--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The early influences, in many ways, were…" description: "\"The early influences, in many ways, were in Baltimore. I was passing open windows where there might be a radio playing something funky. In the summerti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/jerry-leiber-31633_acoustic_the-early-influences-in-many-ways-were-i_1957673.jpg" --- # The early influences, in many ways, were in Baltimore. I… ![“The early influences, in many ways, were in Baltimore. I was passing open windows where there might be a radio playing something funky. In the summertime, sometimes there'd be a man sitting on a step, playing an acoustic guitar, playing some kind of folk blues. The seed had been planted.” quote by Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/jerry-leiber-31633_acoustic_the-early-influences-in-many-ways-were-i_1957673.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/jerry-leiber-31633_acoustic_the-early-influences-in-many-ways-were-i_1957673.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/jerry-leiber-31633_acoustic_the-early-influences-in-many-ways-were-i_1957673.jpg) > “The early influences, in many ways, were in Baltimore. I was passing open windows where there might be a radio playing something funky. In the summertime, sometimes there'd be a man sitting on a step, playing an acoustic guitar, playing some kind of folk blues. The seed had been planted.” [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early urban environments exposed the narrator to eclectic street music, sparking a lifelong passion for folk and blues. **In simple terms:** Street sounds inspired a love of music. Key Takeaway Seek diverse cultural experiences to fuel creativity. Themes music culture inspiration urban life heritage Mood nostalgic inspirational Type musical reflective When to use this quote - travel - listening to street performers - songwriting - music education Key Concepts folk blues creative development Questions to Reflect On - How did early sounds shape your artistic path? - What role does environment play in creativity? A Different Perspective Not all environments provide such exposure; access can be limited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acoustic guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acoustic-guitar/) [Baltimore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baltimore/) [Blues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) [Folk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folk/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Guitar playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar-playing/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Radio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radio/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of music influences me in other ways than this, but I've always taken a lot of influence from Stevie Wonder, Frank Ocean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-orange-county/a-lot-of-music-influences-me-in-other-ways-than-this-but-i-ve-always/) [Rex Orange County](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-orange-county/) > [Any nobody from the folk blues world could avoid being influenced by Woody Guthrie, who is actually of Scottish-Irish ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan/any-nobody-from-the-folk-blues-world-could-avoid-being-influenced-by/) [Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donovan/) > [I was a virtuoso of all the folk-blues guitar styles by the time I reached 17.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan/i-was-a-virtuoso-of-all-the-folk-blues-guitar-styles-by-the-time-i/) [Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donovan/) > [I grew up with a heavy diet of gospel, folk, and blues because those are kind of the cornerstones of traditional American music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-harper/i-grew-up-with-a-heavy-diet-of-gospel-folk-and-blues-because-those/) [Ben Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-harper/) > [I remember the first time I was booked into a jazz club. I was scared to death. I'm not a jazz artist. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-havens/i-remember-the-first-time-i-was-booked-into-a-jazz-club-i-was-scared/) [Richie Havens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-havens/) > [As far as rap goes, I grew up in Hollis, Queens, so early influences were people like Run DMC and LL Cool J.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ja-rule/as-far-as-rap-goes-i-grew-up-in-hollis-queens-so-early-influences/) [Ja Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ja-rule/) > [My early influences were the Shadows, who were an English instrumental band. They basically got me into playing and later on I got into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-iommi/my-early-influences-were-the-shadows-who-were-an-english-instrumental/) [Tony Iommi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-iommi/) > [Early influences included Lorrie Moore, Amy Hempel, Charles Baxter, Richard Ford, Alice Munro, Denis Johnson - writers who are important to me still and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/early-influences-included-lorrie-moore-amy-hempel-charles-baxter/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [My career direction has probably been guided as much by curiosity and my personality as by my early influences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-hahn/my-career-direction-has-probably-been-guided-as-much-by-curiosity-and/) [Hilary Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-hahn/) > [You always draw from your roots. I'm influenced by everything I hear and see, and that includes music today, but obviously I go back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donny-osmond/you-always-draw-from-your-roots-i-m-influenced-by-everything-i-hear/) [Donny Osmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donny-osmond/) > [There was never a shred, never a hint, never a possibility - not a remote, not a million-, not a billion-to-one possibility - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fuhrman/there-was-never-a-shred-never-a-hint-never-a-possibility-not-a-remote/) [Mark Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fuhrman/) > [“A tree that bears much fruit honors the one who planted it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-tree-that-bears-much-fruit-honors-the-one-who-planted-it/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [The electronics industry expanded rapidly and the seeds for the semiconductor and software revolution were planted. The postwar period also saw the suburbanization of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/the-electronics-industry-expanded-rapidly-and-the-seeds-for-the/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [“Love is like a plant...; some are planted, while other are germinated...!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudeep-prakash-sdk/love-is-like-a-plant-some-are-planted-while-other-are-germinated/) [Sudeep Prakash Sdk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudeep-prakash-sdk/) > [We just planted our 21st church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hunt/we-just-planted-our-21st-church/) [Johnny Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hunt/) ## More by Jerry Leiber > [Red-hot songs were born on the black streets of Baltimore, where I delivered five-gallon cans of kerosene and ten-pound bags of coal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/red-hot-songs-were-born-on-the-black-streets-of-baltimore-where-i/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [Elvis was incredibly cooperative. He would try anything. He wasn't a diva, no prima donna. When it came to work, he was a workhorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/elvis-was-incredibly-cooperative-he-would-try-anything-he-wasn-t-a/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [Elvis Presley, you can't define him in a couple of sentences, but he was a country boy and he was very respectful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/elvis-presley-you-can-t-define-him-in-a-couple-of-sentences-but-he/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [The Jewish background is not that far from the black groove. Blacks are downtrodden, Jews are downtrodden, therefore they have something in common in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/the-jewish-background-is-not-that-far-from-the-black-groove-blacks/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [Our songs did not transcend being R&B hits. They were R&B hits that white kids were attracted to. And if people bought it, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/our-songs-did-not-transcend-being-r-b-hits-they-were-r-b-hits-that/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [Irving Berlin was the greatest songwriter of all time. I was in awe of him. But his music wasn't my music. My music was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/irving-berlin-was-the-greatest-songwriter-of-all-time-i-was-in-awe-of/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [And there's always one special element. In 'There Goes My Baby,' it's the out-of-tune timpani. 'Stand by Me,' it's the bass pattern. Of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/and-there-s-always-one-special-element-in-there-goes-my-baby-it-s-the/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [Listen to any cantor, any good hazan, sing and you can hear a little bit of Ray Charles going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/listen-to-any-cantor-any-good-hazan-sing-and-you-can-hear-a-little/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [I felt black. I was as far as I was concerned. And I wanted to be black for lots of reasons. They were better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/i-felt-black-i-was-as-far-as-i-was-concerned-and-i-wanted-to-be-black/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [I was brought up in black neighborhoods in South Baltimore. And we really felt like we were very black. We acted black and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/i-was-brought-up-in-black-neighborhoods-in-south-baltimore-and-we/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [It's self-effacing, it's hard-luck, the shtetl stories. All those Coasters things are an amalgam of Yiddish and black humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/it-s-self-effacing-it-s-hard-luck-the-shtetl-stories-all-those/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [The first memory I have was my sisters dancing to the radio when they played records by Benny Goodman and Harry James and of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/the-first-memory-i-have-was-my-sisters-dancing-to-the-radio-when-they/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > ['Hound Dog' took like twelve minutes. That's not a complicated piece of work. But the rhyme scheme was difficult. Also the metric structure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/hound-dog-took-like-twelve-minutes-that-s-not-a-complicated-piece-of/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [Teenagers especially are very, very conscious about what is hip and what is lame and what is square and what is out and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/teenagers-especially-are-very-very-conscious-about-what-is-hip-and/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) > [I heard this music coming out of the radio and it was 'Ain't Nobody's Business.' It got me. I thought, 'I can do this.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-leiber/i-heard-this-music-coming-out-of-the-radio-and-it-was-ain-t-nobody-s/) [Jerry Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) [Explore all 16 Jerry Leiber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-leiber/) ## More Acoustic quotes > [I've never been one of those musicians to differentiate between acoustic and electronic sounds. I just see it all as sound sources to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonobo/i-ve-never-been-one-of-those-musicians-to-differentiate-between/) [Bonobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonobo/) > [How do I explain Neil Young? Great question! I explain Neil Young as, I would kill to see his acoustic shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mould/how-do-i-explain-neil-young-great-question-i-explain-neil-young-as-i/) [Bob Mould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mould/) > [Oftentimes the most produced and synth-tastic songs are the ones that end up sounding the best acoustic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-haines/oftentimes-the-most-produced-and-synth-tastic-songs-are-the-ones-that/) [Emily Haines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-haines/) > [I practice on the acoustic guitar a little bit, but I think I have reached the peak of my talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hudson/i-practice-on-the-acoustic-guitar-a-little-bit-but-i-think-i-have/) [Tim Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hudson/) > [I write alternative, folkie pop. It's very acoustic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-write-alternative-folkie-pop-it-s-very-acoustic/) [Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/) > [I never thought I would do an all-acoustic tour or an all-acoustic album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-frampton/i-never-thought-i-would-do-an-all-acoustic-tour-or-an-all-acoustic/) [Peter Frampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-frampton/) > [I gave a Collings dreadnought to a young guitar player in the Valley where I live because he didn't have a good acoustic, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/i-gave-a-collings-dreadnought-to-a-young-guitar-player-in-the-valley/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [One of the signature things about Heart was the acoustic guitar in a rock format, which you didn't hear that often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/one-of-the-signature-things-about-heart-was-the-acoustic-guitar-in-a/) [Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/) > [My stuff was more of a folk coffeehouse thing, with more acoustic guitar, just me doing a single, and then adding on instruments and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hicks/my-stuff-was-more-of-a-folk-coffeehouse-thing-with-more-acoustic/) [Dan Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hicks/) > [Technology was something I avoided when I started out - I didn't even have electric guitars. Only played acoustic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beck/technology-was-something-i-avoided-when-i-started-out-i-didn-t-even/) [Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beck/) > [There were bars that began to have acoustic musicians play, it was 1970: Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, America, The Eagles, all that kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/there-were-bars-that-began-to-have-acoustic-musicians-play-it-was/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [When I started performing, I played acoustic music, partly because that way you don't have to worry about interacting too much with other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-griffin/when-i-started-performing-i-played-acoustic-music-partly-because-that/) [Patty Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-griffin/) > [I did a smaller gig with an acoustic guitar and a drum machine. In one song, something wrong happened with the drum machine. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/violante-placido/i-did-a-smaller-gig-with-an-acoustic-guitar-and-a-drum-machine-in-one/) [Violante Placido](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/violante-placido/) > [I love the subtlety and tonal range of the acoustic guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/i-love-the-subtlety-and-tonal-range-of-the-acoustic-guitar/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [I tried playing electric for awhile and it just didn't work out. My reflexes are centered on the six string acoustic. I just played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rush/i-tried-playing-electric-for-awhile-and-it-just-didn-t-work-out-my/) [Tom Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rush/) Browse all 151 Acoustic quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The early influences, in many ways, were in Baltimore. I was passing open windows where there might be a radio playing something funky. 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