--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We write the songs that we do because…" description: "\"We write the songs that we do because that's what we like. But they are just stories - not things we actually do or recommend anyone else go out and do..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/jeff-hanneman-13603_actually_we-write-the-songs-that-we-do-because-th_2040710.jpg" --- # We write the songs that we do because that's what we like… ![“We write the songs that we do because that's what we like. But they are just stories - not things we actually do or recommend anyone else go out and do.” quote by Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/jeff-hanneman-13603_actually_we-write-the-songs-that-we-do-because-th_2040710.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/jeff-hanneman-13603_actually_we-write-the-songs-that-we-do-because-th_2040710.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/jeff-hanneman-13603_actually_we-write-the-songs-that-we-do-because-th_2040710.jpg) > “We write the songs that we do because that's what we like. But they are just stories - not things we actually do or recommend anyone else go out and do.” [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The songwriter creates music for personal enjoyment, viewing songs as narratives rather than prescriptive actions. **In simple terms:** Songs are personal stories, not instructions. Key Takeaway Enjoy music as art, not a manual. Themes creativity artistry storytelling Mood introspective artistic Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - listening sessions - creative workshops - personal reflection Key Concepts music composition personal expression Questions to Reflect On - Why might artists separate their art from real‑life advice? - How does viewing songs as stories affect your listening? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Just Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-stories-718217/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs/) [Stories Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-things-292433/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-songs/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I actually had a week where I literally wrote four songs and all of them are on my album. But sometimes you'll go a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bell-bundy/i-actually-had-a-week-where-i-literally-wrote-four-songs-and-all-of/) [Laura Bell Bundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bell-bundy/) > [I wanted to write songs that were as good as the covers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-thorogood/i-wanted-to-write-songs-that-were-as-good-as-the-covers/) [George Thorogood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-thorogood/) > [I know a lot of artists say this, but it's hard to put myself in a box. I just write songs that I strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/i-know-a-lot-of-artists-say-this-but-it-s-hard-to-put-myself-in-a-box/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [When I write songs, it's very random. I get influenced by the most random things! Sometimes it just comes to me in my sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roshon-fegan/when-i-write-songs-it-s-very-random-i-get-influenced-by-the-most/) [Roshon Fegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roshon-fegan/) > [It was a lot easier to write songs before I had a record deal, because the record labels and the industry doesn't mean to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-shepherd/it-was-a-lot-easier-to-write-songs-before-i-had-a-record-deal-because/) [Ashton Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-shepherd/) > [I write songs from the heart, and I don't hold back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mvula/i-write-songs-from-the-heart-and-i-don-t-hold-back/) [Laura Mvula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mvula/) > [I don't really write songs anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-vernon/i-don-t-really-write-songs-anymore/) [Justin Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-vernon/) > [“They were just stories, but stories weren’t just anything. Simon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/they-were-just-stories-but-stories-weren-t-just-anything-simon/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [I'm putting out music that I love, and they're basically just stories of my life and how I try and teach myself to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-merton/i-m-putting-out-music-that-i-love-and-they-re-basically-just-stories/) [Alice Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-merton/) > [“Sometimes I think that maybe we are just stories. Like we may as well just be words on a page, because we're only what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-lynn-anderson/sometimes-i-think-that-maybe-we-are-just-stories-like-we-may-as-well-2/) [Jodi Lynn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-lynn-anderson/) > [“Surely she knows --like I do--that fairy tales are just stories. That happy endings aren't real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/surely-she-knows-like-i-do-that-fairy-tales-are-just-stories-that/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [My songs don't deal with locations that specifically, even if there are very specific references to them in there; they're sort of just where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-lekman/my-songs-don-t-deal-with-locations-that-specifically-even-if-there/) [Jens Lekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-lekman/) > [“Sometimes I think that maybe we are just stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-lynn-anderson/sometimes-i-think-that-maybe-we-are-just-stories/) [Jodi Lynn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-lynn-anderson/) > [“Sometimes I think that maybe we are just stories. Like we may as well just be words on a page, because we’re only what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-lynn-anderson/sometimes-i-think-that-maybe-we-are-just-stories-like-we-may-as-well/) [Jodi Lynn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-lynn-anderson/) > [There are just as many stories to be told in the dark spots s there are in the bright ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/there-are-just-as-many-stories-to-be-told-in-the-dark-spots-s-there/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## More by Jeff Hanneman > [To us, being the bad guys is cool, because we always root for the bad guys in the movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/to-us-being-the-bad-guys-is-cool-because-we-always-root-for-the-bad/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [My fascination with war is because my dad was in World War II, and my brother was in Vietnam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/my-fascination-with-war-is-because-my-dad-was-in-world-war-ii-and-my/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [The intent of Slayer's musical and lyrical content has always been selfish. We feel very strongly about the importance of staying true to ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/the-intent-of-slayer-s-musical-and-lyrical-content-has-always-been/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [I love hockey, and I go to a lot of the games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/i-love-hockey-and-i-go-to-a-lot-of-the-games/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [Me and my dad were so much alike that we would just butt heads. I pretty much hated him from the age of 16…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/me-and-my-dad-were-so-much-alike-that-we-would-just-butt-heads-i/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [Lyrics are always the last thing to get done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/lyrics-are-always-the-last-thing-to-get-done/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [We've met so many people you'd never even suspect of being Slayer fans: suits, lawyers, and people like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/we-ve-met-so-many-people-you-d-never-even-suspect-of-being-slayer/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [The majority of our fans are dudes. And the chicks you do see at our shows are probably there because of a dude. Slayer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/the-majority-of-our-fans-are-dudes-and-the-chicks-you-do-see-at-our/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [Pro Tools rules. You get the opportunity to try more things because you don't waste so much time trying to get the perfect take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/pro-tools-rules-you-get-the-opportunity-to-try-more-things-because/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [My first guitar was a Les Paul that I bought off a friend for 500 bucks. I worked a long time to save up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/my-first-guitar-was-a-les-paul-that-i-bought-off-a-friend-for-500/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [It's nice to be respected, but it doesn't really matter. What's important is that if I wasn't in Slayer, it's still the band I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/it-s-nice-to-be-respected-but-it-doesn-t-really-matter-what-s/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [We read a lot from the Satanic bible. It's not quite the opposite of the normal bible - a lot of its principles are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/we-read-a-lot-from-the-satanic-bible-it-s-not-quite-the-opposite-of/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [I was really into metal when I was growing up. It was just something I thought I could do and wanted to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/i-was-really-into-metal-when-i-was-growing-up-it-was-just-something-i/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [I like playing guitar I don't like talking about it. I like writing riffs, I don't like explaining them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/i-like-playing-guitar-i-don-t-like-talking-about-it-i-like-writing/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [Play as much as you can. That's what I had to do because of my inexperience. And don't get frustrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/play-as-much-as-you-can-that-s-what-i-had-to-do-because-of-my/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) [Explore all 50 Jeff Hanneman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) [Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We write the songs that we do because that's what we like. 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