--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was writing waltzes at a time when the…" description: "\"I was writing waltzes at a time when the most popular thing was Shania Twain and the very pop edge of country. I didn't really know how to do much of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/chris-stapleton-9571_country_i-was-writing-waltzes-at-a-time-when-the_2407274.jpg" --- # I was writing waltzes at a time when the most popular… ![“I was writing waltzes at a time when the most popular thing was Shania Twain and the very pop edge of country. I didn't really know how to do much of that.” quote by Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/chris-stapleton-9571_country_i-was-writing-waltzes-at-a-time-when-the_2407274.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/chris-stapleton-9571_country_i-was-writing-waltzes-at-a-time-when-the_2407274.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf1/chris-stapleton-9571_country_i-was-writing-waltzes-at-a-time-when-the_2407274.jpg) > “I was writing waltzes at a time when the most popular thing was Shania Twain and the very pop edge of country. I didn't really know how to do much of that.” [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on writing waltzes while mainstream country leaned toward pop, feeling out of sync with trends **In simple terms:** Writing waltzes felt out of place amid pop‑country dominance Key Takeaway Embrace personal style despite prevailing trends Themes authenticity musical heritage genre tension Mood reflective determined Type personal musical When to use this quote - Songwriting sessions - studio work - live performances - genre‑blending projects Key Concepts Songwriting cultural shifts personal expression Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay true to your roots when trends shift? - What value does tradition bring to modern music? A Different Perspective Balancing personal voice with market expectations can be challenging ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Edge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edge/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I must confess that waltzes do not move me, I guess I hummed the blues too early, and spent too many midnights out wailing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/i-must-confess-that-waltzes-do-not-move-me-i-guess-i-hummed-the-blues/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [Here, waltzes are called works! And Strauss and Lanner, who play them for dancing, are called Kapellmeistern. This does not mean that everyone thinks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/here-waltzes-are-called-works-and-strauss-and-lanner-who-play-them/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [I'm not too fond of changing things into waltzes, but sometimes that works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-mcpartland/i-m-not-too-fond-of-changing-things-into-waltzes-but-sometimes-that/) [Marian McPartland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-mcpartland/) > [I'm not too fond of changing things into waltzes, but sometimes that works. I'm trying to get the record that I made at my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-mcpartland/i-m-not-too-fond-of-changing-things-into-waltzes-but-sometimes-that-2/) [Marian McPartland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-mcpartland/) > [I love Viennese waltzes and polkas, and especially ceilidhs and old-fashioned formation dancing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-love-viennese-waltzes-and-polkas-and-especially-ceilidhs-and-old/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [What really swings is the music of the United States, Cuba, the Caribbean and vicinity, and, of course, Brazil. The rest is all waltzes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-carlos-jobim/what-really-swings-is-the-music-of-the-united-states-cuba-the/) Antonio Carlos Jobim > [When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Shania Twain. I would always go sing the song 'Honey I'm Home.' I was, like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirstin-maldonado/when-i-was-a-kid-i-was-obsessed-with-shania-twain-i-would-always-go/) [Kirstin Maldonado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirstin-maldonado/) > [The first album I owned was probably a Backstreet Boys album, and shortly after was Shania Twain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassadee-pope/the-first-album-i-owned-was-probably-a-backstreet-boys-album-and/) [Cassadee Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassadee-pope/) > [It's so cold that Shania Twain covered her midriff...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-so-cold-that-shania-twain-covered-her-midriff/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've had to stop going to the nearest grocery store that seems to play Shania Twain's 'Forever and For Always' whenever I'm there. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/i-ve-had-to-stop-going-to-the-nearest-grocery-store-that-seems-to/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [I'd love for us to be on our way to having a career like Reba McEntire or Shania Twain; to be Entertainer of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maddie-marlow/i-d-love-for-us-to-be-on-our-way-to-having-a-career-like-reba/) [Maddie Marlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maddie-marlow/) > [People say footballers have terrible taste in music but I would dispute that. In the car at the moment I've got The Corrs, Cher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/people-say-footballers-have-terrible-taste-in-music-but-i-would/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [I was in the generation of CDs, so when I moved to L.A., I think I probably brought my Shania Twain Come on Over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-was-in-the-generation-of-cds-so-when-i-moved-to-l-a-i-think-i/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [My music comes from country music. Merle Haggard is God, and I do believe that. I'm not too tuned in to country music. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loudon-wainwright-iii/my-music-comes-from-country-music-merle-haggard-is-god-and-i-do/) [Loudon Wainwright III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loudon-wainwright-iii/) > [I have never been one for musicians. I know girls are supposed to go crazy for frontmen who close their eyes when they sing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-klausner/i-have-never-been-one-for-musicians-i-know-girls-are-supposed-to-go/) [Julie Klausner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-klausner/) ## More by Chris Stapleton > [My dad could hold a tune. He wasn't necessarily a singer, but he did love music, and he listened to it quite loud in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/my-dad-could-hold-a-tune-he-wasn-t-necessarily-a-singer-but-he-did/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [Among my dad's generation, when you gave another man a pocketknife as a gift, it was a show of respect. I'll still give someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/among-my-dad-s-generation-when-you-gave-another-man-a-pocketknife-as/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [I get tired of people trying to dog out the radio for not playing this or that. There are lots of people who like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/i-get-tired-of-people-trying-to-dog-out-the-radio-for-not-playing/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [I don't see myself as some kind of fightin'-the-good-fight guy. But I always feel like if you don't like one kind of music or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/i-don-t-see-myself-as-some-kind-of-fightin-the-good-fight-guy-but-i/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [I didn't have any expectations with 'Traveller' - I don't think anybody did. That's how I prefer the process to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/i-didn-t-have-any-expectations-with-traveller-i-don-t-think-anybody/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [The curse of being a songwriter is that's you're always at work. I could look out the window right now and see something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/the-curse-of-being-a-songwriter-is-that-s-you-re-always-at-work-i/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [It's man's work. My dad was gone at 4:30 in the morning and home at 8 at night, and he worked underground, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/it-s-man-s-work-my-dad-was-gone-at-4-30-in-the-morning-and-home-at-8/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [College didn't stick, so I worked odd jobs, but I've always written songs and played music. I actually met a guy who was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/college-didn-t-stick-so-i-worked-odd-jobs-but-i-ve-always-written/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [I like more of the club mentality, where we're playing, and if we feel like we want to play a cover, we'll switch to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/i-like-more-of-the-club-mentality-where-we-re-playing-and-if-we-feel/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [I'm not going to ask musicians to sit there and pretend to play. It feels insulting to the musicians to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/i-m-not-going-to-ask-musicians-to-sit-there-and-pretend-to-play-it/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [For me, the more time you can take and the more care you can take with songs, the better off you're going to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/for-me-the-more-time-you-can-take-and-the-more-care-you-can-take-with/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [I like the old days when, if I wrote a song and I recorded it, it didn't mean somebody else couldn't record it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/i-like-the-old-days-when-if-i-wrote-a-song-and-i-recorded-it-it-didn/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [I moved to Nashville to be a songwriter. I found out that was a job, that someone would pay you to sit in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/i-moved-to-nashville-to-be-a-songwriter-i-found-out-that-was-a-job/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [A lot of great bluegrass comes out of Kentucky. There's a lot of great music, like the Judds, Billy Ray Cyrus, Ricky Skaggs, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/a-lot-of-great-bluegrass-comes-out-of-kentucky-there-s-a-lot-of-great/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [My earliest memories of music are probably my dad listening to a bunch of outlaw country, but also old R&B and Ray Charles, Aretha…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/my-earliest-memories-of-music-are-probably-my-dad-listening-to-a/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) [Explore all 71 Chris Stapleton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) ## More Country quotes > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/) [Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/) > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. 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