American Songwriter Quotes

When I was very young I was Judy. On good days I was Dorothy, on bad days I was the Wicked Witch. The interesting thing about it, too, is that I've always related to it mainly because I don't relate much to Frank Sinatra. I appreciate Frank, but there are so many Frank Sinatra imitators, whether it's Harry Connick Jr. or Michael Bublé—the kind of guys who [Snaps his fingers in quick succession] basically want to get laid. And there's nobody being the flip side of that, which is the hungry, lonely, desperate, crazy-person singer [Laughs]. So I wanted to pick up that mantle and try to be a little less cool.

Rufus Wainwright

It's a battered old suitcase to a hotel someplace, and a wound that will never heal. No prima donna, the perfume is on an old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey. Goodnight to the street sweepers, the night watchmen flame keepers and goodnight, Matilda, too.

I treat the act of making a record very much like working in a laboratory, experimenting with sounds and ideas... Whoever chooses to latch onto it, great; whoever doesn't, that's fine, too. The reaction always pales in comparison to the weight of the act of production.

Navy housing is like tract homes. … All the houses look the same. Everybody's pop was the same rank. There's a lot of negative to the military — like, most of it. But one good thing was I lived with all kinds of people, as far as ethnic background or whatever. Because the navy was integrated. That was kind of neat. And with everybody's pop being chiefs, you could see that no one was above or below anyone else. You know how neighborhoods get all caught up in different things? Well, in the military you're not like that. You're all together. So I will say that was one positive thing that came out of it.

Shopping bugs me, for metaphorical reasons I'm sure, because in life as in shopping, you go in looking for one thing. There's one thing you really need, right? But then there's Blue Light Specials, you know, and you just get confused, you get distracted, that's all. It's human. You wind up with this armload of shiny junk. You know, and then you're checking out—I mean, checking out—and suddenly you remember, Huh… there was that one thing I came in for. Oh no, I forgot—I just have this junk—oh no! Too late, you're in the express line!

Why do you care what people think?
Are you hooked up to their leash?

Hayley Williams

Relating to the specifics of relationships, and writing love songs, I tapped into something that seemed to work for my generation. I love the fact that some of the songs continue to survive, but I think that there's a window of opportunity for a time when you really, really relate to your generation. And I think a lot of us pass through that as songwriters.

My demons talk to me in profanity. They think I'm a jerk. A bum. And an asshole. I just say they're a jerk, they're a bum, they're an asshole. They're no good. They better leave me alone and get off my case.

I think because I felt so sad I had to bring out my feelings, and try to create music that would make me and all my friends feel better.

"Hurrah! Hurrah! we bring the Jubilee!
Hurrah! Hurrah! the flag that makes you free!"
So we sang the chorus from Atlanta to the sea,
While we were marching through Georgia.

Henry Clay Work

My personal taste in music runs toward alternative rock. It's not my genre to parody. Rap songs make great parodies because there are lots of words to play with. There's no part of pop culture that doesn't deserve to be taken down a couple of pegs.

"Weird Al" Yankovic

... you would be well advised to practice extreme discrimination on what filters through to that area of the brain that requires belief. Some or the more lucid, literate and better educated folks will tell you that they have conquered that base, primal nature of humanity and will inform that their brains do not require the gullible mechanism of blind acceptance called belief and their brains function far more clearly and with greater cogence. Just remember, Santa Claus is waiting.

I've noticed the people most uptight about smokers and drinkers don't really have a problem with gluttony and gossip.

Do not ask the definition of a friend. He/She is that one without whose company death and dying set in earlier and living is made more pleasurable.

The Devil made me do it the first time -
the second time I done it on my own

Billy Joe Shaver

Though we adore men individually, we agree that as a group they're rather stupid.

Richard M. Sherman

Hitler was a good man and it takes some f—-ing balls for someone to say this out loud this day and age, especially for a public figure like myself, but you know what? SOMEONE NEEDS TO SPEAK THE TRUTH WITHOUT FEAR! Otherwise the dark cabal who currently control the world and all of the world bankers will continue to feed you their lies, feed off your emotions, take advantage of your emotions and will continue to keep you THEIR SLAVE!

I love Albuquerque. I've always loved it, and i just couldn't leave it. I don't know if it sounds right, but I think people love that, I'm not going to turn my back on them. I want to be here.

Don't go to summer camp. Bury your parents in the backyard and have the place to yourself.

People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.

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

Oh we ain't got a barrel of money,
Maybe we're ragged and funny,
But we'll travel along
Singin' a song,
Side by side.

It's still the same old story,
A fight for love and glory,
A case of do or die!
The world will always welcome lovers,
As time goes by.

The life of Liverpool is commerce; it is a city of warehouses and shops.

Katherine Lee Bates

Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose, And nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free.

Kris Kristofferson