--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Years ago when I was in a cover band and…" description: "\"Years ago when I was in a cover band and we were playing dances, that was quite a different thing. You were there as part of an event. When you're a so..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/537/andy-wilkinson-41009_band_years-ago-when-i-was-in-a-cover-band-and_812977.png" --- # Years ago when I was in a cover band and we were playing… ![“Years ago when I was in a cover band and we were playing dances, that was quite a different thing. You were there as part of an event. When you're a songwriter, you are the event. So it's a little bit of a different focus.” quote by Andy Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/537/andy-wilkinson-41009_band_years-ago-when-i-was-in-a-cover-band-and_812977.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/537/andy-wilkinson-41009_band_years-ago-when-i-was-in-a-cover-band-and_812977.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/537/andy-wilkinson-41009_band_years-ago-when-i-was-in-a-cover-band-and_812977.png) > “Years ago when I was in a cover band and we were playing dances, that was quite a different thing. You were there as part of an event. When you're a songwriter, you are the event. So it's a little bit of a different focus.” [Andy Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-wilkinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts being a performer at an event with being a songwriter who creates the event itself, shifting focus from execution to creation. **In simple terms:** Performers follow events; songwriters create them. Key Takeaway Embrace creation over mere participation. Themes creativity identity focus performance authorship Mood reflective inspired thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - Band gigs - songwriting sessions - creative workshops - career transitions Key Concepts Artistic agency role reversal self‑definition Questions to Reflect On - How does creating your own event change your sense of purpose? - What risks come with shifting from performer to creator? A Different Perspective Creation can be isolating and lacks immediate audience feedback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) [Band Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band-playing-256441/) [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Cover Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cover-band-281720/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-things/) [Event Songwriter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/event-songwriter-281718/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Little bit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-bit/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Songwriter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriter/) [Songwriter Event](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriter-event-281719/) [Songwriters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriters/) [Songwriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriting/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [We singer-songwriter people, we're used to getting up and doing our own thing in front of people, and we're it. We're the band, artist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-wilkinson/we-singer-songwriter-people-we-re-used-to-getting-up-and-doing-our/) [Andy Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-wilkinson/) > [In the 80s, in the cover band I was in, we'd slip in original material. If you didn't say anything about it, people just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-wilkinson/in-the-80s-in-the-cover-band-i-was-in-we-d-slip-in-original-material/) [Andy Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-wilkinson/) > [I was never a topical songwriter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/i-was-never-a-topical-songwriter/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [You know you don't really need the band or the singer/songwriter in the same way, so you look at everything as part of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-spooky/you-know-you-don-t-really-need-the-band-or-the-singer-songwriter-in/) [DJ Spooky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-spooky/) > [I think the nature of songwriters is that they are philosophers, and philosophers have a bent towards poetry and songwriting, so I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-t-hall/i-think-the-nature-of-songwriters-is-that-they-are-philosophers-and/) [Tom T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-t-hall/) > [The idea of massive amounts of fame-having my face on Walgreens end-caps and pizza boxes-I don't fantasize about that. I'm happy with just being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/the-idea-of-massive-amounts-of-fame-having-my-face-on-walgreens-end/) [Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/) > [Akon is a very talented songwriter to work with. His melodies, they're just insane. It's funny, I think about him a lot when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/akon-is-a-very-talented-songwriter-to-work-with-his-melodies-they-re/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [I'm more than a songwriter. I'm a creative person. Some people you just always see. I won't allow you to see me unless it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ester-dean/i-m-more-than-a-songwriter-i-m-a-creative-person-some-people-you-just/) [Ester Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ester-dean/) > [The greatness of Mac Rebennack, alias, Dr. John, also known as John Crieux, rests on his command of the musical use of idiomatic expression.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-landau/the-greatness-of-mac-rebennack-alias-dr-john-also-known-as-john/) [Jon Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-landau/) > [I simply find that as a songwriter, my goal is to try to move people. And I feel that before I can move other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-tritt/i-simply-find-that-as-a-songwriter-my-goal-is-to-try-to-move-people/) [Travis Tritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-tritt/) > [If somebody says 'singer-songwriter' to me, the first person I think of is James Taylor. There are plenty of modern singer-songwriters, but there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-levi/if-somebody-says-singer-songwriter-to-me-the-first-person-i-think-of/) [Zachary Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-levi/) > [I'm not only a songwriter but I'm a massive music fan and I love going to shows. It's different than reading a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-finn/i-m-not-only-a-songwriter-but-i-m-a-massive-music-fan-and-i-love/) [Craig Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-finn/) > [There's a standard of songwriting that, when you start immersing yourself in those types of songs, it raises your own bar as a songwriter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-when-you-start-immersing/) [Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/) > [Music is my personal addiction. So much of everything I've done has only been to open more doors for the music itself. It all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/music-is-my-personal-addiction-so-much-of-everything-i-ve-done-has/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [What I hope is to really focus on being a songwriter. I'd love to write songs for other people; that's something I'd really like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/what-i-hope-is-to-really-focus-on-being-a-songwriter-i-d-love-to/) [Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/) ## More by Andy Wilkinson > [We singer-songwriter people, we're used to getting up and doing our own thing in front of people, and we're it. We're the band, artist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-wilkinson/we-singer-songwriter-people-we-re-used-to-getting-up-and-doing-our/) [Andy Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-wilkinson/) > [Great readers, great listeners, and all have great work ethics. ... They work hard at what they do and they're devout to their reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-wilkinson/great-readers-great-listeners-and-all-have-great-work-ethics-they/) [Andy Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-wilkinson/) > [I had to really do some studying and examination of my own songwriting and I realized that, there's not a formula by any stretch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-wilkinson/i-had-to-really-do-some-studying-and-examination-of-my-own/) [Andy Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-wilkinson/) > [I find on songwriting, I really have to work at making sure I'm not imitating myself. You know? 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If you didn't say anything about it, people just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-wilkinson/in-the-80s-in-the-cover-band-i-was-in-we-d-slip-in-original-material/) [Andy Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-wilkinson/) > [Some things need to be a song. Some things need to be a play. Some things need to be a painting. Some things need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-wilkinson/some-things-need-to-be-a-song-some-things-need-to-be-a-play-some/) [Andy Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-wilkinson/) > [So I realized when I was successful in a piece, it was because I didn't abandon a notion early on what it ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-wilkinson/so-i-realized-when-i-was-successful-in-a-piece-it-was-because-i-didn/) [Andy Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-wilkinson/) [Explore all 10 Andy Wilkinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-wilkinson/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. 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I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. 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