--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It took me three weeks to write the…" description: "\"It took me three weeks to write the 'Rhapsody in Blue.' I had always wanted to write something blue and Paul Whiteman inspired.\" — George Gershwin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c40/george-gershwin-16455_always_it-took-me-three-weeks-to-write-the-rhap_2527394.png" --- # It took me three weeks to write the 'Rhapsody in Blue.' I… ![“It took me three weeks to write the 'Rhapsody in Blue.' I had always wanted to write something blue and Paul Whiteman inspired.” quote by George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c40/george-gershwin-16455_always_it-took-me-three-weeks-to-write-the-rhap_2527394.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c40/george-gershwin-16455_always_it-took-me-three-weeks-to-write-the-rhap_2527394.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c40/george-gershwin-16455_always_it-took-me-three-weeks-to-write-the-rhap_2527394.png) > “It took me three weeks to write the 'Rhapsody in Blue.' I had always wanted to write something blue and Paul Whiteman inspired.” [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The desire to compose a blue piece led to collaboration, resulting in a landmark work. **In simple terms:** Wanting to write blue music inspired a famous composition. Key Takeaway Seek collaboration to fulfill artistic visions. Themes creativity collaboration music history Mood historical enthusiastic Type artistic educational When to use this quote - songwriting sessions - orchestral commissions - musical experiments Key Concepts genre fusion artistic ambition Questions to Reflect On - What role did Paul Whiteman play in shaping the piece? - How does inspiration translate into final work? A Different Perspective Collaboration may dilute personal style if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blue/) [Inspired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspired/) [Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paul/) [Rhapsody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhapsody/) [Rhapsody Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhapsody-blue-1310713/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) [Weeks Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weeks-write-406281/) [Whiteman Inspired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whiteman-inspired-1310714/) [Write Rhapsody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-rhapsody-1310712/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [My absolute favorite pieces are 'Rhapsody in Blue' and 'Begin the Beguine.' I play these when I am working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-smith/my-absolute-favorite-pieces-are-rhapsody-in-blue-and-begin-the/) [Wilbur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-smith/) > [If you have five weeks to write an episode of television or seven months to write a movie or several years to write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/if-you-have-five-weeks-to-write-an-episode-of-television-or-seven/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [I write an actual script rather quickly - a draft will take me two weeks - but I write a lot of drafts. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abi-morgan/i-write-an-actual-script-rather-quickly-a-draft-will-take-me-two/) [Abi Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abi-morgan/) > [I wrote 'Linger' in about eight minutes. But some songs will take weeks to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-sebastian/i-wrote-linger-in-about-eight-minutes-but-some-songs-will-take-weeks/) [Guy Sebastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-sebastian/) > [Only lawyers would refer to something as a brief that takes hours/days/weeks to write and is 30 pages long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-lawyers-would-refer-to-something-as-a-brief-that-takes-hours/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That was, in writing the 'Twilight' script I had about five weeks to write that. I'd taken about a month to write the outline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-rosenberg/that-was-in-writing-the-twilight-script-i-had-about-five-weeks-to/) [Melissa Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-rosenberg/) > [If after two weeks you still can't write your middle-eight, the best course of action is to see a psychiatrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-davies/if-after-two-weeks-you-still-can-t-write-your-middle-eight-the-best/) [Ray Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-davies/) > [Normally, I spend a week on the outline and take two weeks to write the book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-stine/normally-i-spend-a-week-on-the-outline-and-take-two-weeks-to-write/) [R. L. Stine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-stine/) > [“Sometimes, however, there is more than hope. Sometimes there is reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-haydon/sometimes-however-there-is-more-than-hope-sometimes-there-is-reason/) [Elizabeth Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-haydon/) > [One good thing about a good book or a good film, or maybe even a song, I'm not a musician but I love to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kleber-mendonca-filho/one-good-thing-about-a-good-book-or-a-good-film-or-maybe-even-a-song/) [Kleber Mendonca Filho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kleber-mendonca-filho/) > [Rachmaninoff made a musician out of me. His 'Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini' was the piece that sent me into raptures. It spoke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/rachmaninoff-made-a-musician-out-of-me-his-rhapsody-on-a-theme-by/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [The 'Rhapsody' has a lean, modern, American feel about it, whereas with Rachmaninoff's second and third concertos, you feel very much you're still in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/the-rhapsody-has-a-lean-modern-american-feel-about-it-whereas-with/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > ['Bohemian Rhapsody' is my all-time favorite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-martel/bohemian-rhapsody-is-my-all-time-favorite/) [Marc Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-martel/) > [I love 'Somebody to Love' by Queen and of course 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is one of my favorites, just because it makes everyone in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hill/i-love-somebody-to-love-by-queen-and-of-course-bohemian-rhapsody-is/) [Faith Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hill/) > [Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-rachmaninoff/rhapsody-on-a-theme-of-paganini/) [Sergei Rachmaninoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-rachmaninoff/) ## More by George Gershwin > [True music must repeat the thought and inspirations of the people and the time. My people are Americans and my time is today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/true-music-must-repeat-the-thought-and-inspirations-of-the-people-and/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [The extraordinary thing about my mother, she's so modest about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/the-extraordinary-thing-about-my-mother-she-s-so-modest-about-me/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [Porgy is...an interesting example of what can be done by talent in spite of a bad setup. With a libretto that should never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/porgy-is-an-interesting-example-of-what-can-be-done-by-talent-in/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [Gershwin's melodic gift was phenomenal. His songs contain the essence of New York in the 1920s and have deservedly become classics of their kind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/gershwin-s-melodic-gift-was-phenomenal-his-songs-contain-the-essence/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [Not many composers have ideas. Far more of them know how to use strange instruments which do not require ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/not-many-composers-have-ideas-far-more-of-them-know-how-to-use/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [Life is a lot like jazz... it's best when you improvise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/life-is-a-lot-like-jazz-it-s-best-when-you-improvise/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [I didn't even start playing the piano until I was about 13 or 14. I guess I must have had a little talent or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/i-didn-t-even-start-playing-the-piano-until-i-was-about-13-or-14-i/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [Jazz I regard as an American folk music; not the only one, but a very powerful one which is probably in the blood and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/jazz-i-regard-as-an-american-folk-music-not-the-only-one-but-a-very/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [Out of my entire annual output of songs, perhaps two, or at the most three, came as a result of inspiration. We can never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/out-of-my-entire-annual-output-of-songs-perhaps-two-or-at-the-most/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [An entire composition written in jazz could not live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/an-entire-composition-written-in-jazz-could-not-live/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [I frequently hear music in the heart of noise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/i-frequently-hear-music-in-the-heart-of-noise/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [True music must repeat the thought and inspirations of the people and the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/true-music-must-repeat-the-thought-and-inspirations-of-the-people-and-2/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [It is always possible to create something original.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/it-is-always-possible-to-create-something-original/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [The European boys have small ideas but they sure know how to dress 'em up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/the-european-boys-have-small-ideas-but-they-sure-know-how-to-dress-em/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [Jazz is the result of the energy stored up in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/jazz-is-the-result-of-the-energy-stored-up-in-america/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) [Explore all 39 George Gershwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It took me three weeks to write the 'Rhapsody in Blue.' 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