--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I usually start with a guitar riff or…" description: "\"I usually start with a guitar riff or some little pattern of chords, and then I kind of go from there. Usually my lyrics are the last thing to go onto ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9a/butterfly-boucher-65701_balance_i-usually-start-with-a-guitar-riff-or-so_2310495.jpg" --- # I usually start with a guitar riff or some little pattern… ![“I usually start with a guitar riff or some little pattern of chords, and then I kind of go from there. Usually my lyrics are the last thing to go onto a song. For years and years I only ever did instrumental, so I'm still trying to get confidant with my lyrics and find the right balance. I'll…” quote by Butterfly Boucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9a/butterfly-boucher-65701_balance_i-usually-start-with-a-guitar-riff-or-so_2310495.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9a/butterfly-boucher-65701_balance_i-usually-start-with-a-guitar-riff-or-so_2310495.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9a/butterfly-boucher-65701_balance_i-usually-start-with-a-guitar-riff-or-so_2310495.jpg) > “I usually start with a guitar riff or some little pattern of chords, and then I kind of go from there. Usually my lyrics are the last thing to go onto a song. For years and years I only ever did instrumental, so I'm still trying to get confidant with my lyrics and find the right balance. I'll generally get inspired from the music. I'll have a guitar line, and then I'll have a melody line, and I hook the lyrics up to fit that rhythm. So, my lyrics to tend be very rhythmic as well. They work with the music rather than the music works around them.” Butterfly Boucher ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The creator builds music starting with instrumental ideas, treating lyrics as a later, rhythm‑driven layer that must fit the existing musical structure. **In simple terms:** Music comes first; words follow the beat. Key Takeaway Let the music guide lyrical rhythm and placement. Themes creativity process music composition Mood creative analytical Type instructional inspirational When to use this quote - songwriting - live performance - studio recording Key Concepts rhythmic lyricism artistic balance Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate lyrical meaning without sacrificing rhythm? - What techniques help balance melody and words? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on music may limit lyrical depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Confidant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidant/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Melody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melody/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Patterns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patterns/) [Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythm/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [At times, I fit into lyrics more then I fit into life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-merrow/at-times-i-fit-into-lyrics-more-then-i-fit-into-life/) [James Merrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-merrow/) > [I know the old songs sound bored. but when you understand the lyrics, it is better than the new songs. the song lyrics fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syarqawi-sun/i-know-the-old-songs-sound-bored-but-when-you-understand-the-lyrics/) Syarqawi Sun > [I've also been writing for other artists, producing other artists, doing some country stuff. Those lyrics I tend to leave more universal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-brooks/i-ve-also-been-writing-for-other-artists-producing-other-artists/) [Meredith Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-brooks/) > [Lyrics are what I tend to tear hair out over and they're where I tend to feel weak musically, if I'm being very honest.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-condon/lyrics-are-what-i-tend-to-tear-hair-out-over-and-they-re-where-i-tend/) [Zach Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-condon/) > [Writing music and lyrics, you tend to become a control freak - sitting alone in your room with a bare light bulb over your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-robert-brown/writing-music-and-lyrics-you-tend-to-become-a-control-freak-sitting/) [Jason Robert Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-robert-brown/) > [The lyrics tend to fascinate people, but for me, when I listen to a record I don't always latch on to the lyrics. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-fraser/the-lyrics-tend-to-fascinate-people-but-for-me-when-i-listen-to-a/) [Elizabeth Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-fraser/) > [I can't imagine living a life without God in my life. He is my best friend, He's my buddy, He's the one that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-can-t-imagine-living-a-life-without-god-in-my-life-he-is-my-best/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [He was my confidant, the person who was always on my side even when he wasn't taking my side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/he-was-my-confidant-the-person-who-was-always-on-my-side-even-when-he/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [The plea agreement negotiated by Janet Reno's Justice Department with Nora, Gene and Trisha Lum is a hoax. It allows two key players in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-klayman/the-plea-agreement-negotiated-by-janet-reno-s-justice-department-with/) Larry Klayman > [Does religion fill a much needed gap? It is often said that there is a God-shaped gap in the brain which needs to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/does-religion-fill-a-much-needed-gap-it-is-often-said-that-there-is-a/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [My definition of God: God is not only the alpha, the omega, he is friend, he's a confidant, he is a buddy. He is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-franklin/my-definition-of-god-god-is-not-only-the-alpha-the-omega-he-is-friend/) [DeVon Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-franklin/) > [A journal takes the place of a confidant, that is, of friend or wife; it becomes a substitute for production, a substitute for country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-journal-takes-the-place-of-a-confidant-that-is-of-friend-or-wife-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have only one confidant, and that is the silence of night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/i-have-only-one-confidant-and-that-is-the-silence-of-night/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [In addition to my other numerous acquaintances, I have one more intimate confidant… My depression is the most faithful mistress I have known —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/in-addition-to-my-other-numerous-acquaintances-i-have-one-more/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“Some of our friends are our friends only because we used to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-of-our-friends-are-our-friends-only-because-we-used-to-be-friends/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) ## More by Butterfly Boucher > [I still do one song by myself onstage. it gives people the extremely personal thing where it's just me on guitar. But, I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-boucher/i-still-do-one-song-by-myself-onstage-it-gives-people-the-extremely/) Butterfly Boucher > [As human beings in general ... I don't think we've grown that much. Technology wise, we are getting too intelligent for our own good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-boucher/as-human-beings-in-general-i-don-t-think-we-ve-grown-that-much/) Butterfly Boucher > [I am young but I have aged Waited long to seize the day All things said and plenty done Oh I am young but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-boucher/i-am-young-but-i-have-aged-waited-long-to-seize-the-day-all-things/) Butterfly Boucher Explore all 4 Butterfly Boucher quotes ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I usually start with a guitar riff or some little pattern of chords, and then I kind of go from there. Usually my lyrics are the last thing to go onto a song. For years and years I only ever did instrumental, so I'm still trying to get confidant with my lyrics and find the right balance. I'll generally get inspired from the music. I'll have a guitar line, and then I'll have a melody line, and I hook the lyrics up to fit that rhythm. So, my lyrics to tend be very rhythmic as well. 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