--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've got to know that I'm singing…" description: "\"“I've got to know that I'm singing something with truth to it. My songs are different than anybody else's songs. Other artists can get by on their voic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/448/bob-dylan-168_lyrically_i-ve-got-to-know-that-i-m-singing-someth_2776189.jpg" --- # I've got to know that I'm singing something with truth to… ![“I've got to know that I'm singing something with truth to it. My songs are different than anybody else's songs. Other artists can get by on their voices and their style, but my songs speak volumes, and all I have to to is lay them down correctly, lyrically, and they'll do what they need to do.” quote by Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/448/bob-dylan-168_lyrically_i-ve-got-to-know-that-i-m-singing-someth_2776189.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/448/bob-dylan-168_lyrically_i-ve-got-to-know-that-i-m-singing-someth_2776189.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/448/bob-dylan-168_lyrically_i-ve-got-to-know-that-i-m-singing-someth_2776189.jpg) > ““I've got to know that I'm singing something with truth to it. My songs are different than anybody else's songs. Other artists can get by on their voices and their style, but my songs speak volumes, and all I have to to is lay them down correctly, lyrically, and they'll do what they need to do.”” [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authentic songwriting demands personal truth and lyrical precision, distinguishing it from mere vocal performance. **In simple terms:** True art comes from honest, well‑crafted lyrics. Key Takeaway Prioritize honesty and craft in creative work. Themes artistry authenticity craft music self‑expression Mood inspired introspective Type creative musical When to use this quote - songwriting workshops - performance practice - recording sessions Key Concepts creative process musical integrity Questions to Reflect On - How can experimentation coexist with authenticity? - What defines “truth” in art? A Different Perspective Focusing on truth may limit experimental play. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Every singer has three or four or five techniques, and you can force them together in different combinations. Some of the techniques you discard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/every-singer-has-three-or-four-or-five-techniques-and-you-can-force/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [We enjoyed the fact that we were called to the folk festivals and we got to know Joan Baez, Dylan. We were singing strictly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mavis-staples/we-enjoyed-the-fact-that-we-were-called-to-the-folk-festivals-and-we/) [Mavis Staples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mavis-staples/) > [Nothing will prepare you for singing the truth like about 35 years in the music business, financial troubles and a couple trips to jail,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/nothing-will-prepare-you-for-singing-the-truth-like-about-35-years-in/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [There's only one thing, in the end, and that's singing truth in a pleasant way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan/there-s-only-one-thing-in-the-end-and-that-s-singing-truth-in-a/) [Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donovan/) > [All my songs could speak about the same person in different situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karol-g/all-my-songs-could-speak-about-the-same-person-in-different-situations/) [Karol G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karol-g/) > [I love to do songs that speak of the female heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaal-mallik/i-love-to-do-songs-that-speak-of-the-female-heart/) [Amaal Mallik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaal-mallik/) > [Thank you so much, it really is a pleasure. While the boys chose a selection of songs that cast an eye inward on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-berry/thank-you-so-much-it-really-is-a-pleasure-while-the-boys-chose-a/) [Rachel Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-berry/) > [Not everybody is going to like what I do or get what I do. With as much positive, you always get the negative to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-williams-iii/not-everybody-is-going-to-like-what-i-do-or-get-what-i-do-with-as/) [Hank Williams III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-williams-iii/) > [If I write for beauty and truth, the songs will find their way to me. Then, it's the songs that speak to the audience,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/if-i-write-for-beauty-and-truth-the-songs-will-find-their-way-to-me/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [... my songs speak for themselves. The musicians who play on them and the way they sound and where they were recorded and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/my-songs-speak-for-themselves-the-musicians-who-play-on-them-and-the/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Music is what feelings sound like out loud. I sing songs that speak from my heart. They tell my story, how I feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-cates/music-is-what-feelings-sound-like-out-loud-i-sing-songs-that-speak/) [Georgia Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-cates/) > [The words of the songs speak for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/the-words-of-the-songs-speak-for-themselves/) [Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/) > [I like to let the songs speak so that they can go through some kind of rebirth as you play them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-like-to-let-the-songs-speak-so-that-they-can-go-through-some-kind/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [When I listen to songs, I can smell a rat. I like songs that speak to me with some deeper truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dirnt/when-i-listen-to-songs-i-can-smell-a-rat-i-like-songs-that-speak-to/) [Mike Dirnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dirnt/) > [My songs always speak of love, that's the way I like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mireille-mathieu/my-songs-always-speak-of-love-that-s-the-way-i-like-them/) [Mireille Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mireille-mathieu/) ## More by Bob Dylan > [The hollow horn plays wasted words, proves to warn that he not busy being born is busy dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-hollow-horn-plays-wasted-words-proves-to-warn-that-he-not-busy/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Don't forget to support your public library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/don-t-forget-to-support-your-public-library/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [You don't count the dead, when god's on your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/you-don-t-count-the-dead-when-god-s-on-your-side/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [She makes love just like a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/she-makes-love-just-like-a-woman/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Silvio, I gotta go, find out something only dead men know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/silvio-i-gotta-go-find-out-something-only-dead-men-know/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [I don't really have a retirement plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/i-don-t-really-have-a-retirement-plan/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Just a reminder, if you tell anyone about what happened with Jonah last night, I'll destroy all of my writing and never play music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/just-a-reminder-if-you-tell-anyone-about-what-happened-with-jonah/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Little red wagon, little red bike, I ain’t no monkey but I know what I like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/little-red-wagon-little-red-bike-i-ain-t-no-monkey-but-i-know-what-i/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Twenty years of schooling and they put you on the day shift - look out out kid, they keep it all hid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/twenty-years-of-schooling-and-they-put-you-on-the-day-shift-look-out/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [The drunken politician leaps upon the street where mothers weep, and the saviors who are fast asleep, they wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-drunken-politician-leaps-upon-the-street-where-mothers-weep-and/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Your eyes are like two jewels in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/your-eyes-are-like-two-jewels-in-the-sky/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [I gotta friend who spends his life, stabbing my picture with a bowie knife. Dreams of strangling me with a scarf, when my name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/i-gotta-friend-who-spends-his-life-stabbing-my-picture-with-a-bowie/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [She speaks with a stutter and she and she walks with a hop. I don't know why I love her, but I just can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/she-speaks-with-a-stutter-and-she-and-she-walks-with-a-hop-i-don-t/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [The man in the coon skin cap in the pig pen wants eleven dollar bills, you've only got ten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-man-in-the-coon-skin-cap-in-the-pig-pen-wants-eleven-dollar-bills/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Don't put my faith in nobody, not even a scientist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/don-t-put-my-faith-in-nobody-not-even-a-scientist/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) [Explore all 1,018 Bob Dylan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) ## More Lyrically quotes > [Today's records, even though they may be lyrically repetitive and not saying anything particularly heavy, they have energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-king/today-s-records-even-though-they-may-be-lyrically-repetitive-and-not/) [Carole King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-king/) > [It's always my mission to try to do something that hasn't been done before, whether that's musically, lyrically or in terms of mixing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/it-s-always-my-mission-to-try-to-do-something-that-hasn-t-been-done/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [Lyrically I address loads of things that I've never talked about before, about me or about other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-james-alphonse-franceschi/lyrically-i-address-loads-of-things-that-i-ve-never-talked-about/) [Joshua James Alphonse Franceschi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-james-alphonse-franceschi/) > [For some music, lyrically, the best move is to keep it simple in what it is that you are saying, and just kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-thought/for-some-music-lyrically-the-best-move-is-to-keep-it-simple-in-what/) [Black Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-thought/) > [Hip-hop is the music of the youth. It sort of has the same purpose as what we do, at least lyrically, because we both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amadou-bagayoko/hip-hop-is-the-music-of-the-youth-it-sort-of-has-the-same-purpose-as/) Amadou Bagayoko > [Great music is just very clear. Sonically and lyrically, you understand the point of view, you understand the melodies, you understand the vibe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tranter/great-music-is-just-very-clear-sonically-and-lyrically-you-understand/) [Justin Tranter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tranter/) > [Lyrically, the most important thing for me is, how can I tell a cohesive story?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-biersack/lyrically-the-most-important-thing-for-me-is-how-can-i-tell-a/) [Andy Biersack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-biersack/) > [I have developed a visionary modern lyric, and, for it, an idiom in which I can write lyrically, colloquially, and dramatically. My subject is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-tonks/i-have-developed-a-visionary-modern-lyric-and-for-it-an-idiom-in/) Rosemary Tonks > [I would feel really dishonest writing a song that was really sassy, or really confident, because I'm not a supremely confident being. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shura/i-would-feel-really-dishonest-writing-a-song-that-was-really-sassy-or/) Shura > [Being able to say something lyrically, to say something that will do more than just be words, is really hard. It's easy to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/being-able-to-say-something-lyrically-to-say-something-that-will-do/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [More often than not, changes had to be made in order for a song to make sense, and by the end of it, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vincent-mcmorrow/more-often-than-not-changes-had-to-be-made-in-order-for-a-song-to/) [James Vincent McMorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vincent-mcmorrow/) > [Someone once said that "The Waste Land" was a scum of poetry floating on a sea of footnotes. That resonated with me, because that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/someone-once-said-that-the-waste-land-was-a-scum-of-poetry-floating/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [While some mothers sing lullabies to their children, my mother read me poetry. And to this day, I associate my strongest and most insistent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masiela-lusha/while-some-mothers-sing-lullabies-to-their-children-my-mother-read-me/) [Masiela Lusha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masiela-lusha/) > [Everybody gon' see where I'm lyrically at; used to hate Nicki, now they givin me dap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/everybody-gon-see-where-i-m-lyrically-at-used-to-hate-nicki-now-they/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [Raucous drunken trumpets and instrumentation tend to guide the way you think. They can give you a path to follow lyrically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-condon/raucous-drunken-trumpets-and-instrumentation-tend-to-guide-the-way/) [Zach Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-condon/) Browse all 95 Lyrically quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I've got to know that I'm singing something with truth to it. 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