--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A lot of our songs are based in reality…" description: "\"A lot of our songs are based in reality but imagined or using fictional characters as a way to write about something. I think inspiration comes from an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de5/dan-smith-10201_band_a-lot-of-our-songs-are-based-in-reality_1107683.jpg" --- # A lot of our songs are based in reality but imagined or… ![“A lot of our songs are based in reality but imagined or using fictional characters as a way to write about something. I think inspiration comes from anything and everything, and it's filtered through our brains, and it comes out sounding like our band.” quote by Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de5/dan-smith-10201_band_a-lot-of-our-songs-are-based-in-reality_1107683.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de5/dan-smith-10201_band_a-lot-of-our-songs-are-based-in-reality_1107683.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de5/dan-smith-10201_band_a-lot-of-our-songs-are-based-in-reality_1107683.jpg) > “A lot of our songs are based in reality but imagined or using fictional characters as a way to write about something. I think inspiration comes from anything and everything, and it's filtered through our brains, and it comes out sounding like our band.” [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inspiration comes from all experiences; our brains filter reality into music. **In simple terms:** All life inspires music. Key Takeaway Observe and translate experiences into art. Themes creativity inspiration perception Mood reflective enthusiastic Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - songwriting - film scoring - personal journaling Key Concepts music theory neuroscience Questions to Reflect On - What everyday moment could become a song? - How does your brain shape artistic expression? A Different Perspective Filtering can distort original meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fictional Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fictional-characters/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) ## Related quotes > [Writers are magpies, and we collect details about people and we use them for fictional characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-leavitt/writers-are-magpies-and-we-collect-details-about-people-and-we-use/) [Caroline Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-leavitt/) > [“Fictional characters exert a great deal of influence over our choices in love by representing inaccessible ideals to which we try to make others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-bayard/fictional-characters-exert-a-great-deal-of-influence-over-our-choices/) [Pierre Bayard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-bayard/) > [People do not spring forth out of the blue, fully formed – they become themselves slowly, day by day, starting from babyhood. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-duncan/people-do-not-spring-forth-out-of-the-blue-fully-formed-they-become/) [Lois Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-duncan/) > [“Fictional Characters" Do they ever want to escape? Climb out of the white pages and enter our world? Holden Caulfield slipping in the movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danusha-lam-ris/fictional-characters-do-they-ever-want-to-escape-climb-out-of-the/) Danusha Laméris > [Whoa, I've really got to stop making plans with fictional characters. It can't be healthy to develop relationships with people who don't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-colfer/whoa-i-ve-really-got-to-stop-making-plans-with-fictional-characters/) [Chris Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-colfer/) > [“I'd said to them that when we read fiction, we pour our own paricular store of emotions - say, the sense of loss we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandler-burr/i-d-said-to-them-that-when-we-read-fiction-we-pour-our-own-paricular/) [Chandler Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chandler-burr/) > [Writing historical novels can be dangerous. We need to be as accurate and as fair about the historical record as we can be, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutherfurd/writing-historical-novels-can-be-dangerous-we-need-to-be-as-accurate/) [Edward Rutherfurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-rutherfurd/) > [Talking out loud to fictional characters is just the tip of the iceberg.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/talking-out-loud-to-fictional-characters-is-just-the-tip-of-the/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Fictional characters exist in only two places, neither of which is on the printed page. They exist, first, in the mind of the writer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maren-elwood/fictional-characters-exist-in-only-two-places-neither-of-which-is-on/) [Maren Elwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maren-elwood/) > [If people ever look down upon you for crying for fictional characters, you should give them a gentle, pitying look and feel bad for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/if-people-ever-look-down-upon-you-for-crying-for-fictional-characters/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [The world is full of fictional characters looking for their stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/the-world-is-full-of-fictional-characters-looking-for-their-stories/) [Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/) > [The world is a stage we walk upon. We are all in a way fictional characters who write ourselves with our beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-theroux/the-world-is-a-stage-we-walk-upon-we-are-all-in-a-way-fictional/) [Louis Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-theroux/) > [We referenced fictional characters as if they were people to learn from. As if real-life people were too nebulous, too private and unreal for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/we-referenced-fictional-characters-as-if-they-were-people-to-learn/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [“If a writer doesn't believe his fictional characters are actually real, how can he expect the readers to?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-power/if-a-writer-doesn-t-believe-his-fictional-characters-are-actually/) Jim Power > [The genealogy of fictional characters can become an obsession, like train-spotting, and should be firmly resisted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/the-genealogy-of-fictional-characters-can-become-an-obsession-like/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) ## More by Dan Smith > [I once went on a date where the girl drove and so couldn't drink. I was nervous, so drank quite a bit - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/i-once-went-on-a-date-where-the-girl-drove-and-so-couldn-t-drink-i/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [I run our Twitter and Facebook pages, because I feel it's important to maintain a personal relationship with fans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/i-run-our-twitter-and-facebook-pages-because-i-feel-it-s-important-to/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [When we started out in the U.K., there were songs that we made, we put them on the Internet, and we immediately started touring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/when-we-started-out-in-the-u-k-there-were-songs-that-we-made-we-put/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [I write songs, but the guys play on them, they have opinions on them, and we tour together and spend all our time together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/i-write-songs-but-the-guys-play-on-them-they-have-opinions-on-them/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [We've been having a great time writing for other artists in and amongst making our Bastille albums and mixtapes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/we-ve-been-having-a-great-time-writing-for-other-artists-in-and/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [Playing new songs at festivals is weird, obviously. People at festivals are always a bit drunk, and probably just want to hear stuff they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/playing-new-songs-at-festivals-is-weird-obviously-people-at-festivals/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > ['The Shining' is operatic and sensational and... really shocking. It has this amazing meld of classical music and modern interpretations of classical music, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/the-shining-is-operatic-and-sensational-and-really-shocking-it-has/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [Most friendship groups will have someone who starts a new relationship, and you just don't see them for four months. And that's always kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/most-friendship-groups-will-have-someone-who-starts-a-new/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [I love David Lynch's style. Someone once thought I was his son, so I must have been doing an alright job at emulating it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/i-love-david-lynch-s-style-someone-once-thought-i-was-his-son-so-i/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [I love the studio. I love writing and producing both for us and for other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/i-love-the-studio-i-love-writing-and-producing-both-for-us-and-for/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [I know who buys our music: we have such a diverse fanbase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/i-know-who-buys-our-music-we-have-such-a-diverse-fanbase/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [Often, with our music, there's quite a lot going on, so people hear melodies that sound up and catchy, and production, and maybe don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/often-with-our-music-there-s-quite-a-lot-going-on-so-people-hear/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [It was quite nice having a routine, going to the studio every day and finishing off 'Wild World'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/it-was-quite-nice-having-a-routine-going-to-the-studio-every-day-and/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [I guess the way people release music and the way people listen to it has changed and is changing constantly. We wanna get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/i-guess-the-way-people-release-music-and-the-way-people-listen-to-it/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [When 'Flaws' went to No 21, we thought it was the most chart-bothering thing we'd ever do. We had a little party and started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/when-flaws-went-to-no-21-we-thought-it-was-the-most-chart-bothering/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) [Explore all 67 Dan Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A lot of our songs are based in reality but imagined or using fictional characters as a way to write about something. 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