Quotes About Songwriting

I'm not a virtuoso on an instrument. You know, I'm not always singing in pitch. I laugh sometimes my way through the shows, but I'm an honest songwriter who's always tried to bring the audience with me on my journey in hopes that they see their own lives reflected in the work.

At some point, I had to make a decision: I could practice more and become a really great guitar player or I could work on writing better songs. There are only so many hours in the day, and I found writing songs more fulfilling than working on becoming this virtuoso guitar player.

I don't know what the inspiration for most of songs really mean until I finish them. For the most part, I'm going for a visceral impression, and I write the words last.

The way that I write is very instinctual and based off raw feeling--I'm a very emotional person and I think that comes across in my writing. Also the songwriting that I enjoy, for example Elliott Smith, Leonard Cohen and Nico tend to be both photographic and visceral.

I don't ever try to anticipate my audience. I just write the songs I want to write, and hope people like 'em.

Writin' songs is like a mystery. The most difficult thing to do is have a good idea. If you have a decent idea, the songs are the easy part. Actually having something to say is the hard part. If you get an idea for a song, then it pulls you along.

If you forget the words to your own song, you can always claim artistic license. Forget the words to the national anthem and you're screwed.

I'm not the kind of writer that can wake up and say, "Okay, I'm gonna write a song today," and have that song be the kind I would want to record. The songs of mine that I end up liking are songs that come from real experience. They're like chapter titles in my life.

Sometimes I might borrow something from a song I started a long time ago and see if I can grab something.

The way I look at life, whatever I'm doing at that time in my life is going to be reflected in my songs, for the most part.

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

I dream crazy vivid dreams. Like, entire movies. And sometimes I write songs about them.

I love writing songs, but I don't want to write the songs everyone else is asking me to write.

I find it hard to get excited by just a sound. I have to have a song there, then I'll find what used I can make of that sound within the song.

When I write, I don't have any expectation of what kind of song it will become or who it might reach.

I don't really have any ditties left in me anymore.

I've never lied on a record.

I try not to put myself in a box, so I'll write with anybody who wants to. I don't put limitations on my co-writes.

I wrote 'Linger' in about eight minutes. But some songs will take weeks to write.

I actually had a week where I literally wrote four songs and all of them are on my album. But sometimes you'll go a week where you'll write songs and they never see the light of day. So that process takes a long time.

I'd love to write with some people from the U.K., like Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande... there's a very long list.

Being able to write about love through a trans lens is something that's not really represented when it comes to love songs.

I've written songs about love or about a relationship, but never just, 'I love you.'

It's funny; Luther and I have written many songs together, but we've never written songs in the same room.