--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I tried singing. I tried playing a…" description: "\"I tried singing. I tried playing a musical instrument. I really wanted to be a musician, but I never could quite pull that off. I liked entertaining, b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/bill-cobbs-92901_always_i-tried-singing-i-tried-playing-a-musica_2380928.jpg" --- # I tried singing. I tried playing a musical instrument. I… ![“I tried singing. I tried playing a musical instrument. I really wanted to be a musician, but I never could quite pull that off. I liked entertaining, but I was always drawn to some kind of technical work - some kind of honest labor.” quote by Bill Cobbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/bill-cobbs-92901_always_i-tried-singing-i-tried-playing-a-musica_2380928.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/bill-cobbs-92901_always_i-tried-singing-i-tried-playing-a-musica_2380928.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/bill-cobbs-92901_always_i-tried-singing-i-tried-playing-a-musica_2380928.jpg) > “I tried singing. I tried playing a musical instrument. I really wanted to be a musician, but I never could quite pull that off. I liked entertaining, but I was always drawn to some kind of technical work - some kind of honest labor.” Bill Cobbs ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker tried artistic pursuits but felt drawn to technical, honest work, highlighting a conflict between passion and practicality. **In simple terms:** Tried music but chose technical work. Key Takeaway Accept your strengths and pursue realistic paths. Themes career self-awareness passion work identity Mood reflective thoughtful Type personal career conflict When to use this quote - career counseling - personal development - skill training - job interviews Key Concepts vocational fit self-discovery realistic expectations Questions to Reflect On - Do you prioritize passion over practicality? - How can you integrate creativity into technical work? A Different Perspective Passion alone may not sustain a livelihood without practical skills. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Instrument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instrument/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Musical instrument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical-instrument/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Few occupations pass the solitary hours more fruitfully than the playing of a musical instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/few-occupations-pass-the-solitary-hours-more-fruitfully-than-the/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I tried playing the drums, and I could play 'Boys Don't Cry' by The Cure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-posehn/i-tried-playing-the-drums-and-i-could-play-boys-don-t-cry-by-the-cure/) [Brian Posehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-posehn/) > [The Lounge Lizards were relating with a tradition and it was like I was playing within a musical context. The guitar playing stood out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arto-lindsay/the-lounge-lizards-were-relating-with-a-tradition-and-it-was-like-i/) [Arto Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arto-lindsay/) > [Teaching has made me realize that a lot of my fast playing is the musical equivalent of, 'Umm... umm... uhh...' - it's like when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gilbert/teaching-has-made-me-realize-that-a-lot-of-my-fast-playing-is-the/) [Paul Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gilbert/) > [The neuro-biology of playing a musical instrument is completely scientific, but it’s also an absolute miracle, that you’re taking basically a calcium bucket filled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-brozman/the-neuro-biology-of-playing-a-musical-instrument-is-completely/) Bob Brozman > [I was sick of waiting for people to jump on hooks for songs I produced. So I tried singing myself, and I haven't looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bellion/i-was-sick-of-waiting-for-people-to-jump-on-hooks-for-songs-i/) [Jon Bellion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bellion/) > [I tried singing in a deeper voice by lowering my voice that used to be more delicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/i-tried-singing-in-a-deeper-voice-by-lowering-my-voice-that-used-to/) [Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/) > [Dad had four world records, and they happened to be Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ali Farka Toure. I tried singing like these people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/dad-had-four-world-records-and-they-happened-to-be-nusrat-fateh-ali/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [We all tried rapping, we all tried singing, we all tried different kinds of styles and performances, so we naturally found our perfect spot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa/we-all-tried-rapping-we-all-tried-singing-we-all-tried-different/) [Lisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa/) > [I do get addicted to stuff. I tried playing golf and I was soon going twice a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/i-do-get-addicted-to-stuff-i-tried-playing-golf-and-i-was-soon-going/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [When I was at college - that was the first time I tried singing. I played in a band, and people seemed to like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-ferry/when-i-was-at-college-that-was-the-first-time-i-tried-singing-i/) [Bryan Ferry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-ferry/) > [I don't know who I am. But I do know who I'm not. I have occasionally tried playing people I'm definitely not, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mirren/i-don-t-know-who-i-am-but-i-do-know-who-i-m-not-i-have-occasionally/) [Helen Mirren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mirren/) > [I can't hold a note. I tried a singing lesson, but my vocal coach kept giving me the stink eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyriq-bent/i-can-t-hold-a-note-i-tried-a-singing-lesson-but-my-vocal-coach-kept/) [Lyriq Bent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyriq-bent/) > [I tried playing electric for awhile and it just didn't work out. My reflexes are centered on the six string acoustic. I just played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rush/i-tried-playing-electric-for-awhile-and-it-just-didn-t-work-out-my/) [Tom Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rush/) > [I've tried singing like somebody else, and it never worked for me. The only thing that has ever worked for me was me being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamar-braxton/i-ve-tried-singing-like-somebody-else-and-it-never-worked-for-me-the/) [Tamar Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamar-braxton/) ## More by Bill Cobbs > [Ossie Davis was a man with great integrity, great honor and someone who I feel has done us all a great service just by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cobbs/ossie-davis-was-a-man-with-great-integrity-great-honor-and-someone/) Bill Cobbs Explore all 2 Bill Cobbs quotes ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I tried singing. I tried playing a musical instrument. I really wanted to be a musician, but I never could quite pull that off. I liked entertaining, but I was always drawn to some kind of technical work - some kind of honest labor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Cobbs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cobbs/i-tried-singing-i-tried-playing-a-musical-instrument-i-really-wanted/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cobbs/i-tried-singing-i-tried-playing-a-musical-instrument-i-really-wanted/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/bill-cobbs-92901_always_i-tried-singing-i-tried-playing-a-musica_2380928.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/bill-cobbs-92901_always_i-tried-singing-i-tried-playing-a-musica_2380928.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/bill-cobbs-92901_always_i-tried-singing-i-tried-playing-a-musica_2380928.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I tried singing. I tried playing a musical instrument. I really wanted to be a musician, but I never could…” — Bill Cobbs", "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": "Bill Cobbs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cobbs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I tried singing. I tried playing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cobbs/i-tried-singing-i-tried-playing-a-musical-instrument-i-really-wanted/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cobbs/i-tried-singing-i-tried-playing-a-musical-instrument-i-really-wanted/#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 } } ] } ```