--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To distract myself from writing, I was…" description: "\"To distract myself from writing, I was singing Bob Dylan's 'My Back Pages.' You know, 'I was so much older then; I'm younger than that now.' I thought,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/andrew-sean-greer-2689_bob-dylan_to-distract-myself-from-writing-i-was-si_2553778.jpg" --- # To distract myself from writing, I was singing Bob Dylan's… ![“To distract myself from writing, I was singing Bob Dylan's 'My Back Pages.' You know, 'I was so much older then; I'm younger than that now.' I thought, 'I should write a character like that.'” quote by Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/andrew-sean-greer-2689_bob-dylan_to-distract-myself-from-writing-i-was-si_2553778.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/andrew-sean-greer-2689_bob-dylan_to-distract-myself-from-writing-i-was-si_2553778.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/andrew-sean-greer-2689_bob-dylan_to-distract-myself-from-writing-i-was-si_2553778.jpg) > “To distract myself from writing, I was singing Bob Dylan's 'My Back Pages.' You know, 'I was so much older then; I'm younger than that now.' I thought, 'I should write a character like that.'” [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He uses a Bob Dylan lyric about aging to inspire a character who feels younger than his past self, highlighting self‑reflection and the fluidity of identity. **In simple terms:** Lyrics inspire character creation about age. Key Takeaway Use music to explore character depth. Themes creativity music identity age self‑reflection Mood inspirational introspective Type creative musical When to use this quote - writing - song analysis - personal growth Key Concepts literary inspiration character development Questions to Reflect On - How does music shape your writing? - What does “younger than that now” mean for a character? A Different Perspective Relying on external references can limit originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bob dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bob-dylan/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Distract Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distract-writing-1544237/) [Dylan Pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dylan-pages-1544238/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-singing-662283/) [Younger Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/younger-thought-266924/) ## Related quotes > [Writing is the process of finding something to distract you from writing, and of all the helpful distractions - adultery, alcohol and acedia, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/writing-is-the-process-of-finding-something-to-distract-you-from/) [Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/) > [The people who are making money are the ones who are writing and singing their own songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-webb/the-people-who-are-making-money-are-the-ones-who-are-writing-and/) [Jimmy Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-webb/) > [“... so this is for us. This is for us who sing, write, dance, act, study, run and love and this is for doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-eriksson/so-this-is-for-us-this-is-for-us-who-sing-write-dance-act-study-run/) [Charlotte Eriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-eriksson/) > [He's writing what I'm singing, and I'm writing what he's playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/he-s-writing-what-i-m-singing-and-i-m-writing-what-he-s-playing/) [Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/) > [Writing and singing does give me some kind of release from the demons of my past, it is a therapy of sorts, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-shocked/writing-and-singing-does-give-me-some-kind-of-release-from-the-demons/) [Michelle Shocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-shocked/) > [To me, obstacles in life build character. You have to be able to overcome adversity in order to succeed and appreciate the simple things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-yamin/to-me-obstacles-in-life-build-character-you-have-to-be-able-to/) [Elliott Yamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-yamin/) > [Usually, my rhymes are just in my head. I start off with a theme, and once I start rapping and writing and singing, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roshon-fegan/usually-my-rhymes-are-just-in-my-head-i-start-off-with-a-theme-and/) [Roshon Fegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roshon-fegan/) > [I've been singing since I was two. Music was my first passion and I love writing, singing, creating and being creative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-been-singing-since-i-was-two-music-was-my-first-passion-and-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I remember when I was younger I thought getting your period was cool because it meant growing up. I wish I could go back,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-remember-when-i-was-younger-i-thought-getting-your-period-was-cool/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When I was younger I thought that the fantasy of becoming invisible and the desire to become a poet stood in an antinomy. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shuji-terayama/when-i-was-younger-i-thought-that-the-fantasy-of-becoming-invisible/) [Shuji Terayama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shuji-terayama/) > [When I was younger, I thought I would finish in my mid-30s because that is normal for most players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-van-der-sar/when-i-was-younger-i-thought-i-would-finish-in-my-mid-30s-because/) [Edwin van der Sar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-van-der-sar/) > [When I was younger, I always thought the President was the richest person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-norris/when-i-was-younger-i-always-thought-the-president-was-the-richest/) [Ramon Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-norris/) > [When I was younger I thought I was an artist, and inspiration would just come to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stockard-channing/when-i-was-younger-i-thought-i-was-an-artist-and-inspiration-would/) [Stockard Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stockard-channing/) > [When I was younger, I thought I had to shut myself off, work really hard to cry. I learned after a while that that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/when-i-was-younger-i-thought-i-had-to-shut-myself-off-work-really/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [A study says owning a dog makes you 10 years younger. My first thought was to rescue two more, but I don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/a-study-says-owning-a-dog-makes-you-10-years-younger-my-first-thought/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) ## More by Andrew Sean Greer > [It takes too much imagination to see the sorrows of people we take for happy. Their real battles take place, like those of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/it-takes-too-much-imagination-to-see-the-sorrows-of-people-we-take/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [They say you hit your stride as a writer at about 50. I'm hoping to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/they-say-you-hit-your-stride-as-a-writer-at-about-50-i-m-hoping-to-do/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [“Then I traveled. Quite a bit, in fact. You have to stockpile a few beautiful vistas in your memory, Pearlie. In case we're rationed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/then-i-traveled-quite-a-bit-in-fact-you-have-to-stockpile-a-few/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [Writing fiction is an act of imaginative empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/writing-fiction-is-an-act-of-imaginative-empathy/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [“To give up a marriage - someone unmarried might imagine it's like giving up a seat in a theater, or sacrificing a trick in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/to-give-up-a-marriage-someone-unmarried-might-imagine-it-s-like/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [“Standing on the deck of a San Francisco ferryboat, in a gray suit so precisely the same colour as the fog that he seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/standing-on-the-deck-of-a-san-francisco-ferryboat-in-a-gray-suit-so/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [“We're too old to think we'll meet again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/we-re-too-old-to-think-we-ll-meet-again/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [“A rosewater smell from the box summoned, instantly, a dictatorial woman with a tight bun, hectoring him with questions. The cut, the buttons, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/a-rosewater-smell-from-the-box-summoned-instantly-a-dictatorial-woman/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [Does love always form, like a pearl, around the hardened bits of life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/does-love-always-form-like-a-pearl-around-the-hardened-bits-of-life/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [I was raised Unitarian, and my mother said she took us to church so that we wouldn't get religious later in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/i-was-raised-unitarian-and-my-mother-said-she-took-us-to-church-so/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [A downside to being a successful novelist? Wow - I can't imagine one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/a-downside-to-being-a-successful-novelist-wow-i-can-t-imagine-one/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [My country is nothing if not diverse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/my-country-is-nothing-if-not-diverse/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [Any gay man in America redeals a deck at some point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/any-gay-man-in-america-redeals-a-deck-at-some-point/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [“We kept each other's stare a long time, for we had each done a startling thing, dodged time for an instant - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/we-kept-each-other-s-stare-a-long-time-for-we-had-each-done-a/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [My grandmother was not a great storyteller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/my-grandmother-was-not-a-great-storyteller/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) [Explore all 154 Andrew Sean Greer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) ## More Bob dylan quotes > [ Except in these latter-day songs, \[Bob\] Dylan is a grizzled old prophet who's already been to hell and back. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/except-in-these-latter-day-songs-bob-dylan-is-a-grizzled-old-prophet/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) > [ The most recent incarnation of \[Bob\] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan-has-been-the-traveling/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [That's who I wanted to be like was Bob Dylan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kristofferson/that-s-who-i-wanted-to-be-like-was-bob-dylan/) [Kris Kristofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kristofferson/) > [Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Neil Young and Bob Dylan are my main influences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-simpson/jack-johnson-john-mayer-neil-young-and-bob-dylan-are-my-main/) [Cody Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-simpson/) > [Producing Bob Dylan was pretty much a spectator sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-kooper/producing-bob-dylan-was-pretty-much-a-spectator-sport/) [Al Kooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-kooper/) > [I first met (Bob Dylan) in '65. We've had a friendship for a long time. He decided to play on a record I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-sahm/i-first-met-bob-dylan-in-65-we-ve-had-a-friendship-for-a-long-time-he/) [Doug Sahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-sahm/) > [ Probably the high-watermark of \[Bob\] Dylan's career came after he plugged in his guitar ("Judas!" one fan shouted during a concert) and exploded American… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/probably-the-high-watermark-of-bob-dylan-s-career-came-after-he/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [Most of the artists were trying to make a living, trying to get laid, trying to figure out who they were. They weren't trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-geffen/most-of-the-artists-were-trying-to-make-a-living-trying-to-get-laid/) [David Geffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-geffen/) > [I've been really, really blessed. I got to perform on stage with Bob Dylan. I've gotten to sing with Mick Jagger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-crow/i-ve-been-really-really-blessed-i-got-to-perform-on-stage-with-bob/) [Sheryl Crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-crow/) > [Courtney Love's name should be right next to Bob Dylan when they say best lyricist of all time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-perry/courtney-love-s-name-should-be-right-next-to-bob-dylan-when-they-say/) [Linda Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-perry/) > [ “Like almost all of Beefheart's recorded work, \[Trout Mask Replica\] was not even "ahead" of its time in 1969. Then and now, it stands… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/like-almost-all-of-beefheart-s-recorded-work-trout-mask-replica-was/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [Look at Bob Dylan: his voice is not a great sound, but it gets the idea across... and that is what's really important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/look-at-bob-dylan-his-voice-is-not-a-great-sound-but-it-gets-the-idea/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“We’re freer now, less encumbered by plans, more overwhelmed by the range of available choices, each of us enacting that wonderful line from Bob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-noxon/we-re-freer-now-less-encumbered-by-plans-more-overwhelmed-by-the/) [Christopher Noxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-noxon/) > [I never could understand - it was impossible for me to get my head around - what the furor was, what the sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greil-marcus/i-never-could-understand-it-was-impossible-for-me-to-get-my-head/) [Greil Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greil-marcus/) [Browse all 351 Bob dylan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bob-dylan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To distract myself from writing, I was singing Bob Dylan's 'My Back Pages.' You know, 'I was so much older then; I'm younger than that now.' I thought, 'I should write a character like that.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Andrew Sean Greer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/to-distract-myself-from-writing-i-was-singing-bob-dylan-s-my-back/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bob dylan" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/to-distract-myself-from-writing-i-was-singing-bob-dylan-s-my-back/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/andrew-sean-greer-2689_bob-dylan_to-distract-myself-from-writing-i-was-si_2553778.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/andrew-sean-greer-2689_bob-dylan_to-distract-myself-from-writing-i-was-si_2553778.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/andrew-sean-greer-2689_bob-dylan_to-distract-myself-from-writing-i-was-si_2553778.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To distract myself from writing, I was singing Bob Dylan's 'My Back Pages.' You know, 'I was so much older…” — Andrew Sean Greer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "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": "Andrew Sean Greer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To distract myself from writing, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/to-distract-myself-from-writing-i-was-singing-bob-dylan-s-my-back/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/to-distract-myself-from-writing-i-was-singing-bob-dylan-s-my-back/#breadcrumb" }, { "@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 } } ] } ```