--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always wanted my music to serve a…" description: "\"I've always wanted my music to serve a certain purpose.\" — India Arie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ab/india-arie-3506_always_i-ve-always-wanted-my-music-to-serve-a-c_20570.png" --- # I've always wanted my music to serve a certain purpose. ![“I've always wanted my music to serve a certain purpose.” quote by India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ab/india-arie-3506_always_i-ve-always-wanted-my-music-to-serve-a-c_20570.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ab/india-arie-3506_always_i-ve-always-wanted-my-music-to-serve-a-c_20570.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ab/india-arie-3506_always_i-ve-always-wanted-my-music-to-serve-a-c_20570.png) > “I've always wanted my music to serve a certain purpose.” [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker views music as a tool for intentional impact, not merely entertainment. **In simple terms:** Music as purposeful expression Key Takeaway Intentional art drives change Themes Purpose Artistic Intent Social Impact Creativity Expression Mood Inspirational Reflective Type Philosophical Motivational When to use this quote - Composing for a cause - Designing a soundtrack for a campaign - Teaching music with a mission Key Concepts Purposeful Creation Audience Connection Cultural Influence Practical Applications - Creating socially conscious albums - Aligning brand messaging with musical themes Questions to Reflect On - How does purpose shape artistic choices? - What responsibilities do creators have to their audience? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Certain Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-purpose-395786/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Serve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-serve-395788/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Serve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serve/) [Serve Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serve-certain-395789/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-music/) ## Related quotes > [He too serves a certain purpose who only stands and cheers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/he-too-serves-a-certain-purpose-who-only-stands-and-cheers/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Music can always serve a role in people's lives when it's emotional and warm and inviting and beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/music-can-always-serve-a-role-in-people-s-lives-when-it-s-emotional/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [Not every item of news should be published. Rather must those who control news policies endeavor to make every item of news serve a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/not-every-item-of-news-should-be-published-rather-must-those-who/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [He has guided my hands in ways I don't always understand, ways that people of this world would scoff at. But there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-carman/he-has-guided-my-hands-in-ways-i-don-t-always-understand-ways-that/) [Patrick Carman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-carman/) > [Music must serve a purpose; it must be a part of something larger than itself, a part of humanity...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-casals/music-must-serve-a-purpose-it-must-be-a-part-of-something-larger-than/) [Pablo Casals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-casals/) > [The highest mission of music is to serve as a link between God and Man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-heline/the-highest-mission-of-music-is-to-serve-as-a-link-between-god-and-man/) [Corinne Heline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-heline/) > [Since I was a little child, I always wanted to do music. That was my passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarja-turunen/since-i-was-a-little-child-i-always-wanted-to-do-music-that-was-my/) [Tarja Turunen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarja-turunen/) > [I think that part of my success was the fact that I would literally threaten your life if you got in-between me and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-patrick/i-think-that-part-of-my-success-was-the-fact-that-i-would-literally/) [Richard Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-patrick/) > [I wanted music to be a career. To base everything on fame to me seemed a dangerous thing - I wanted my foundations to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-macdonald/i-wanted-music-to-be-a-career-to-base-everything-on-fame-to-me-seemed/) [Amy Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-macdonald/) > [I wanted the music to sound, like, made in Mexico. I wanted to connect to my roots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-lafourcade/i-wanted-the-music-to-sound-like-made-in-mexico-i-wanted-to-connect/) [Natalia Lafourcade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-lafourcade/) > [I really wanted my music to reflect my personal life and what I set out to do every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-valentine/i-really-wanted-my-music-to-reflect-my-personal-life-and-what-i-set/) [Brooke Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-valentine/) > [“I wanted to be the music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/i-wanted-to-be-the-music/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [I've never wanted to use my age as a gimmick, as something that would get me ahead of other people. I've wanted the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-ve-never-wanted-to-use-my-age-as-a-gimmick-as-something-that-would/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [I always knew I wanted to do music, but it took me a long time to figure out how to exactly do that. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skylar-grey/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-do-music-but-it-took-me-a-long-time-to/) [Skylar Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skylar-grey/) > [I just wanted to do a music show, with the whole realm of music from Ella Fitzgerald to rock bands like Cream to Kenny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-campbell/i-just-wanted-to-do-a-music-show-with-the-whole-realm-of-music-from/) [Glen Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-campbell/) ## More by India Arie > [The only thing constant in this world is change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/the-only-thing-constant-in-this-world-is-change/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [When it comes down to the song writing, I'm just very slow - very slow. Because the songs are about my life, so I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/when-it-comes-down-to-the-song-writing-i-m-just-very-slow-very-slow/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [In this era, soul is not a sound or a color: it's an intention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/in-this-era-soul-is-not-a-sound-or-a-color-it-s-an-intention/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [Basically, I listen to voices. If they write good songs and they can sing, I'll probably like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/basically-i-listen-to-voices-if-they-write-good-songs-and-they-can/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [I was born in love with music. My mother is a singer. Many of my aunts and uncles on my mother's side are musical.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/i-was-born-in-love-with-music-my-mother-is-a-singer-many-of-my-aunts/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [Keep your expensive cars and your caviar. Alls I need is my guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/keep-your-expensive-cars-and-your-caviar-alls-i-need-is-my-guitar/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [“By all of your beauty I am so inspired. Your love has baptized me by fire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/by-all-of-your-beauty-i-am-so-inspired-your-love-has-baptized-me-by/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [I am on an album with theater icon Billy Porter called the 'Soul of Richard Rodgers.' Our duet is called 'Carefully Taught.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/i-am-on-an-album-with-theater-icon-billy-porter-called-the-soul-of/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [There are a lot of men who like women with a brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/there-are-a-lot-of-men-who-like-women-with-a-brain/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [I like being a role model - people have told me that I am a role model for empowered women, but I don't see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/i-like-being-a-role-model-people-have-told-me-that-i-am-a-role-model/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [Neo-soul is really less about a sound than it is about a look, in my opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/neo-soul-is-really-less-about-a-sound-than-it-is-about-a-look-in-my/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [To a man who loves music. A man who loves art. Respect's the spirit world and thinks with his heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/to-a-man-who-loves-music-a-man-who-loves-art-respect-s-the-spirit/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [Simplicity only means making peace with the complexity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/simplicity-only-means-making-peace-with-the-complexity/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [Everything in my music has always been emotionally and spiritually motivated... But after I started doing yoga, the place where I came from changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/everything-in-my-music-has-always-been-emotionally-and-spiritually/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [Obviously, I've been heartbroken. We all know what that feels like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/obviously-i-ve-been-heartbroken-we-all-know-what-that-feels-like/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) [Explore all 129 India Arie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) ## 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": "I've always wanted my music to serve a certain purpose.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "India Arie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/i-ve-always-wanted-my-music-to-serve-a-certain-purpose/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/i-ve-always-wanted-my-music-to-serve-a-certain-purpose/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ab/india-arie-3506_always_i-ve-always-wanted-my-music-to-serve-a-c_20570.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ab/india-arie-3506_always_i-ve-always-wanted-my-music-to-serve-a-c_20570.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ab/india-arie-3506_always_i-ve-always-wanted-my-music-to-serve-a-c_20570.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've always wanted my music to serve a certain purpose.” — India Arie", "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": "India Arie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've always wanted my music to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/i-ve-always-wanted-my-music-to-serve-a-certain-purpose/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/i-ve-always-wanted-my-music-to-serve-a-certain-purpose/#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 } } ] } ```