Firsts Quote by Claudio Monteverdi

I'd say almost that words come first, melody second.

— Julie Andrews

Starting in the middle of a musical sentence and moving in both directions at once.

— John Coltrane

Music is first, lyrics are secondary.

— Kurt Cobain

Writing is looking for music between sentences.

— John Densmore

I look at melody as rhythm.

— Charlie Parker

In poetry, rhythm is a priority above everything else.

— Kim Hyesoon

It's always music first, or melody and words together, but never words first.

— Adam Duritz

When I'm writing with John Leventhal, the music that he's written mostly comes first. And I'll write the lyrics and the melody.

— Shawn Colvin

Music is the melody whose text is the world.

— Arthur Schopenhauer

There is no formula to it. Writing every song is a little journey. The first note has to lift you.

— Enya

The music is notated first, the text follows. I might have to wait until the right kind of text or form arises. I often…

— Anne Waldman

“Find the pitch and pace and syllables and words you love to hear. Delight your own senses, and self-romance.”

— Alexandra Katehakis