--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It wasn't my natural inclination to get…" description: "\"It wasn't my natural inclination to get into writing protest songs.\" — David Sylvian" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/david-sylvian-32205_inclination_it-wasn-t-my-natural-inclination-to-get_2503149.png" --- # It wasn't my natural inclination to get into writing… ![“It wasn't my natural inclination to get into writing protest songs.” quote by David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/david-sylvian-32205_inclination_it-wasn-t-my-natural-inclination-to-get_2503149.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/david-sylvian-32205_inclination_it-wasn-t-my-natural-inclination-to-get_2503149.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/david-sylvian-32205_inclination_it-wasn-t-my-natural-inclination-to-get_2503149.png) > “It wasn't my natural inclination to get into writing protest songs.” [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing protest songs felt unnatural, revealing personal artistic limits. **In simple terms:** Protest songs felt forced. Key Takeaway Explore authentic creative expression. Themes authenticity protest artistry Mood introspective determined Type musical philosophical When to use this quote - songwriting sessions - activist events - personal journals Key Concepts creative identity political expression Questions to Reflect On - What drives authentic protest art? - How to balance message with personal style? A Different Perspective Protest music may alienate some audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inclination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inclination/) [Inclination Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inclination-writing-1081292/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Protest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protest/) [Protest songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protest-songs/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Wasn Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasn-natural-1081293/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Protest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-protest-1081291/) ## Related quotes > [Because of my song 'Sam Stone,' a lot of people thought I was interested in writing protest songs. Writing protest songs always struck me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/because-of-my-song-sam-stone-a-lot-of-people-thought-i-was-interested/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [I understand why people get desensitized and roll their eyes when they hear a protest song, or even a politician making some flowery speech.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-understand-why-people-get-desensitized-and-roll-their-eyes-when/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [ I suspect many readers might associate \[Bob Dylan\] with one of the shortest phases of his career, the time from 1963 to '65 when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/i-suspect-many-readers-might-associate-bob-dylan-with-one-of-the/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [Long live protest songs, in whatever form they take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/long-live-protest-songs-in-whatever-form-they-take/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The hardest song to write is a protest song, a topical song with meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/the-hardest-song-to-write-is-a-protest-song-a-topical-song-with/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [I wasn't a natural mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-brown/i-wasn-t-a-natural-mother/) [June Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-brown/) > [I wasn't a natural-born athlete. I was made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-bauer/i-wasn-t-a-natural-born-athlete-i-was-made/) [Trevor Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-bauer/) > [The Graces was a great experience; it's great working with women, but we weren't put together in an organic way, and I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-brooks/the-graces-was-a-great-experience-it-s-great-working-with-women-but/) [Meredith Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-brooks/) > [“And for what portion of human history had people even had desk jobs? Maybe the last four hundred years, out of four million? It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/and-for-what-portion-of-human-history-had-people-even-had-desk-jobs/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [I always felt as if force-feeding wasn't natural.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-bradley/i-always-felt-as-if-force-feeding-wasn-t-natural/) [Shawn Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-bradley/) > [The funny thing about acting is, there's no 'right' way to make it. Some people need to work their butts off, and some don't.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-dreymon/the-funny-thing-about-acting-is-there-s-no-right-way-to-make-it-some/) [Alexander Dreymon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-dreymon/) > [I wish it wasn't so natural for me to dwell on the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-zhang/i-wish-it-wasn-t-so-natural-for-me-to-dwell-on-the-past/) [Jenny Zhang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-zhang/) > [We talk too much of black art when we should be talking about art, just art. Black composers must be free to write rondos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/we-talk-too-much-of-black-art-when-we-should-be-talking-about-art/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [I won't be indulging in anger anymore, vehemently and self-righteously singing protest songs, and expecting them to bring peace to me or anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-schneider/i-won-t-be-indulging-in-anger-anymore-vehemently-and-self-righteously/) [Susan Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-schneider/) > [In the '60s, when I was growing up, one of the great elements of American culture was the protest song. There were songs about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/in-the-60s-when-i-was-growing-up-one-of-the-great-elements-of/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) ## More by David Sylvian > [“The cold December sun A cold that blisters The hands of a working man Wasted”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/the-cold-december-sun-a-cold-that-blisters-the-hands-of-a-working-man/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [I don't listen to a lot of music any more and even the people I've loved for years - the Nick Drakes of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/i-don-t-listen-to-a-lot-of-music-any-more-and-even-the-people-i-ve/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [“How can the right thing be so wrong? I've found mistakes Where they don't belong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/how-can-the-right-thing-be-so-wrong-i-ve-found-mistakes-where-they/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [During the lifetime of Japan I became very neurotic, very paranoid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/during-the-lifetime-of-japan-i-became-very-neurotic-very-paranoid/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [People are afraid to ask musicians to be involved in projects because they anticipate being turned down. Young artists hesitate before contacting me. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/people-are-afraid-to-ask-musicians-to-be-involved-in-projects-because/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [Zen Buddhism is a discipline where belief isn't necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/zen-buddhism-is-a-discipline-where-belief-isn-t-necessary/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [I like to explore a lot of textural, arrangement aspects in the studio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/i-like-to-explore-a-lot-of-textural-arrangement-aspects-in-the-studio/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [I'm obsessed with books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/i-m-obsessed-with-books/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [I think nowadays it doesn't really matter where we are physically located. We create our own culture around us to a large extent, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/i-think-nowadays-it-doesn-t-really-matter-where-we-are-physically/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [The public so often want to freeze the artist in a moment in time when they were at their peak, and they want the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/the-public-so-often-want-to-freeze-the-artist-in-a-moment-in-time/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [“I'll go walking in circles While doubting the very ground beneath me Trying to show unquestioning faith in everything”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/i-ll-go-walking-in-circles-while-doubting-the-very-ground-beneath-me/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [I knew that I had to find my own voice, both figuratively and literally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/i-knew-that-i-had-to-find-my-own-voice-both-figuratively-and-literally/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [Creating a decent pop song is a challenge - and occasionally, once in every decade - it's kind of fun to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/creating-a-decent-pop-song-is-a-challenge-and-occasionally-once-in/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) > [Sometimes a little compromise isn't a bad thing. You don't need to be precious about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/sometimes-a-little-compromise-isn-t-a-bad-thing-you-don-t-need-to-be/) [David Sylvian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) [Explore all 15 David Sylvian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/) ## More Inclination quotes > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [We artists give daily thanks for the miracle of our planet and for the inclination and the capability to honour it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/we-artists-give-daily-thanks-for-the-miracle-of-our-planet-and-for/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perseverance-is-neither-praiseworthy-nor-blameworthy-for-it-seems-to/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Persons who have cleansed themselves of any transgression and who have shown their ability to deal with homosexual inclinations and put them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/persons-who-have-cleansed-themselves-of-any-transgression-and-who/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [Many men without morals have attacked religion because it was contrary to their inclinations. Many wise men have despised it because it seemed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-d-holbach/many-men-without-morals-have-attacked-religion-because-it-was/) [Baron d'Holbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-d-holbach/) > [I am sure that, on the one hand, the Rothschilds appreciate the merits of Marx, and that on the other hand, Marx feels an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/i-am-sure-that-on-the-one-hand-the-rothschilds-appreciate-the-merits/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [It's really easy to finish a movie and sort of immediately dive into the next one, because I love working with actors so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-swanberg/it-s-really-easy-to-finish-a-movie-and-sort-of-immediately-dive-into/) [Joe Swanberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-swanberg/) > [The holiest of Christians, and those who understand best the gospel of Christ, find in themselves a constant inclination to look to the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-holiest-of-christians-and-those-who-understand-best-the-gospel-of/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [It is my greatest misfortune to be too lazy, and by the few mortifications I have already set with on that account I predict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-allston/it-is-my-greatest-misfortune-to-be-too-lazy-and-by-the-few/) [Washington Allston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-allston/) > [I am in Paris. Yes ma'am , I made it back. I came up from Berlin, stopped here ten days, fought a losing battle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/i-am-in-paris-yes-ma-am-i-made-it-back-i-came-up-from-berlin-stopped/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [Women see everything or nothing according to the inclination of their hearts. Love is their sole light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/women-see-everything-or-nothing-according-to-the-inclination-of-their/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [There is one characteristic of the present direction of public opinion, peculiarly calculated to make it intolerant of any marked demonstration of individuality. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/there-is-one-characteristic-of-the-present-direction-of-public/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [I am myself by inclination an investigator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/i-am-myself-by-inclination-an-investigator/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [ Hitler ... lacked the \[inclination\] for anything more than the occasional sensational display of emotion, in particular the great set-piece speech which mesmerized the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keegan/hitler-lacked-the-inclination-for-anything-more-than-the-occasional/) [John Keegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keegan/) > [Almost every one has a predominant inclination, to which his other desires and affections submit, and which governs him, though perhaps with some intervals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/almost-every-one-has-a-predominant-inclination-to-which-his-other/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) [Browse all 438 Inclination quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inclination/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It wasn't my natural inclination to get into writing protest songs.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Sylvian" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/it-wasn-t-my-natural-inclination-to-get-into-writing-protest-songs/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inclination" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/it-wasn-t-my-natural-inclination-to-get-into-writing-protest-songs/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/david-sylvian-32205_inclination_it-wasn-t-my-natural-inclination-to-get_2503149.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/david-sylvian-32205_inclination_it-wasn-t-my-natural-inclination-to-get_2503149.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/david-sylvian-32205_inclination_it-wasn-t-my-natural-inclination-to-get_2503149.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It wasn't my natural inclination to get into writing protest songs.” — David Sylvian", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Sylvian", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sylvian/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It wasn't my natural inclination to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/it-wasn-t-my-natural-inclination-to-get-into-writing-protest-songs/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sylvian/it-wasn-t-my-natural-inclination-to-get-into-writing-protest-songs/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```