Songwriting Quotes

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.

For me, songwriting is something that I have to do ritually. I don't just wait for inspiration; I try to write a little bit every day.

I think topical songwriting is a real gift, and it's hard not to be pedantic and show up with the sledgehammer message.

First thing, I throw on some jeans, a T-shirt and my Keds sneakers and make coffee. That is actually my favorite time of day. That is when I do my songwriting, when I am in writing mode.

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

Usually the things that happen in my life are an easy trigger for songwriting.

It's the damage that we do and never know. It's the words that we don't say that scare me so.

I love, love, love songwriting. It's like the most therapeutic thing in the world.

I've come to recognize songwriting as something that I do, and I want to be good at that. At that craft, if you like. I want to practice it.

You're gonna have to learn to get out there in front of those cameras and hold your head up. Take charge when you're singing.

Isolation is a big part of songwriting.

I feel like when the songwriting slows, I'd love to help others with their records. If it's something I really believe in, it's worth the effort.

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

A lot of what has pushed me forward is desire, and I have expressed that in my songwriting - perhaps because it's safer!

Songwriting is the way of perpetual want. Songwriters are the blessed/cursed people. You will never have a moment's peace in your life. You will always be wanting the next song.

I think just letting go is a really good thing to do in many areas of your life, songwriting included.

I often say songwriting is like trying to climb down a ladder at night. You put your foot on the next rung and test it out and make sure it holds and then you reach for the next one.

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.

You're just like, "I like doing this - it's something I have a lot of passion for." You happen to do it, you enjoy songwriting, and eventually if you're writing enough songs, then you fall into it.

Songwriting is the other weight on the opposite side of the scale from touring. They balance me out creatively.

When you're songwriting, it's like talking about your own life experience. When you're with a band, you have to compromise.

Songwriting never feels like it's me doing anything consciously except for becoming aware somehow that it's time to let something out, or let something in, depending on how you look at it.

Songwriting's never been a natural art for me; it's always been a bit of a struggle.

For me, songwriting is something like breathing: I just do it. But that doesn't mean you're fantastic.

With songwriting I spend a lot of time living life, accruing all these experiences, journaling, and then by the time I get to the studio I'm teeming with the drive to write.

There's a lot of personal stuff that can go into songwriting but there's also a lot of dramatization and fictionalization. You have to do that to make a good song.

I really do love pop. I understand songwriting, I understand the business, and I'm not stuck in any one particular time period.

I wasn't born with a natural talent for songwriting.

I don't think people care about the mechanics of songwriting.

I don't think you can ever please all audiences.

People talk about songwriting or comedy as creative expression, but life is creative expression. Table-making, even nursing, is extraordinarily creative.

I'm passionate about the empowerment and healing of girls and women. Where I do the most work in that regard is in my songwriting.

Music really does just boil down to basically, essentially songwriting chords and melodies.

I've always used songwriting as a way to help me organise reality.

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.

Songwriting is as much a craft as a talent.

I think songwriting is the ultimate form of being able to make anything that happens in your life productive.

I don't enjoy songwriting.

Songwriting is best. It's the hardest ... finest ... tightest. It also requires the most discipline.

A lot of the great songwriters in history have been collaborators, with a separate lyricist.

A lot of people pretty much only listen to the chorus.

I suffer from the curse of being multi-talented. There's no doubt about it. Politics and literature have gotten in the way of songwriting.

Songwriting's a weird game.

My friends and I took songwriting very, very seriously. My hero was and still is Bob Dylan, but also people like Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell and that whole generation.

Not to dismiss Gershwin, but Gershwin is the chip; Ellington was the block.

Canadian Railroad Trilogy is an extremely fine piece of songwriting.

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

Songwriting is too mysterious and uncontrolled a process for me to direct it towards any one thing.

I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!

Songwriting is actually a really great outlet. I kind of recommend it. You get to sum up whatever is going on in your life in a song, then perform it really passionately.