter See Able More Songwriters Miss Like Read Felt Always Lot Bigger Connection

I try to read a lot and listen to a lot of good songwriters, and I try to actually work on the craft of writing a song rather than just leaving it up to inspiration. Jason Isbell

Work Good Song Writing Try Rather Inspiration Songwriters Read Leaving Lot Up Than Craft Listen Just Actually

I think our storytellers - our songwriters should be great storytellers, and they should be mountain climbers and explorers, because music is something that can cross all different borders. Jason Mraz

Music Great Think Our Borders Cross Something Songwriters Because Climber Mountain Different Storytellers Should Explorers

Younger songwriters will ask me, 'What did you do?' And it's like, 'Well, I worked a day job, and I didn't stake anything. I didn't quit my day job. I didn't have any hopes at all. I just did the thing that I believed in, and I waited a long time.' John Darnielle

Time Day Me You Will Job Long Long Time Hopes Songwriters Day Job Like Well Waited Did Quit Any Just Anything Stake Younger Ask Worked Believed Thing

Back in the early '90s, I started going to Nashville to do a lot of co-writes. One of the first people I met there was Keith Follese. Keith and his wife Adrienne are both songwriters, and we wrote some songs together. John Oates

Together People Wife First Met Back Some Both Songs Songwriters Wrote First People Nashville His Lot Going Early Started

I had all these singles come out within a two-month period, and then nothing for almost two years. You start to feel a little irrelevant. You realize how many people there are trying to be songwriters and how competitive it is and how political things can be. Julia Michaels

You People Political Nothing Out Had Songwriters Almost Feel Come Period Within How How Many People Singles Years Trying Irrelevant Little Realize Then Many Things Start Competitive Two

I love to give the song away - it's so exciting - where, I think, a lot of younger songwriters, they struggle with that. And it's a big struggle, where they want the shine and they want people to know that it was their idea and it was their doing. But luckily, I've been through that, so I can just focus on helping other people do their thing. Justin Tranter

Love Struggle People Song Focus Big Shine Think Other Give Through Songwriters Exciting Idea Know Doing Been Lot Just Where Want Younger Helping Luckily Away Thing

You need to understand that a skilled professional songwriter can accelerate your success as an already talented musician. These people are writing every single day, so their craft is really sharp, and it's the best songwriters who consistently get on the radio. Kara DioGuardi

Success Best Day You People Writing Single Every Consistently Musician Songwriter Songwriters Sharp Talented Accelerate Single Day Understand Get Craft Really Skilled Your Who Radio Professional Need Every Single Day

Travis Barker is one of the greatest drummers ever, and all the guys in blink are really good songwriters. Kevin Jonas

Good Guys Songwriters Drummers Blink Greatest Really Ever

Bands can become absolutely huge and actually be pretty terrible musicians, and bands can be the most amazing songwriters and musicians in the world and never play for more than 10 people. With that in mind, getting successful doesn't mean anything. Kevin Parker

Musicians People World Amazing Mind Become Pretty More Absolutely Never Songwriters Most Most Amazing Terrible Huge Than Bands Getting Anything Mean Successful Play Actually

When I first got into the music scene, I was inspired by different songwriters. I like to dress from the '50s and '60s. I like to paint a picture of that era through my music and clothes. I am inspired by a whole a lot of things, from doo-wop to gospel and soul music. Leon Bridges

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