American Songwriter Quotes

I've seen country music go uptown, like we say, and I'm proud I was there when it happened.

I can feel a something pounding in my brain
Just any time that someone speaks your name
Trumpets sound and I hear thunder boom
Every time that you walk in the room.

Jackie DeShannon

I don't have a big thing about leaving my mark or being historic.

I'm not a woman
I'm not a man
I am something that you'll never understand.

Prince (musician)

I know a place
Ain't nobody crying
Ain't nobody worried
Ain't no smiling faces
Lying to the races
I'll take you there.

See the wild birds on the wing,
Hear the bells that sweetly ring,
When you feel like singin', sing--
Keep a-goin'!

Frank L. Stanton

I've been driving for an hour; just talking to the rain. You say I've been driving you crazy, and it's keeping you away. So, just give me one good reason. Tell me why, I should stay. Because I don't want to waste another moment, saying things we never meant to say. And I? Take it, just a little bit. I? Hold my breath and count to ten, I? I've been waiting for a chance, to let you in. If I just, breathe? Let it fill the space between? I'll know, everything is alright. Breathe, every little piece of me. You'll see, everything is alright. If I just, breathe.

Michelle Branch

So take a good look at my face.
You'll see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears.

There's some records that sell millions of copies, that it's really unclear if anybody liked it who was making it, y'know?

My growth was stopped at two years old. And when they talk about Axl Rose being a screaming two-year-old, they're right. There's a screaming two-year-old who's real pissed off and hides and won't show himself that often, even to me. Because I couldn't protect him. And the world didn't protect him.

If I couldn't do it my way, I'd best stay at home.

Jerry Lee Lewis

We won't have a thing
So we've got nothing to lose…

Hang all the mistletoe
I'm gonna get to know you better
This Christinas.

You have to blow off your family. You have to blow off comfort. You have to blow off money.... You have to blow off your ego. You have to blow off everything except your guitar.

Townes Van Zandt

In The Doors we have both musicians and poets, and both know of each other's art, so we can effect a synthesis. In the case of Tim Buckley or Dylan you have one man's ideas. Most groups today aren't groups. In a true group all the members create the arrangements among themselves.

I have a phobia of anything that doesn't die in the microwave after five seconds.

And after it rains
There's a rainbow
And all of the colors are black
Its not that the colors aren't there
It's just imagination they lack.

Simon & Garfunkel

Eight miles high,
And when you touch down
You'll find that
It's stranger than known.

I looked down the bar at the bartender He said, "Now what do you want, Johnny?" "One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer"

Everybody's got a little light under the sun.

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day
When it's cold outside
I've got the month of May
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl, my girl, my girl
Talkin' 'bout my girl.

You can't hurry love,
No, you just have to wait.

This Is Your Time, This Is Your Dance. Live Every Moment, Leave Nothing To Chance. Swim In The Sea. Drink Of The Deep, Embrace The Mystery Of All You Could Be. What if Tomorrow? And What If Today? Faced With The Question, Oh What Would You Say?

Michael W. Smith

A child has this relationship to a creative force, you know? Yeah, your parents gradually, you know, they gradually shove your face in the concrete, and so do your teachers and school system and…everything's working against you, but…but…but the force of creativity nature is not working against you - it's right there for you, at any time! You just…you know, you just have to be ready not to judge yourself and to be open to whatever's gonna come through you and to-to be ready to not…to not…eeeh to not judge what comes through, but be alright with it, whatever it is, cause it's just the universe of expressing yourself.

John Frusciante

If you consider the definition of authenticity, it's saying something and actually doing it. I write my own songs. I made my own videos. I pick my producers. Nothing goes out without my permission. It's all authentic.