--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was hard to sing like how I wanted to…" description: "\"It was hard to sing like how I wanted to because playing live I had to just be at the top of my lungs all the time, and it made me sound like I had a r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/elliott-smith-8566_cold_it-was-hard-to-sing-like-how-i-wanted-to_929927.jpg" --- # It was hard to sing like how I wanted to because playing… ![“It was hard to sing like how I wanted to because playing live I had to just be at the top of my lungs all the time, and it made me sound like I had a really bad cold or something.” quote by Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/elliott-smith-8566_cold_it-was-hard-to-sing-like-how-i-wanted-to_929927.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/elliott-smith-8566_cold_it-was-hard-to-sing-like-how-i-wanted-to_929927.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/elliott-smith-8566_cold_it-was-hard-to-sing-like-how-i-wanted-to_929927.jpg) > “It was hard to sing like how I wanted to because playing live I had to just be at the top of my lungs all the time, and it made me sound like I had a really bad cold or something.” [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Live singing forced him to strain his voice, leading to a hoarse sound that felt like a cold. **In simple terms:** Singing live made his voice sound ill. Key Takeaway Practice vocal health and technique for live shows. Themes music performance vocal health Mood reflective melancholic Type artistic personal When to use this quote - concerts - studio recording - touring Key Concepts strain breath control live acoustics Questions to Reflect On - What vocal techniques could protect a singer’s voice on stage? - How does studio recording differ from live performance for vocalists? A Different Perspective Audience expectations may pressure singers to overexert. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-cold-634503/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard Sing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-sing-488041/) [Lungs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lungs/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Sing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sing/) [Sing Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sing-like/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Sound Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound-like/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) ## Related quotes > [I used to sing like Nat King Cole. I mean he was the guy when I was comin' up, and you know, man, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-used-to-sing-like-nat-king-cole-i-mean-he-was-the-guy-when-i-was/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [“Alice kept her eyes anxiously fixed on it, for she felt sure she would catch a bad cold if she did not get dry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/alice-kept-her-eyes-anxiously-fixed-on-it-for-she-felt-sure-she-would/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [Now, you might think of flu as just a really bad cold, but it can be a death sentence. Every year, 36,000 people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-berkley/now-you-might-think-of-flu-as-just-a-really-bad-cold-but-it-can-be-a/) [Seth Berkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-berkley/) > [That I would rather be in another business where a bad cold wouldn't put me out of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merv-griffin/that-i-would-rather-be-in-another-business-where-a-bad-cold-wouldn-t/) [Merv Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merv-griffin/) > [Having a bad cold while pregnant is tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-mowry/having-a-bad-cold-while-pregnant-is-tough/) [Tamera Mowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamera-mowry/) > [A bad cold wouldn't be so annoying if it weren't for the advice of our friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kin-hubbard/a-bad-cold-wouldn-t-be-so-annoying-if-it-weren-t-for-the-advice-of/) [Kin Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kin-hubbard/) > [Neurosis is no worse than a bad cold; you ache all over, and it's made you a mess, but you won't die from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/neurosis-is-no-worse-than-a-bad-cold-you-ache-all-over-and-it-s-made/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [I think it's really hard for me... to sing in English, because it's not my mother tongue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/i-think-it-s-really-hard-for-me-to-sing-in-english-because-it-s-not/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) > [It's never hard to sing the blues. Everyone in the world has the blues . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-hooker/it-s-never-hard-to-sing-the-blues-everyone-in-the-world-has-the-blues/) [John Lee Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-hooker/) > [A couple years ago it was really hard for me to sing, because there's so much pressure in hip-hop to be a certain way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonreal/a-couple-years-ago-it-was-really-hard-for-me-to-sing-because-there-s/) [SonReal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonreal/) > [Sometimes it is hard to sing and dance at the same time, but I would rather be off and be real and genuine about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesha/sometimes-it-is-hard-to-sing-and-dance-at-the-same-time-but-i-would/) [Kesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesha/) > [It's really hard for me to sing and play bass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-gordon/it-s-really-hard-for-me-to-sing-and-play-bass/) [Kim Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-gordon/) > [I'm a method actress in my songs, which is why it's hard to sing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-m-a-method-actress-in-my-songs-which-is-why-it-s-hard-to-sing-them/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I have tried very hard to sing. I've taken a lot of lessons. I've always wanted to. It's always been my dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariette-hartley/i-have-tried-very-hard-to-sing-i-ve-taken-a-lot-of-lessons-i-ve/) [Mariette Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariette-hartley/) > [I thought I sang - it's OK - it's so hard to sing! Singing - I had no idea. I'd get fatigued at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-cooper/i-thought-i-sang-it-s-ok-it-s-so-hard-to-sing-singing-i-had-no-idea-i/) [Bradley Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-cooper/) ## More by Elliott Smith > [Somewhere where people aren't so mad would be nice, but I don't know if there is anywhere like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/somewhere-where-people-aren-t-so-mad-would-be-nice-but-i-don-t-know/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I actually don't think that I'm gonna sell a lot of records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-actually-don-t-think-that-i-m-gonna-sell-a-lot-of-records/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [Because God only knows why people like what they like and don't like something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/because-god-only-knows-why-people-like-what-they-like-and-don-t-like/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [My girlfriend at the time convinced me to send these songs to Cavity Search. When they wanted to put out my record I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/my-girlfriend-at-the-time-convinced-me-to-send-these-songs-to-cavity/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [People think they know all these things about other people, and if you ask them why they think they know that, it'd be hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-think-they-know-all-these-things-about-other-people-and-if-you/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I didn't think I was gonna be playing on the Oscars or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-didn-t-think-i-was-gonna-be-playing-on-the-oscars-or-anything/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [All your secret wishes could right now be coming true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/all-your-secret-wishes-could-right-now-be-coming-true/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I can't think of anything off the top of my head that seems more important than something designed to raise money to keep something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-can-t-think-of-anything-off-the-top-of-my-head-that-seems-more/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I went walking around the city some more, people watching with a cold, blank stare. And I saw your face in everyone, I swear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-went-walking-around-the-city-some-more-people-watching-with-a-cold/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [There are lots of things I like about playing in a band, the things I can't do by myself you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/there-are-lots-of-things-i-like-about-playing-in-a-band-the-things-i/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [The band's filter, but playing live is a lot of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/the-band-s-filter-but-playing-live-is-a-lot-of-fun/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [Well, I try not to think about the general public since I have no idea what the general public is and I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/well-i-try-not-to-think-about-the-general-public-since-i-have-no-idea/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [People can be chaos but it's hard to fit it into some creative piece that you made. It's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-can-be-chaos-but-it-s-hard-to-fit-it-into-some-creative-piece/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [“Tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/tired-of-dancing-on-a-pot-of-gold-flake-paint/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [A lot of people are kind of depressed. I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/a-lot-of-people-are-kind-of-depressed-i-m-happy-some-of-the-time-and/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) [Explore all 80 Elliott Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) ## More Cold quotes > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [Of course Messi could handle a cold Tuesday night in Stoke. He'd be drinking tea and relaxing beforehand. Me? I'd probably be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neymar/of-course-messi-could-handle-a-cold-tuesday-night-in-stoke-he-d-be/) [Neymar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neymar/) > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [When my main character in 'Heat' climbs the tower, the highest diving platform, hoping to resume competitive diving after an injury, I am there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cadnum/when-my-main-character-in-heat-climbs-the-tower-the-highest-diving/) [Michael Cadnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cadnum/) > [You start playing when it's cold and you want to be playing when it's cold again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimy-williams/you-start-playing-when-it-s-cold-and-you-want-to-be-playing-when-it-s/) [Jimy Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimy-williams/) > [It would be a piece of ingenuousness to accuse the man of today of his lack of moral code. The accusation would leave him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/it-would-be-a-piece-of-ingenuousness-to-accuse-the-man-of-today-of/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [I would have touched it like a child But knew my finger could but have touched Cold stone and water. I grew wild, Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-would-have-touched-it-like-a-child-but-knew-my-finger-could-but/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [What's to become of the morally sound? Left out in the cold, I suppose. We must heal the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/what-s-to-become-of-the-morally-sound-left-out-in-the-cold-i-suppose/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [When I first started, all the reviews of Cold Chisel would say, 'This singer won't have a voice in six months.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/when-i-first-started-all-the-reviews-of-cold-chisel-would-say-this/) [Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/) > [One of the problems trying to play an instrument outside in the cold is your fingers give up on you and you can't wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-macdonald/one-of-the-problems-trying-to-play-an-instrument-outside-in-the-cold/) [Amy Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-macdonald/) > [God tempers the cold to the shorn sheep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-etienne-sainte-claire-deville/god-tempers-the-cold-to-the-shorn-sheep/) [Henri Etienne Sainte-Claire Deville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-etienne-sainte-claire-deville/) > [Those nights lying alone are not discontinuous with this cold hectic dawn. It is who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/those-nights-lying-alone-are-not-discontinuous-with-this-cold-hectic/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) [Browse all 5,381 Cold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It was hard to sing like how I wanted to because playing live I had to just be at the top of my lungs all the time, and it made me sound like I had a really bad cold or something.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elliott Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/it-was-hard-to-sing-like-how-i-wanted-to-because-playing-live-i-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cold" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/it-was-hard-to-sing-like-how-i-wanted-to-because-playing-live-i-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/elliott-smith-8566_cold_it-was-hard-to-sing-like-how-i-wanted-to_929927.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/elliott-smith-8566_cold_it-was-hard-to-sing-like-how-i-wanted-to_929927.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a4/elliott-smith-8566_cold_it-was-hard-to-sing-like-how-i-wanted-to_929927.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It was hard to sing like how I wanted to because playing live I had to just be at the top of my lungs all…” — Elliott Smith", "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": "Elliott Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It was hard to sing like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/it-was-hard-to-sing-like-how-i-wanted-to-because-playing-live-i-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/it-was-hard-to-sing-like-how-i-wanted-to-because-playing-live-i-had/#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 } } ] } ```