--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Lyrics are important, but it's hard…" description: "\"Lyrics are important, but it's hard, because English isn't my first language - although it feels like it is these days! I grew up with amazing melodies..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/avicii-13038_although_lyrics-are-important-but-it-s-hard-becau_1831090.jpg" --- # Lyrics are important, but it's hard, because English isn't… ![“Lyrics are important, but it's hard, because English isn't my first language - although it feels like it is these days! I grew up with amazing melodies, so getting that right on a song has always been the key thing for me, but there's no reason why a great melody doesn't deserve great lyrics.” quote by Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/avicii-13038_although_lyrics-are-important-but-it-s-hard-becau_1831090.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/avicii-13038_although_lyrics-are-important-but-it-s-hard-becau_1831090.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4d/avicii-13038_although_lyrics-are-important-but-it-s-hard-becau_1831090.jpg) > “Lyrics are important, but it's hard, because English isn't my first language - although it feels like it is these days! I grew up with amazing melodies, so getting that right on a song has always been the key thing for me, but there's no reason why a great melody doesn't deserve great lyrics.” [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lyrics must match melodic quality, even for non‑native English speakers, to convey the song’s full impact. **In simple terms:** Good melody needs good lyrics, even if English isn’t first language. Key Takeaway Prioritize lyric clarity alongside melody. Themes songwriting language melody Mood determined creative Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - studio recording - live performance - collaborative writing Key Concepts cultural adaptation communication artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - How can non‑native speakers enhance lyrical expression? - What techniques help align lyrics with melody? A Different Perspective Balancing lyrical depth with language proficiency can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amazing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amazing/) [English](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Lyrics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyrics/) [Melodies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melodies/) [Melody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melody/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [I try to focus on the melodies and try to make everything else minimal. The melody and the lyrics are most important to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-van-etten/i-try-to-focus-on-the-melodies-and-try-to-make-everything-else/) [Sharon Van Etten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-van-etten/) > [It's hard - some people get inspired by a feeling, but I'm mostly inspired by melodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/it-s-hard-some-people-get-inspired-by-a-feeling-but-i-m-mostly/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [We human beings are tuned such that we crave great melody and great lyrics. And if somebody writes a great song, it's timeless that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-garfunkel/we-human-beings-are-tuned-such-that-we-crave-great-melody-and-great/) [Art Garfunkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-garfunkel/) > [Not only do you need great lyrics, a great message, a great story, great vocals, great chords... you also need great instrumentation, great editing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-sturgis/not-only-do-you-need-great-lyrics-a-great-message-a-great-story-great/) [Joey Sturgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-sturgis/) > [There will always be some kid who's the new Kurt Cobain writing great lyrics and singing from his soul. The problem is they're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanna-arquette/there-will-always-be-some-kid-who-s-the-new-kurt-cobain-writing-great/) [Rosanna Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanna-arquette/) > [Ryan, I think, writes great lyrics. Hes really mature for his age. Hes a different thinker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendon-urie/ryan-i-think-writes-great-lyrics-hes-really-mature-for-his-age-hes-a/) [Brendon Urie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendon-urie/) > [I love great lyrics, and I love the way it could shape a tune into a very unpredictable one, and I also like taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/i-love-great-lyrics-and-i-love-the-way-it-could-shape-a-tune-into-a/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [As a lyricist, you love to hear other great lyrics or other great concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-keys/as-a-lyricist-you-love-to-hear-other-great-lyrics-or-other-great/) [Alicia Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-keys/) > [I really hate when I do a great song with great lyrics but my voice just don't fit because of the type of beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-nasty/i-really-hate-when-i-do-a-great-song-with-great-lyrics-but-my-voice/) [Rico Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-nasty/) > [I just wanted to make good music that people related to me and said 'Yo that guy makes good music. When he gives us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabolous/i-just-wanted-to-make-good-music-that-people-related-to-me-and-said/) Fabolous > [I always thought that was very important, to be able to deliver great lyrics and also put on a great performance, to have that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-daddy-kane/i-always-thought-that-was-very-important-to-be-able-to-deliver-great/) [Big Daddy Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-daddy-kane/) > [Words are important to me, but a song can work and function and be a good song with words that are fairly standard. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarvis-cocker/words-are-important-to-me-but-a-song-can-work-and-function-and-be-a/) [Jarvis Cocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarvis-cocker/) > [But I always loved songs with great lyrics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-i-always-loved-songs-with-great-lyrics/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can say the lyrics almost like a poem and they stand up, that's a great thing. Some songs have great lyrics and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-connick-jr/if-you-can-say-the-lyrics-almost-like-a-poem-and-they-stand-up-that-s/) [Harry Connick, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-connick-jr/) > ['Jaago Zara' was never going to be irrelevant. It had great lyrics, and was a great song even back in the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-bhasin/jaago-zara-was-never-going-to-be-irrelevant-it-had-great-lyrics-and/) [Neha Bhasin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-bhasin/) ## More by Avicii > [I have always been mainstream. It's so weird, because I don't see it as something negative at all. So many people see it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/i-have-always-been-mainstream-it-s-so-weird-because-i-don-t-see-it-as/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [When I started out, I was Avici with one i. But on MySpace, that name was taken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/when-i-started-out-i-was-avici-with-one-i-but-on-myspace-that-name/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [I love finding out-of-the-box inspirations and blending them with what I've done in the past. And when I started to experiment with genres, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/i-love-finding-out-of-the-box-inspirations-and-blending-them-with/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [Wish that I could stay forever this young. Not afraid to close my eyes. Life's a game made for everyone and love is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/wish-that-i-could-stay-forever-this-young-not-afraid-to-close-my-eyes/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [I grew up listening to a lot of Ray Charles and '60s rock, thanks to my father, and then my brothers got me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/i-grew-up-listening-to-a-lot-of-ray-charles-and-60s-rock-thanks-to-my/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [I can't tell where the journey will end But I know where to start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/i-can-t-tell-where-the-journey-will-end-but-i-know-where-to-start/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [“So wake me up when its all over -Wake Me Up”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/so-wake-me-up-when-its-all-over-wake-me-up/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [I'm a DJ. I get the party started.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/i-m-a-dj-i-get-the-party-started/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [Life's a game made for everyone, and love is the prize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/life-s-a-game-made-for-everyone-and-love-is-the-prize/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [I can't tell where my journey will end, but I know where to start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/i-can-t-tell-where-my-journey-will-end-but-i-know-where-to-start/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [I think I am a pretty good judge of character in general and try to surround myself with the best people I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/i-think-i-am-a-pretty-good-judge-of-character-in-general-and-try-to/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [Originality is definitely missing from EDM. There are people looking for it and exploring but I feel it's so big now it is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/originality-is-definitely-missing-from-edm-there-are-people-looking/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [I'm good at melody - I'll write the top-line melody and ideal words I want to go with it. But I'm not that good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/i-m-good-at-melody-i-ll-write-the-top-line-melody-and-ideal-words-i/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [I always just sit down at the piano and make the main hook—what I want the track to be about melodically—and then I’ll build…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/i-always-just-sit-down-at-the-piano-and-make-the-main-hook-what-i/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [If I wanted to make a quick buck, there's far easier ways of doing it. What I want is to provoke people. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/if-i-wanted-to-make-a-quick-buck-there-s-far-easier-ways-of-doing-it/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) [Explore all 52 Avicii quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) ## More Although quotes > [Everything I write is highly personal, but put in such a way that it's not dropping everything in someone's lap. Although sometimes I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/everything-i-write-is-highly-personal-but-put-in-such-a-way-that-it-s/) [Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/) > [In France they spend six months training policemen, then they give them a gun and put them on the streets, and I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-kassovitz/in-france-they-spend-six-months-training-policemen-then-they-give/) [Mathieu Kassovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-kassovitz/) > [There are some things that I like, like education, wine, and I'd like to be a good cook, although I'm a pretty good eater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wagoner/there-are-some-things-that-i-like-like-education-wine-and-i-d-like-to/) [Rick Wagoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wagoner/) > [When Apple introduced its game-changing iPhone in 2007, Nokia was caught sleeping on the job. Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [You can't do every movie - although I do a lot of them - and the thing I'm longing to do is... it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-henriksen/you-can-t-do-every-movie-although-i-do-a-lot-of-them-and-the-thing-i/) [Lance Henriksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-henriksen/) > [Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimistic-and-upbeat-it-comes-out-of/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [I was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1969, in a time and place where no one was saying, 'Look how far we've come,' because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/i-was-born-in-jackson-mississippi-in-1969-in-a-time-and-place-where/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won't, for he sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/although-we-might-settle-for-less-heavenly-father-won-t-for-he-sees/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [Although it is still important to develop an HIV vaccine, we have significant tools already at our disposal that can make a major impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-it-is-still-important-to-develop-an-hiv-vaccine-we-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All trembling, I reached the Falls of Niagara, and oh, what a scene! My blood shudders still, although I am not a coward, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-james-audubon/all-trembling-i-reached-the-falls-of-niagara-and-oh-what-a-scene-my/) [John James Audubon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-james-audubon/) > [I love the little garden in the back of my family's brownstone in Brooklyn. Digging out there in the dirt is a joy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/i-love-the-little-garden-in-the-back-of-my-family-s-brownstone-in/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [I knew from very early on that I wanted kids. I wasn't one of those women who goes, 'Well, if it happens, it happens.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-knew-from-very-early-on-that-i-wanted-kids-i-wasn-t-one-of-those/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I definitely hand myself over to the hair and makeup gods of 'Girls.' Our look on the show is very specific, and it's different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-williams/i-definitely-hand-myself-over-to-the-hair-and-makeup-gods-of-girls/) [Allison Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-williams/) > [I'm not very well known. However, the more well known you get, the more people are going to have expectations of you. Although that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-hawkins/i-m-not-very-well-known-however-the-more-well-known-you-get-the-more/) [Sally Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-hawkins/) > [I would spend hours absorbing every intonation, every inflection - how the singer would convey a sentiment and how it would sound coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-edmonson/i-would-spend-hours-absorbing-every-intonation-every-inflection-how/) [Kat Edmonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-edmonson/) Browse all 578 Although quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Lyrics are important, but it's hard, because English isn't my first language - although it feels like it is these days! 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