--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I haven't been able to write a song about…" description: "\"I haven't been able to write a song about flying. It just sounds cheesy. But for me, there's nothing like being up there.\" — Dexter Holland" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/dexter-holland-42235_able_i-haven-t-been-able-to-write-a-song-abou_1790761.png" --- # I haven't been able to write a song about flying. It just… ![“I haven't been able to write a song about flying. It just sounds cheesy. But for me, there's nothing like being up there.” quote by Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/dexter-holland-42235_able_i-haven-t-been-able-to-write-a-song-abou_1790761.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/dexter-holland-42235_able_i-haven-t-been-able-to-write-a-song-abou_1790761.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d94/dexter-holland-42235_able_i-haven-t-been-able-to-write-a-song-abou_1790761.png) > “I haven't been able to write a song about flying. It just sounds cheesy. But for me, there's nothing like being up there.” [Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expresses frustration that attempts to capture the exhilaration of flight in music feel inauthentic, yet acknowledges a deep personal love for the experience. **In simple terms:** Finding it hard to write a song about flying because it feels cheesy, but loves being up there. Key Takeaway Accept that some feelings are hard to translate into art. Themes creativity music flight Mood reflective yearning Type artistic personal When to use this quote - songwriting - personal reflection - aeronautics - artistic struggle Key Concepts authenticity expression Questions to Reflect On - How can you capture genuine emotion without sounding cliché? - What alternative mediums could express this feeling? A Different Perspective Music may never fully convey the sensation of flight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Cheesy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheesy/) [Flying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flying/) [Flying Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flying-just-1942566/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Song Flying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song-flying-1942565/) [Sounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sounds/) [Sounds Cheesy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sounds-cheesy-815934/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-song/) ## Related quotes > [I know it really sounds cheesy, but I did feel a duty to try to tell the stories of people who couldn't speak for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/i-know-it-really-sounds-cheesy-but-i-did-feel-a-duty-to-try-to-tell/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [It sounds cheesy, but if you feel good about yourself, it's going to show on the outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-james-decker/it-sounds-cheesy-but-if-you-feel-good-about-yourself-it-s-going-to/) [Jessie James Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-james-decker/) > [One thing I would say is that I think in any environment that you work in, there's always going to be one or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-allen/one-thing-i-would-say-is-that-i-think-in-any-environment-that-you/) [Alfie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-allen/) > [Hawaii is paradise. It sounds cheesy to say it, but there's music in the air there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/hawaii-is-paradise-it-sounds-cheesy-to-say-it-but-there-s-music-in/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [“It sounds so cheesy, even I don’t buy it. And it’s currently happening to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-kramer/it-sounds-so-cheesy-even-i-don-t-buy-it-and-it-s-currently-happening/) [Stacey Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-kramer/) > [My beauty icons - and this sounds cheesy - have a beauty that comes from inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-ora/my-beauty-icons-and-this-sounds-cheesy-have-a-beauty-that-comes-from/) [Rita Ora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-ora/) > [I'm not saying that people should stop flying. I'm just saying it needs to be easier to be climate neutral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-thunburg/i-m-not-saying-that-people-should-stop-flying-i-m-just-saying-it/) [Greta Thunburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-thunburg/) > [This sounds really cheesy and weird, but the pitbull is a sweet animal that just wants love until it's provoked - that's kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-bowersox/this-sounds-really-cheesy-and-weird-but-the-pitbull-is-a-sweet-animal/) [Crystal Bowersox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-bowersox/) > [Finally there was a moment when it just hit me. John wouldn't want me to sit on my butt for the rest of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaley-cuoco/finally-there-was-a-moment-when-it-just-hit-me-john-wouldn-t-want-me/) [Kaley Cuoco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaley-cuoco/) > [As cheesy and cornball as it sounds, life does get better - if you want it to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-bean-cobain/as-cheesy-and-cornball-as-it-sounds-life-does-get-better-if-you-want/) [Frances Bean Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-bean-cobain/) > [I just want to instill love into everyone's hearts. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-rodriguez/i-just-want-to-instill-love-into-everyone-s-hearts-i-know-that-sounds/) [Mj Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-rodriguez/) > [It sounds cheesy, but have a hobby you like. Fill yourself with that, distract yourself, get away from it completely - go hiking, play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-hunt/it-sounds-cheesy-but-have-a-hobby-you-like-fill-yourself-with-that/) [Brendan Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-hunt/) > [It always sounds so cheesy when I say it, but whatever it is you want to do, just go for it. I don't care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayley/it-always-sounds-so-cheesy-when-i-say-it-but-whatever-it-is-you-want/) [Bayley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayley/) > [One of my passions in life is to try to inspire people. I don't know if that sounds cheesy, but I genuinely love to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-grammer/one-of-my-passions-in-life-is-to-try-to-inspire-people-i-don-t-know/) [Andy Grammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-grammer/) > [It sounds cheesy to say it, but I think my motivation has always been to help others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-parks/it-sounds-cheesy-to-say-it-but-i-think-my-motivation-has-always-been/) [Arlo Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-parks/) ## More by Dexter Holland > [I think music is so diverse today, and bands are so diverse. If you were a rock band in the Eighties, you kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-holland/i-think-music-is-so-diverse-today-and-bands-are-so-diverse-if-you/) [Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) > [You hear about bands who say, "We did one show where only 20 people showed up", well that was our average gig for five years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-holland/you-hear-about-bands-who-say-we-did-one-show-where-only-20-people/) [Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) > [You can't sing about the same things as you did when you were 20; it would be ridiculous to sing about, I don't know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-holland/you-can-t-sing-about-the-same-things-as-you-did-when-you-were-20-it/) [Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) > [There's something undeniably oxymoronic about a 'successful' rock n' roll band. Who wants to hear a bunch of success stories whining about their success?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-holland/there-s-something-undeniably-oxymoronic-about-a-successful-rock-n/) [Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) > [Who decides what is and what isn't punk? I want to write songs that people hear and feel, and I want to be successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-holland/who-decides-what-is-and-what-isn-t-punk-i-want-to-write-songs-that/) [Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) > [If you go back to 'Pretty Fly,' it was a very popish song, but there was a satirical side to it, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-holland/if-you-go-back-to-pretty-fly-it-was-a-very-popish-song-but-there-was/) [Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) > [Punk rock is very rebellious, of course, but it also means thinking for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-holland/punk-rock-is-very-rebellious-of-course-but-it-also-means-thinking-for/) [Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) > [Punk rock wasn't a career choice. It was a hobby that we did for fun. We never thought we'd get as big as our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-holland/punk-rock-wasn-t-a-career-choice-it-was-a-hobby-that-we-did-for-fun/) [Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) > [Selling another 10 million albums is not a priority. Putting out something you're proud of is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-holland/selling-another-10-million-albums-is-not-a-priority-putting-out/) [Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) [Explore all 10 Dexter Holland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. 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