--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's something that I think as a…" description: "\"That's something that I think as a songwriter you have to ask yourself - why you're doing it. The world certainly doesn't need more songs. Are you doin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/jeff-tweedy-9796_ask-yourself_that-s-something-that-i-think-as-a-songw_1561295.png" --- # That's something that I think as a songwriter you have to… ![“That's something that I think as a songwriter you have to ask yourself - why you're doing it. The world certainly doesn't need more songs. Are you doing it just for your ego?” quote by Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/jeff-tweedy-9796_ask-yourself_that-s-something-that-i-think-as-a-songw_1561295.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/jeff-tweedy-9796_ask-yourself_that-s-something-that-i-think-as-a-songw_1561295.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/jeff-tweedy-9796_ask-yourself_that-s-something-that-i-think-as-a-songw_1561295.png) > “That's something that I think as a songwriter you have to ask yourself - why you're doing it. The world certainly doesn't need more songs. Are you doing it just for your ego?” [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A songwriter should examine personal motives and societal value before creating music, questioning ego versus purpose. **In simple terms:** Ask why you write, not just for ego. Key Takeaway Create with purpose, not vanity. Themes motivation creativity purpose Mood introspective thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - songwriting - personal branding - public performance Key Concepts self‑reflection artistic integrity cultural impact Questions to Reflect On - What deeper impact do you want your songs to have? - How can you align your art with community needs? A Different Perspective Ego‑driven work can lack authenticity and relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs/) [Songwriter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriter/) [Songwriters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriters/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think a songwriter should lose their mojo. 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All along the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/i-don-t-think-any-songwriter-who-comes-up-through-playing-clubs-can/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [I think for many songwriter/performers, you need to go off by yourself and write the songs to begin with, but then you need people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-licht/i-think-for-many-songwriter-performers-you-need-to-go-off-by-yourself/) Alan Licht > [When I first started writing songs, I was probably about ten or twelve years old, and the first thing you think as a songwriter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bacon/when-i-first-started-writing-songs-i-was-probably-about-ten-or-twelve/) [Michael Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bacon/) > [I think with any songwriter the first 1,000 songs are always terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-russell/i-think-with-any-songwriter-the-first-1-000-songs-are-always-terrible/) [Graham Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-russell/) > [I think I'm a songwriter. I grab an instrument to make my body a song, but I'm not a player as such, maybe a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-harvey/i-think-i-m-a-songwriter-i-grab-an-instrument-to-make-my-body-a-song/) [P. J. Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-harvey/) > [I really enjoy playing solo acoustic. I think it's good for me as a songwriter to stay in touch with what it takes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/i-really-enjoy-playing-solo-acoustic-i-think-it-s-good-for-me-as-a/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [I went along and basically learned a few of the songs they were doing at the time, which were quite a few of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-deacon/i-went-along-and-basically-learned-a-few-of-the-songs-they-were-doing/) [John Deacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-deacon/) > [When I started writing songs, I was doing it for myself and a small circle of friends. And gradually, over the years, an audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/when-i-started-writing-songs-i-was-doing-it-for-myself-and-a-small/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I think if you listen to our records, they come at different points in your life. When people say to me that Stars records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torquil-campbell/i-think-if-you-listen-to-our-records-they-come-at-different-points-in/) [Torquil Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torquil-campbell/) > [I love A Day to Remember. They really had that style down of doing heavy songs mixed with pop songs when nobody was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-radke/i-love-a-day-to-remember-they-really-had-that-style-down-of-doing/) [Ronnie Radke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-radke/) > [Anytime you've got artists singing songs, doing grooves that they don't want to do, it's terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/anytime-you-ve-got-artists-singing-songs-doing-grooves-that-they-don/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) ## More by Jeff Tweedy > [Stop trying to treat music like it's a tennis shoe, something to be branded. If the music industry wants to save money, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/stop-trying-to-treat-music-like-it-s-a-tennis-shoe-something-to-be/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [I'm usually pretty happy. I don't ever really get disturbed in any way, or feel like I need to go back and change something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/i-m-usually-pretty-happy-i-don-t-ever-really-get-disturbed-in-any-way/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [I'm very, very suspicious of anybody that finds a belief system that they feel can explain it all, for themselves or for anybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/i-m-very-very-suspicious-of-anybody-that-finds-a-belief-system-that/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [When you listen to most of the records that really had an impact on you, they always seem to be from a different era.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/when-you-listen-to-most-of-the-records-that-really-had-an-impact-on/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [We'd been noticing how much more important the internet had become - once information is out there in the world now, anyone can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/we-d-been-noticing-how-much-more-important-the-internet-had-become/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [Writing songs has always been hard and easy. 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It doesn't mean anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/avant-garde-is-the-one-area-of-music-that-has-never-changed-it-doesn/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [I still have a lot of faith that there's very few people who are savvy enough to actually produce a good sounding copy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/i-still-have-a-lot-of-faith-that-there-s-very-few-people-who-are/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [“Hey! I'm A Cherry Ghost!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/hey-i-m-a-cherry-ghost/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [“I am an American aquarium drinker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/i-am-an-american-aquarium-drinker/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [Sometimes it's liberating to confront horrible things in lyrics as a way to master the shadow-self that exists in everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/sometimes-it-s-liberating-to-confront-horrible-things-in-lyrics-as-a/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [What you once were isn't what you want to be anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/what-you-once-were-isn-t-what-you-want-to-be-anymore/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [I always think its easier for me to write without thinking about the strict meter that's required for songs and song structures and things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/i-always-think-its-easier-for-me-to-write-without-thinking-about-the/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) [Explore all 70 Jeff Tweedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) ## More Ask yourself quotes > [“If you want to stop smoking, ask yourself, do you do it because you love nicotine, or because it provides a burst of stimulation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/if-you-want-to-stop-smoking-ask-yourself-do-you-do-it-because-you/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [Cultivate the habit of thinking ahead, and of anticipating the necessary and immediate consequences of all your actions… Likewise in your pleasures, ask yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/cultivate-the-habit-of-thinking-ahead-and-of-anticipating-the/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“I've written about persistence and perseverance and yet for those of us with patchwork lives (projects, earnings, caretaking, home-tending, playing, friending, loving, celebrating, hurting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shellen-lubin/i-ve-written-about-persistence-and-perseverance-and-yet-for-those-of/) [Shellen Lubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shellen-lubin/) > [When you experience difficulty at work or in your life, instead of looking back on it as something that was really challenging, look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-ghosn/when-you-experience-difficulty-at-work-or-in-your-life-instead-of/) [Caroline Ghosn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-ghosn/) > [“ask yourself how many people you have met who grumbled at a thing as incurable, and how many who attacked it as curable? 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