--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best songwriting comes from being as…" description: "\"The best songwriting comes from being as creative as you can and editing it down to the good bits, essentially.\" — Alex Kapranos" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/alex-kapranos-13296_bits_the-best-songwriting-comes-from-being-as_1477915.png" --- # The best songwriting comes from being as creative as you… ![“The best songwriting comes from being as creative as you can and editing it down to the good bits, essentially.” quote by Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/alex-kapranos-13296_bits_the-best-songwriting-comes-from-being-as_1477915.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/alex-kapranos-13296_bits_the-best-songwriting-comes-from-being-as_1477915.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/alex-kapranos-13296_bits_the-best-songwriting-comes-from-being-as_1477915.png) > “The best songwriting comes from being as creative as you can and editing it down to the good bits, essentially.” [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective songwriting blends abundant ideas with disciplined editing to keep only the strongest parts. **In simple terms:** Write lots, then cut down. Key Takeaway Edit ruthlessly for impact. Themes songwriting creativity editing Mood thoughtful creative Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - music production - ly sessions - album planning - creative workshops Key Concepts artistic refinement quality over quantity Questions to Reflect On - What part of your work feels essential? - How do you know when a piece is finished? A Different Perspective Over‑editing can strip authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-son/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Songwriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriting/) ## Related quotes > [My songs are basically my diaries. Some of my best songwriting has come out of time when I've been going through a personal nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-stefani/my-songs-are-basically-my-diaries-some-of-my-best-songwriting-has/) [Gwen Stefani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-stefani/) > [I think there are a lot of artists that are very traditional. I think someone can be a fan of someone like Josh Turner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kelley/i-think-there-are-a-lot-of-artists-that-are-very-traditional-i-think/) [Charles Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kelley/) > [To try and learn how to be a singer, a really good guitar player, a really good pianist, it's always lagged a bit behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-hunt/to-try-and-learn-how-to-be-a-singer-a-really-good-guitar-player-a/) [Van Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-hunt/) > [“The editing of a good piece of writing is like the editing of one's life: never quite complete; rendering all, ultimately, unfinished works when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kc-woodworth/the-editing-of-a-good-piece-of-writing-is-like-the-editing-of-one-s/) KC Woodworth > [You never know what you do that could be totally out of left field, which actually might work and give something fresh to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/you-never-know-what-you-do-that-could-be-totally-out-of-left-field/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) > [I used to sit on the editing table to see where I may have gone wrong because after editing, only the good parts go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prosenjit-chatterjee/i-used-to-sit-on-the-editing-table-to-see-where-i-may-have-gone-wrong/) [Prosenjit Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prosenjit-chatterjee/) > [I'm getting bored performing the same songs over and over. Songwriting comes and goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-van-etten/i-m-getting-bored-performing-the-same-songs-over-and-over-songwriting/) [Sharon Van Etten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-van-etten/) > [ Some people, it \[songwriting\] comes faster. Some people, it comes slower. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/some-people-it-songwriting-comes-faster-some-people-it-comes-slower/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My process of songwriting comes from a very real place: a place that when you watch 'American Idol' - God bless it, it's probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-perry/my-process-of-songwriting-comes-from-a-very-real-place-a-place-that/) [Linda Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-perry/) > [As Laurel Van Ness it's so much fun, and with that comes a creative outlet. You can be who you wanna be and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-van-ness/as-laurel-van-ness-it-s-so-much-fun-and-with-that-comes-a-creative/) [Laurel Van Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-van-ness/) > [All progress comes from the creative minority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gilder/all-progress-comes-from-the-creative-minority/) [George Gilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gilder/) > [I'm a situationist when it comes to anything creative, and that stands with the visual part of anything I do as well. I deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/i-m-a-situationist-when-it-comes-to-anything-creative-and-that-stands/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [I think there's a certain magic that comes from being creative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-dennen/i-think-there-s-a-certain-magic-that-comes-from-being-creative/) [Brett Dennen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-dennen/) > [When it all comes together, a creative life has the nourishing power we normally associate with food, love and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/when-it-all-comes-together-a-creative-life-has-the-nourishing-power/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [There is the happiness which comes from creative effort. The joy of dreaming, creating, building, whether in painting a picture, writing an epic, singing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/there-is-the-happiness-which-comes-from-creative-effort-the-joy-of/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) ## More by Alex Kapranos > [I think in the world of indie music there's this sort of false modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/i-think-in-the-world-of-indie-music-there-s-this-sort-of-false-modesty/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [A lot of food criticism has a similar flavor to it, and I'm probably going to write about it in a different way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/a-lot-of-food-criticism-has-a-similar-flavor-to-it-and-i-m-probably/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [The internet is like a gossipy girls' locker room after school, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/the-internet-is-like-a-gossipy-girls-locker-room-after-school-isn-t-it/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [I want to make music that will make the blood surge in your veins, music that will get people up and dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/i-want-to-make-music-that-will-make-the-blood-surge-in-your-veins/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [No matter what you do, if you're trying to create something new, your environment has a massive impact on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/no-matter-what-you-do-if-you-re-trying-to-create-something-new-your/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [Just because you can leap off a drum kit doing a scissors kick while hitting a chord, people expect you to be an extrovert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/just-because-you-can-leap-off-a-drum-kit-doing-a-scissors-kick-while/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [I find American football quite ridiculous generally. I don't understand it. It looks like a lot of guys dressed up as spacemen shouting at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/i-find-american-football-quite-ridiculous-generally-i-don-t/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [You can only begin to be great when you embrace a sense of your own ridiculousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/you-can-only-begin-to-be-great-when-you-embrace-a-sense-of-your-own/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [Ideally, musicians belong outside the Establishment. When they cross that line, it's like something in them has died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/ideally-musicians-belong-outside-the-establishment-when-they-cross/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [Boredom or being sick of what you've done before is a big part of being in a band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/boredom-or-being-sick-of-what-you-ve-done-before-is-a-big-part-of/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [It's easy to be lazy when there's food lying around backstage or there's a fast-food joint a couple blocks away. But if you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/it-s-easy-to-be-lazy-when-there-s-food-lying-around-backstage-or/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [There are loads of bands I'd love to produce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/there-are-loads-of-bands-i-d-love-to-produce/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [Anyone can play an instrument if you show them how to move their limbs, lips or fingers the right way. It's irrelevant. What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/anyone-can-play-an-instrument-if-you-show-them-how-to-move-their/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [“I'm not here to make waffles!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/i-m-not-here-to-make-waffles/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [The Beatles were huge for me, ... I used to jump around the room to the red album, the one with all the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/the-beatles-were-huge-for-me-i-used-to-jump-around-the-room-to-the/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) [Explore all 51 Alex Kapranos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) ## More Bits quotes > [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/) [David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. 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This is a bit rich coming from a man who actually married his own mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/he-referred-to-me-as-an-insufferable-puffed-up-prat-this-is-a-bit/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [It won't do you a bit of good to know everything if you don't do anything with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-fitzhugh/it-won-t-do-you-a-bit-of-good-to-know-everything-if-you-don-t-do/) [Louise Fitzhugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-fitzhugh/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/) [Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/) > [I think that's the beauty of the current setup, is that Legends is meant to be a bit of a revolving door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-the-current-setup-is-that-legends-is/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [We, as pop stars, are people not androids. We’ve got views. I’ve got opinions and I don’t see why I shouldn’t use a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-meddows-taylor/we-as-pop-stars-are-people-not-androids-we-ve-got-views-i-ve-got/) [Roger Meddows Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-meddows-taylor/) > [In terms of style, too, I think I've been working with a somewhat limited -- although intentionally limited -- set of tools. 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