--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was like an exponential weed. And…" description: "\"It was like an exponential weed. And people treated me as if I was an established musician. I wasn't.\" — Jack Tatum" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/jack-tatum-30304_ifs_it-was-like-an-exponential-weed-and-peop_336772.jpg" --- # It was like an exponential weed. And people treated me as… ![“It was like an exponential weed. And people treated me as if I was an established musician. I wasn't.” quote by Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/jack-tatum-30304_ifs_it-was-like-an-exponential-weed-and-peop_336772.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/jack-tatum-30304_ifs_it-was-like-an-exponential-weed-and-peop_336772.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/jack-tatum-30304_ifs_it-was-like-an-exponential-weed-and-peop_336772.jpg) > “It was like an exponential weed. And people treated me as if I was an established musician. I wasn't.” [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) ## 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 feels like an invasive, rapidly spreading problem, despite being treated as a successful artist. **In simple terms:** Feels like an unwanted, fast‑growing weed. Key Takeaway Seek authentic validation over external labels. Themes identity perception growth Mood reflective introspective Type personal motivational When to use this quote - music industry - personal branding - career development - mental health Key Concepts self‑image public expectation creative pressure Questions to Reflect On - What defines true success for you? - How can you balance external expectations with self‑worth? A Different Perspective The metaphor may exaggerate personal struggle, overlooking external factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [“It was marijuana that drew the line between us and them, that bright generational line between the cool and the uncool. My timidity about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-finnegan/it-was-marijuana-that-drew-the-line-between-us-and-them-that-bright/) [William Finnegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-finnegan/) > [“1. The SACSA exam was probably designed to weed out people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-gibbs/1-the-sacsa-exam-was-probably-designed-to-weed-out-people/) [Stuart Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-gibbs/) > [I was busy enough when I was just a musician. I wasn't making all that much money but I was busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scatman-crothers/i-was-busy-enough-when-i-was-just-a-musician-i-wasn-t-making-all-that/) [Scatman Crothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scatman-crothers/) > [I didn't want to be a sideman. My own style was coming out and I was into my own writing. I wrote a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shuggie-otis/i-didn-t-want-to-be-a-sideman-my-own-style-was-coming-out-and-i-was/) [Shuggie Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shuggie-otis/) > [I was still on track to go UNC at Chapel Hill, I had no plans to be a musician. It wasn't even a goal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porter-robinson/i-was-still-on-track-to-go-unc-at-chapel-hill-i-had-no-plans-to-be-a/) [Porter Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/porter-robinson/) > [My weed so strong one hit to face it will knock you ou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-viera/my-weed-so-strong-one-hit-to-face-it-will-knock-you-ou/) [John Viera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-viera/) > [“Virtue? A fig! 'Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/virtue-a-fig-tis-in-ourselves-that-we-are-thus-or-thus-our-bodies-are/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself, and where they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/penalties-against-possession-of-a-drug-should-not-be-more-damaging-to/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I roll with Ladies just as tropic as the chronic in my pocket Cop it, Crush it, Roll it, Spark it, and mix it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-banks/i-roll-with-ladies-just-as-tropic-as-the-chronic-in-my-pocket-cop-it/) [Lloyd Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-banks/) > [As time goes by, you seem to weed out the things that were making your life hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/as-time-goes-by-you-seem-to-weed-out-the-things-that-were-making-your/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Regulations grow at the same rate as weeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-ralph-augustine/regulations-grow-at-the-same-rate-as-weeds/) [Norman Ralph Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-ralph-augustine/) > [Hungry, Happy, Sleepy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hungry-happy-sleepy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't plant your days they turn into weeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/don-t-plant-your-days-they-turn-into-weeds/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [The only thing wrong with weed is getting caught with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-thing-wrong-with-weed-is-getting-caught-with-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All of your brain cells rotting from weed, feeling like if you ain’t got it life’s not as complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hopsin/all-of-your-brain-cells-rotting-from-weed-feeling-like-if-you-ain-t/) [Hopsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hopsin/) ## More by Jack Tatum > [It always felt like I had to be a realist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/it-always-felt-like-i-had-to-be-a-realist/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [I like Ministry, but I'm probably never going to make a song that sounds like Ministry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/i-like-ministry-but-i-m-probably-never-going-to-make-a-song-that/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [My idea of a good hit is when the victim wakes up on the sidelines with train whistles blowing in his head... I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/my-idea-of-a-good-hit-is-when-the-victim-wakes-up-on-the-sidelines/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [I make the music that I make because that's what naturally comes to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/i-make-the-music-that-i-make-because-that-s-what-naturally-comes-to-me/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [People quickly forget that people are people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/people-quickly-forget-that-people-are-people/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [I still write poetry from time to time, but my whole life is so music-oriented at this point that it's hard for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/i-still-write-poetry-from-time-to-time-but-my-whole-life-is-so-music/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [If I had to go into a battle and I needed someone loyal and courageous to cover my blindside, I know damn well Woody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/if-i-had-to-go-into-a-battle-and-i-needed-someone-loyal-and/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [I dabble in hip-hop, but my knowledge is so minimal, it's not even worth talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/i-dabble-in-hip-hop-but-my-knowledge-is-so-minimal-it-s-not-even/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [I don't place too much importance on words. It's always the last thing I do because I'm definitely more interested in mood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/i-don-t-place-too-much-importance-on-words-it-s-always-the-last-thing/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [I was a very private person. All of a sudden, to see myself all over the internet and be like, "Oh god, do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/i-was-a-very-private-person-all-of-a-sudden-to-see-myself-all-over/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [I like to believe that my best hits border on felonious assault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/i-like-to-believe-that-my-best-hits-border-on-felonious-assault/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [I didn't try and say anything terribly meaningful. I'm definitely not a social commentator at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/i-didn-t-try-and-say-anything-terribly-meaningful-i-m-definitely-not/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [The fact that I fell into this seemed more like a stroke of good fortune than hard work. Not to say that I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/the-fact-that-i-fell-into-this-seemed-more-like-a-stroke-of-good/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [Since I didn't spend a great amount of time on writing the lyrics, some people would argue that they're too vague or simplistic, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/since-i-didn-t-spend-a-great-amount-of-time-on-writing-the-lyrics/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) > [I did a lot of writing when I was in college, and that's what I thought I wanted to do; saying that I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tatum/i-did-a-lot-of-writing-when-i-was-in-college-and-that-s-what-i/) [Jack Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) [Explore all 17 Jack Tatum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tatum/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. 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If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It was like an exponential weed. And people treated me as if I was an established musician. 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