--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wanted to write a song that was…" description: "\"I wanted to write a song that was outright against war, in any form.\" — Declan McKenna" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/declan-mckenna-5579_against_i-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-was-outrig_2939140.jpg" --- # I wanted to write a song that was outright against war, in… ![“I wanted to write a song that was outright against war, in any form.” quote by Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/declan-mckenna-5579_against_i-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-was-outrig_2939140.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/declan-mckenna-5579_against_i-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-was-outrig_2939140.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/declan-mckenna-5579_against_i-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-was-outrig_2939140.jpg) > “I wanted to write a song that was outright against war, in any form.” [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The artist aims to craft anti‑war music that confronts conflict directly. **In simple terms:** Write songs opposing war. Key Takeaway Use music to protest war. Themes anti‑war music activism Mood passionate urgent Type musical political When to use this quote - concerts - social media campaigns - educational programs Key Concepts songwriting political messaging peace advocacy Questions to Reflect On - What other platforms amplify anti‑war messages? - How can listeners act beyond listening? A Different Perspective Music alone may not change policy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Against](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/against/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Outright War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outright-war-4373051/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Song Outright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song-outright-4373050/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-form-2721223/) [Write Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-song/) ## Related quotes > [Misery, mutilation, destruction, terror, starvation and death characterize the process of war and form a principal part of the product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/misery-mutilation-destruction-terror-starvation-and-death/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [War is the form nostalgia takes when men are hard-pressed to say something good about their country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/war-is-the-form-nostalgia-takes-when-men-are-hard-pressed-to-say/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“War is now a form of TV entertainment”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/war-is-now-a-form-of-tv-entertainment/) [Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/) > [“Propaganda against war is itself a form of war propaganda.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lie-hal-vy/propaganda-against-war-is-itself-a-form-of-war-propaganda/) [Élie Halévy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lie-hal-vy/) > [War is a form of really bad manners, in a strange way. Invading a country I think is just the worst possible manners. 'You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/war-is-a-form-of-really-bad-manners-in-a-strange-way-invading-a/) [Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/) > [I'm not tempted to write a song about George W. Bush. I couldn't figure out what sort of song I would write. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-m-not-tempted-to-write-a-song-about-george-w-bush-i-couldn-t-figure/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Musically, I would never run dry. Any time I sit down to an instrument, I could write a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/musically-i-would-never-run-dry-any-time-i-sit-down-to-an-instrument/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [We write the song, then it gets played for the artist, and they somehow fall in love with it and go back in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-rexha/we-write-the-song-then-it-gets-played-for-the-artist-and-they-somehow/) [Bebe Rexha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-rexha/) > [“It took me 42 years to write this song, and 5 minutes to sing it." \[On The Heart of the Matter , during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-henley/it-took-me-42-years-to-write-this-song-and-5-minutes-to-sing-it-on/) [Don Henley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-henley/) > [What we've learned is there's no right way to write a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-tedeschi/what-we-ve-learned-is-there-s-no-right-way-to-write-a-song/) [Susan Tedeschi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-tedeschi/) > [Sometimes I'll write a song. When I've gone through something really hard in my life, sometimes it's other people's music. Other times it's actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-johnson/sometimes-i-ll-write-a-song-when-i-ve-gone-through-something-really/) [Jack Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-johnson/) > [I can't freestyle or else I'll just start saying anything, so I'll write the song first and then record. I'll rap to the producer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tee-grizzley/i-can-t-freestyle-or-else-i-ll-just-start-saying-anything-so-i-ll/) [Tee Grizzley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tee-grizzley/) > [There's a lot of hurry up and wait. But it gives you time to write a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/there-s-a-lot-of-hurry-up-and-wait-but-it-gives-you-time-to-write-a/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [If I'm extra happy or excited, it'll take me an hour or two to write a song. Or, if I'm really sad or something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astro/if-i-m-extra-happy-or-excited-it-ll-take-me-an-hour-or-two-to-write-a/) [Astro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astro/) > [You wind up creating from silence, like painting a picture on a blank canvas that could bring tears to somebody's eyes. As songwriters, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/you-wind-up-creating-from-silence-like-painting-a-picture-on-a-blank/) [Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/) ## More by Declan McKenna > [I'm used to feeling isolated from people I want to see, it's been a big part of my life since I was a teenager…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-m-used-to-feeling-isolated-from-people-i-want-to-see-it-s-been-a/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [I wrote 'Paracetamol' between the ages of 15 and 16. With many of my songs, I have this strange habit of spending months fumbling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-wrote-paracetamol-between-the-ages-of-15-and-16-with-many-of-my/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [Not only do we still engage in wars far away from our homes, which settle nothing and fuel extremism in the aftermath, we sell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/not-only-do-we-still-engage-in-wars-far-away-from-our-homes-which/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [There's not enough focus put on learning about yourself and how that can teach you more than certain subjects can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/there-s-not-enough-focus-put-on-learning-about-yourself-and-how-that/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [I'd like to be able to make something as good as 'Hunky Dory' or 'Young Americans.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-d-like-to-be-able-to-make-something-as-good-as-hunky-dory-or-young/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [I like to think our brains are a bit like algorithms. Whatever you give it and feed it, you get out the product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-like-to-think-our-brains-are-a-bit-like-algorithms-whatever-you/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [It's important to remind kids who obviously love writing and creating, that's it's going to be the most important part of what they do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/it-s-important-to-remind-kids-who-obviously-love-writing-and-creating/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [I'm the youngest of six kids so I got the short straw in terms of bedrooms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-m-the-youngest-of-six-kids-so-i-got-the-short-straw-in-terms-of/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [With my first album, I was just simply trying to highlight problems within society and put it into pop songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/with-my-first-album-i-was-just-simply-trying-to-highlight-problems/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [There's definitely a love-hate relationship I think a lot of bands have with touring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/there-s-definitely-a-love-hate-relationship-i-think-a-lot-of-bands/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [Many times you may feel alone in the world, but the right record pulls you back to realizing that many people have gone through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/many-times-you-may-feel-alone-in-the-world-but-the-right-record-pulls/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [Releasing a record makes you realise what you want to do with music. It's not something you can understand before you do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/releasing-a-record-makes-you-realise-what-you-want-to-do-with-music/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [I'm a big fan of Greta Thunberg and I'm really into Stella Donnelly's music. I think it's really incredible, important music and very relevant;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-m-a-big-fan-of-greta-thunberg-and-i-m-really-into-stella-donnelly-s/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [I tried to be in loads of bands and it hadn't really worked out. My friends weren't as into it as I was, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-tried-to-be-in-loads-of-bands-and-it-hadn-t-really-worked-out-my/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [Having creative control has always been important to me in different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/having-creative-control-has-always-been-important-to-me-in-different/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) [Explore all 100 Declan McKenna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) ## More Against quotes > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I think I am against stereotype. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/) [Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [In France they spend six months training policemen, then they give them a gun and put them on the streets, and I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-kassovitz/in-france-they-spend-six-months-training-policemen-then-they-give/) [Mathieu Kassovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-kassovitz/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [My problems are sort of more on a nuisance level. I can't stand scratchy clothes, I've got to have soft kinds of cotton against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/my-problems-are-sort-of-more-on-a-nuisance-level-i-can-t-stand/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [I don't have any regrets or hold any grudge against anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cooper-kupp/i-don-t-have-any-regrets-or-hold-any-grudge-against-anyone/) [Cooper Kupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cooper-kupp/) > [Ronaldo will always score against everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-chiellini/ronaldo-will-always-score-against-everyone/) [Giorgio Chiellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-chiellini/) > [Well, just that there would be somebody in the office and the voters - it was more or less an understanding in the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/well-just-that-there-would-be-somebody-in-the-office-and-the-voters/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) [Joe Pitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pitts/) > [It goes way, way back when we were under Sweden's rule. We always think they are better than us. We played against them so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saku-koivu/it-goes-way-way-back-when-we-were-under-sweden-s-rule-we-always-think/) [Saku Koivu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saku-koivu/) > [I'm against unanswerable concentrations of power, whether that be government or private industry or religious figures - anybody who is not accountable to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-suarez/i-m-against-unanswerable-concentrations-of-power-whether-that-be/) [Daniel Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-suarez/) > [I'm an Indian and I shall not do anything that goes against my ethos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherlyn-chopra/i-m-an-indian-and-i-shall-not-do-anything-that-goes-against-my-ethos/) [Sherlyn Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherlyn-chopra/) [Browse all 2,190 Against quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/against/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wanted to write a song that was outright against war, in any form.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Declan McKenna" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-was-outright-against-war-in-any-form/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Against" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-was-outright-against-war-in-any-form/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/declan-mckenna-5579_against_i-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-was-outrig_2939140.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/declan-mckenna-5579_against_i-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-was-outrig_2939140.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e3/declan-mckenna-5579_against_i-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-was-outrig_2939140.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wanted to write a song that was outright against war, in any form.” — Declan McKenna", "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": "Declan McKenna", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wanted to write a song...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-was-outright-against-war-in-any-form/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-was-outright-against-war-in-any-form/#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 } } ] } ```