---
title: "6 Guess Quotes By James Mercer"
description: "6 Guess quotes by James Mercer. Plus more from James Mercer and more Guess sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/james-mercer-10889_alone_when-i-started-the-shins-it-really-was-j_1257132.png"
---

> [When I started The Shins, it really was just me, alone, but it was still The Shins. I was totally recording stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/when-i-started-the-shins-it-really-was-just-me-alone-but-it-was-still/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/james-mercer-10889_alone_when-i-started-the-shins-it-really-was-j_1257132.png)

> [I don't like the idea of a singer-songwriter record. I don't picture myself that way, and it's not my favorite sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-a-singer-songwriter-record-i-don-t-picture/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/james-mercer-10889_aesthetic_i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-a-singer-songwr_1351177.png)

> [I have the soundtrack for 'A Clockwork Orange,' which is kind of cool. I guess I don't really end up buying a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-have-the-soundtrack-for-a-clockwork-orange-which-is-kind-of-cool-i/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/737/james-mercer-10889_another_i-have-the-soundtrack-for-a-clockwork-or_1484837.jpg)

> [I've always sort of felt like what the Shins is, I guess, is a vehicle for my writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-ve-always-sort-of-felt-like-what-the-shins-is-i-guess-is-a-vehicle/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/james-mercer-10889_always_i-ve-always-sort-of-felt-like-what-the-s_1695579.png)

> [Maybe it's just parenthood that puts you in a situation where you just have to develop a new attitude, I guess, about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/maybe-it-s-just-parenthood-that-puts-you-in-a-situation-where-you/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/925/james-mercer-10889_about_maybe-it-s-just-parenthood-that-puts-you_2501544.png)

> [I think perfect dates involve walking a lot, and not a bunch of driving around in cars. Ideally, you can walk together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-think-perfect-dates-involve-walking-a-lot-and-not-a-bunch-of-2/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/james-mercer-10889_another_i-think-perfect-dates-involve-walking-a_2918494.png)

## More by James Mercer

> [I do like talking with friends about big concepts, you know, the stuff that will ruin a party. To me, the party hasn't begun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-do-like-talking-with-friends-about-big-concepts-you-know-the-stuff/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [Horrible dates are when you're with people who are immature and can't really be comfortable in their own skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/horrible-dates-are-when-you-re-with-people-who-are-immature-and-can-t/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [I'm real happy. I've been lucky in love, and I've got a wonderful kid now, and things have been going well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-m-real-happy-i-ve-been-lucky-in-love-and-i-ve-got-a-wonderful-kid/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [The fact that I'm often pushing my voice as hard as I can is from playing in nightclubs in Albuquerque where you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/the-fact-that-i-m-often-pushing-my-voice-as-hard-as-i-can-is-from/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [ I really \[enjoy\] working with new people and just sort of the freshness of it. ... I \[want\] to have those new conversations, musically… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-really-enjoy-working-with-new-people-and-just-sort-of-the-freshness/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [Meeting Perry Farrel was kind of cool. He's such an icon, and I was such a fan of Jane's Addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/meeting-perry-farrel-was-kind-of-cool-he-s-such-an-icon-and-i-was/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [My dad and I get into it all the time. He loves to discuss politics much more than I do and we have pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/my-dad-and-i-get-into-it-all-the-time-he-loves-to-discuss-politics/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [For the longest time, I didn't even want to admit I was serious about music. Before the Shins, I would tell myself, 'Oh, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/for-the-longest-time-i-didn-t-even-want-to-admit-i-was-serious-about/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [Humans are social creatures that really crave intimacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/humans-are-social-creatures-that-really-crave-intimacy/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [I tend to write a pretty half and half split of, like, slow, morose things and then sort of more upbeat stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-tend-to-write-a-pretty-half-and-half-split-of-like-slow-morose/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [If you're 14 and you're skinny, you can't be on the football team, basically. It's just not even really possible. But skating is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/if-you-re-14-and-you-re-skinny-you-can-t-be-on-the-football-team/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [I think that what's funny is that I seem to be taking up the roles that I remember my dad having - for some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-think-that-what-s-funny-is-that-i-seem-to-be-taking-up-the-roles/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [One thing that I've struggled with has been a certain amount of animosity toward the whole human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/one-thing-that-i-ve-struggled-with-has-been-a-certain-amount-of/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [For some reason, it seems like pop writers, it's like they just get worse or something over time. And then you're really jealous of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/for-some-reason-it-seems-like-pop-writers-it-s-like-they-just-get/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

> [I think that was going on with bands like The Strokes was that the idea of the band, a real band, was making a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-think-that-was-going-on-with-bands-like-the-strokes-was-that-the/)

[James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess/james-mercer/#itemlist",
            "name": "6 Guess Quotes By James Mercer",
            "numberOfItems": 6,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "When I started The Shins, it really was just me, alone, but it was still The Shins. I was totally recording stuff and writing songs as The Shins and all of that. So the beginning inception of the whole thing was some sort of a lie, I guess.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "James Mercer"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/when-i-started-the-shins-it-really-was-just-me-alone-but-it-was-still/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/james-mercer-10889_alone_when-i-started-the-shins-it-really-was-j_1257132.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/james-mercer-10889_alone_when-i-started-the-shins-it-really-was-j_1257132.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/james-mercer-10889_alone_when-i-started-the-shins-it-really-was-j_1257132.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“When I started The Shins, it really was just me, alone, but it was still The Shins. I was totally recording…” — James Mercer",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "I don't like the idea of a singer-songwriter record. I don't picture myself that way, and it's not my favorite sort of look, I guess. It's really just an aesthetic thing.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "James Mercer"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-a-singer-songwriter-record-i-don-t-picture/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/james-mercer-10889_aesthetic_i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-a-singer-songwr_1351177.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/james-mercer-10889_aesthetic_i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-a-singer-songwr_1351177.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/james-mercer-10889_aesthetic_i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-a-singer-songwr_1351177.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“I don't like the idea of a singer-songwriter record. I don't picture myself that way, and it's not my…” — James Mercer",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "I have the soundtrack for 'A Clockwork Orange,' which is kind of cool. I guess I don't really end up buying a lot of modern soundtracks. Another soundtrack I love is from a French movie called 'Betty Blue.' it has some really melancholy piano work.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "James Mercer"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-have-the-soundtrack-for-a-clockwork-orange-which-is-kind-of-cool-i/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/737/james-mercer-10889_another_i-have-the-soundtrack-for-a-clockwork-or_1484837.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/737/james-mercer-10889_another_i-have-the-soundtrack-for-a-clockwork-or_1484837.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/737/james-mercer-10889_another_i-have-the-soundtrack-for-a-clockwork-or_1484837.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“I have the soundtrack for 'A Clockwork Orange,' which is kind of cool. I guess I don't really end up buying…” — James Mercer",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "I've always sort of felt like what the Shins is, I guess, is a vehicle for my writing.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "James Mercer"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-ve-always-sort-of-felt-like-what-the-shins-is-i-guess-is-a-vehicle/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/james-mercer-10889_always_i-ve-always-sort-of-felt-like-what-the-s_1695579.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/james-mercer-10889_always_i-ve-always-sort-of-felt-like-what-the-s_1695579.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/james-mercer-10889_always_i-ve-always-sort-of-felt-like-what-the-s_1695579.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“I've always sort of felt like what the Shins is, I guess, is a vehicle for my writing.” — James Mercer",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Maybe it's just parenthood that puts you in a situation where you just have to develop a new attitude, I guess, about things.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "James Mercer"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/maybe-it-s-just-parenthood-that-puts-you-in-a-situation-where-you/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/925/james-mercer-10889_about_maybe-it-s-just-parenthood-that-puts-you_2501544.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/925/james-mercer-10889_about_maybe-it-s-just-parenthood-that-puts-you_2501544.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/925/james-mercer-10889_about_maybe-it-s-just-parenthood-that-puts-you_2501544.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Maybe it's just parenthood that puts you in a situation where you just have to develop a new attitude, I…” — James Mercer",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 6,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "I think perfect dates involve walking a lot, and not a bunch of driving around in cars. Ideally, you can walk together and go to a restaurant, and then walk from there to another nice place - this is, I guess, because of really great dates that I've had with my wife here in Portland.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "James Mercer"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-think-perfect-dates-involve-walking-a-lot-and-not-a-bunch-of-2/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/james-mercer-10889_another_i-think-perfect-dates-involve-walking-a_2918494.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/james-mercer-10889_another_i-think-perfect-dates-involve-walking-a_2918494.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/james-mercer-10889_another_i-think-perfect-dates-involve-walking-a_2918494.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“I think perfect dates involve walking a lot, and not a bunch of driving around in cars. Ideally, you can…” — James Mercer",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess/james-mercer/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess/james-mercer/",
            "name": "Guess Quotes by James Mercer",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess/james-mercer/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/james-mercer-10889_alone_when-i-started-the-shins-it-really-was-j_1257132.png"
            },
            "description": "6 Guess quotes by James Mercer. Plus more from James Mercer and more Guess sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess/james-mercer/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess/james-mercer/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Guess",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "James Mercer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess/james-mercer/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
