---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only reason I'm able to do music is…"
description: "\"The only reason I'm able to do music is because I'm making money on 'Community.' If I wasn't, I couldn't pay for things.\" — Donald Glover"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3c/donald-glover-7025_able_the-only-reason-i-m-able-to-do-music-is_1813509.jpg"
---

#  The only reason I'm able to do music is because I'm making…

![“The only reason I'm able to do music is because I'm making money on 'Community.' If I wasn't, I couldn't pay for things.” quote by Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3c/donald-glover-7025_able_the-only-reason-i-m-able-to-do-music-is_1813509.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3c/donald-glover-7025_able_the-only-reason-i-m-able-to-do-music-is_1813509.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3c/donald-glover-7025_able_the-only-reason-i-m-able-to-do-music-is_1813509.jpg)

> “The only reason I'm able to do music is because I'm making money on 'Community.' If I wasn't, I couldn't pay for things.”

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He creates music primarily to fund his lifestyle, not solely for artistic passion.

**In simple terms:** Music is a means to earn money for living expenses.

Key Takeaway

Consider financial motivations behind creative work.

Themes

creativity finance artistic integrity motivation career

Mood

pragmatic reflective

Type

analytical inspirational

When to use this quote

- budgeting for artists
- balancing passion and profit
- monetizing creative projects

Key Concepts

economics of art sustainability artistic compromise

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you think financial pressure changes artistic output?
- How can artists stay authentic while earning?

A Different Perspective

Creative work may suffer when profit outweighs artistic expression.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Able Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able-music-2118577/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Community Wasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community-wasn-2135116/) [Making money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-money/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Money Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-community-2135115/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-is/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/)

## Related quotes

> [I think 'Lost' was really a pioneer in the use of the kind of connection between a television show and the Internet, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlton-cuse/i-think-lost-was-really-a-pioneer-in-the-use-of-the-kind-of/)

[Carlton Cuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlton-cuse/)

> [The Koreans that make their money in our community: If we have a Black bank, you'll find they don't deposit anything of what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/the-koreans-that-make-their-money-in-our-community-if-we-have-a-black/)

[Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/)

> [We think of Craigslist as a form of Social Media.We provide a simple service that is mostly free and we leave money in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-newmark/we-think-of-craigslist-as-a-form-of-social-media-we-provide-a-simple/)

[Craig Newmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-newmark/)

> [I have to be able to have music at all times - to shower to, to listen to, to warm up, to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-creel/i-have-to-be-able-to-have-music-at-all-times-to-shower-to-to-listen/)

[Gavin Creel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-creel/)

> [I just want other women to be able to see themselves in the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karol-g/i-just-want-other-women-to-be-able-to-see-themselves-in-the-music/)

[Karol G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karol-g/)

> [It's a wonderful thing to be able to see your music going from generation to generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-lifeson/it-s-a-wonderful-thing-to-be-able-to-see-your-music-going-from/)

[Alex Lifeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-lifeson/)

> [When I go back to the stage, I want to be able to do everything. I want to be able to do music and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/when-i-go-back-to-the-stage-i-want-to-be-able-to-do-everything-i-want/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [I got into this business to entertain and, of course, make a living from it and to be able to have our music heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harwell/i-got-into-this-business-to-entertain-and-of-course-make-a-living/)

[Steve Harwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harwell/)

> [I'm so grateful to be able to do music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vidya-vox/i-m-so-grateful-to-be-able-to-do-music/)

[Vidya Vox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vidya-vox/)

> [I'm certain that I will be able to do music that's more like me as I get to know more about myself. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taeyang/i-m-certain-that-i-will-be-able-to-do-music-that-s-more-like-me-as-i/)

[Taeyang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taeyang/)

> [One reason we've been able to do what we do is that we never put our music into any kind of historical perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/one-reason-we-ve-been-able-to-do-what-we-do-is-that-we-never-put-our/)

[Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/)

> [It's a matter of people closing their eyes and opening their ears. If people are able to do that, then music is ageless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-dorough/it-s-a-matter-of-people-closing-their-eyes-and-opening-their-ears-if/)

[Howie Dorough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-dorough/)

> [To be able to take music and do something as profoundly original as what we did with the Allman Brothers, you've got to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butch-trucks/to-be-able-to-take-music-and-do-something-as-profoundly-original-as/)

[Butch Trucks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butch-trucks/)

> [Really connecting with someone and maybe opening their mind a little bit, is such a cool thing to be able to do through music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/really-connecting-with-someone-and-maybe-opening-their-mind-a-little/)

[Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/)

> [One performer whose band played my music better than I could myself was Art Farmer. He recorded 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/one-performer-whose-band-played-my-music-better-than-i-could-myself/)

[Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/)

## More by Donald Glover

> [I try to be me to the utmost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/i-try-to-be-me-to-the-utmost/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [You have to be real with yourself. No one is doing that. People are too concerned with making everything look nice and calm and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/you-have-to-be-real-with-yourself-no-one-is-doing-that-people-are-too/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [I felt like high school for me was like a big whirlpool of me trying to figure out what was OK for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/i-felt-like-high-school-for-me-was-like-a-big-whirlpool-of-me-trying/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [If it makes you nervous- you're doing it right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/if-it-makes-you-nervous-you-re-doing-it-right/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [Girls who used to tell me I ain't cool enough now text me pics saying you can tear this up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/girls-who-used-to-tell-me-i-ain-t-cool-enough-now-text-me-pics-saying/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [Twitter does have an effect on everything - things you put out there, they are out there for good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/twitter-does-have-an-effect-on-everything-things-you-put-out-there/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [I like horror films and romance films. Films where you're going in being like, 'I'm coming here to be scared or to fall in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/i-like-horror-films-and-romance-films-films-where-you-re-going-in/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [I hope people come to the shows because they feel like there's something there that I can't necessarily articulate, but it's real and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/i-hope-people-come-to-the-shows-because-they-feel-like-there-s/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [L.A. is such a different place. I miss New York so much. I almost teared up when I came back and wanted a Guinness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/l-a-is-such-a-different-place-i-miss-new-york-so-much-i-almost-teared/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [Most people think I'm Danny Glover's son when they meet me. So when they ask, I say 'No, I'm Crispin Glover's son.' Then we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/most-people-think-i-m-danny-glover-s-son-when-they-meet-me-so-when/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [I think the best music videos are the ones that have nothing to do with the song. Those are all my favorites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/i-think-the-best-music-videos-are-the-ones-that-have-nothing-to-do/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [I try and go to as many places as possible. It's really cool that I even get to see different places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/i-try-and-go-to-as-many-places-as-possible-it-s-really-cool-that-i/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [You used to have to beg and be the busboy to do standup. I got on Community because people saw my videos on YouTube,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/you-used-to-have-to-beg-and-be-the-busboy-to-do-standup-i-got-on/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [Also, I realized a lot of kids are listening to me. Whether I want to be or not, they're looking up to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/also-i-realized-a-lot-of-kids-are-listening-to-me-whether-i-want-to/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

> [Rapper, just puts so much connotation on who you are and what is exposed. Even if a lot of it is out-dated, people still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/rapper-just-puts-so-much-connotation-on-who-you-are-and-what-is/)

[Donald Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

[Explore all 95 Donald Glover quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/)

## 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. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/)

[Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/)

> [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. 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. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/)

[Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [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/)

> [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/)

[Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/)

[Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The only reason I'm able to do music is because I'm making money on 'Community.' If I wasn't, I couldn't pay for things.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Donald Glover"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/the-only-reason-i-m-able-to-do-music-is-because-i-m-making-money-on/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Able"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/the-only-reason-i-m-able-to-do-music-is-because-i-m-making-money-on/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3c/donald-glover-7025_able_the-only-reason-i-m-able-to-do-music-is_1813509.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3c/donald-glover-7025_able_the-only-reason-i-m-able-to-do-music-is_1813509.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3c/donald-glover-7025_able_the-only-reason-i-m-able-to-do-music-is_1813509.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The only reason I'm able to do music is because I'm making money on 'Community.' If I wasn't, I couldn't pay…” — Donald Glover",
                "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": "Donald Glover",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-glover/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The only reason I'm able to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/the-only-reason-i-m-able-to-do-music-is-because-i-m-making-money-on/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-glover/the-only-reason-i-m-able-to-do-music-is-because-i-m-making-money-on/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
