--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Drumming was the only thing I was ever…" description: "\"Drumming was the only thing I was ever good at.\" — John Bonham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04b/john-bonham-16678_drumming_drumming-was-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-g_3063139.jpg" --- # Drumming was the only thing I was ever good at. ![“Drumming was the only thing I was ever good at.” quote by John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04b/john-bonham-16678_drumming_drumming-was-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-g_3063139.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04b/john-bonham-16678_drumming_drumming-was-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-g_3063139.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04b/john-bonham-16678_drumming_drumming-was-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-g_3063139.jpg) > “Drumming was the only thing I was ever good at.” [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He found his identity and confidence through drumming, the sole skill where he excelled. **In simple terms:** Drumming gave him purpose and self‑worth. Key Takeaway Cultivate your unique talent. Themes self‑esteem identity skill music Mood proud reflective Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - Band practice - solo performances - teaching drumming - creative expression Key Concepts Artistry confidence personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What other talents could you develop? - How does focusing on a strength affect other areas? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on one skill can limit growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drumming/) [Drumming Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drumming-thing-2473165/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Thing Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-good/) ## Related quotes > [When I left school I went into the trade with my Dad. He had a building business, and I used to like it. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/when-i-left-school-i-went-into-the-trade-with-my-dad-he-had-a/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [I swore to Pat that I'd give up drumming when we got married, but every night I'd come home and just sit down at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/i-swore-to-pat-that-i-d-give-up-drumming-when-we-got-married-but/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [The only thing I'm good at is boxing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-briggs/the-only-thing-i-m-good-at-is-boxing/) [Shannon Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-briggs/) > [The passing of John Bonham... Let's just put it... Before we say, 'the passing of John Bonham,' the introduction of John Bonham on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-page/the-passing-of-john-bonham-let-s-just-put-it-before-we-say-the/) [Jimmy Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-page/) > [“...something can be a good thing and yet not a necessary thing. It is good for people to be expert at brain surgery. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lee-austin/something-can-be-a-good-thing-and-yet-not-a-necessary-thing-it-is/) [Victor Lee Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lee-austin/) > [What kind of life am i supposed to have without you?You were the one good thing,the only good thing i ever found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/what-kind-of-life-am-i-supposed-to-have-without-you-you-were-the-one/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [Hope is a good thing, maybe the best thing, and no good thing ever dies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawshank-redemption/hope-is-a-good-thing-maybe-the-best-thing-and-no-good-thing-ever-dies/) [Shawshank Redemption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawshank-redemption/) > [The thing about good art is that it makes you look at things in a new way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitava-kumar/the-thing-about-good-art-is-that-it-makes-you-look-at-things-in-a-new/) [Amitava Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitava-kumar/) > [I always really loved comedy. It's the only thing I was ever good at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-wong/i-always-really-loved-comedy-it-s-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-good-at/) [Ali Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-wong/) > [The only thing I'm good at is destroying myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-thing-i-m-good-at-is-destroying-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If the only thing that you are good at is convincing others that you are good, then being in biz with you is bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-woodward/if-the-only-thing-that-you-are-good-at-is-convincing-others-that-you/) [Orrin Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-woodward/) > [Every thing,, good or bad will walk for my good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charis/every-thing-good-or-bad-will-walk-for-my-good/) [Charis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charis/) > [I love music so much. It's like the one thing I'm good at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-love-music-so-much-it-s-like-the-one-thing-i-m-good-at/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [When you do the right thing, good stuff has a way of happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/when-you-do-the-right-thing-good-stuff-has-a-way-of-happening/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [I owe the public just one thing - a good performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-gibson/i-owe-the-public-just-one-thing-a-good-performance/) [Bob Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-gibson/) ## More by John Bonham > [If we'd have said we were not upset, they would have thought we were so rich it meant nothing to us, and if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/if-we-d-have-said-we-were-not-upset-they-would-have-thought-we-were/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [Not everybody likes or understands a drum solo, so I like to bring in effects and sounds to keep their interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/not-everybody-likes-or-understands-a-drum-solo-so-i-like-to-bring-in/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [I think the marketing needs work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/i-think-the-marketing-needs-work/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [With Zeppelin, I tried to play something different every night in my solos. I'd play for 20 minutes but the longest ever was 30…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/with-zeppelin-i-tried-to-play-something-different-every-night-in-my/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [My nerves before a gig got worse; I had terrible bad nerves all the time. Once we started... I was fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/my-nerves-before-a-gig-got-worse-i-had-terrible-bad-nerves-all-the/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [I usually play for twenty minutes, and the longest I've ever done was under thirty. It's a long time, but when I'm playing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/i-usually-play-for-twenty-minutes-and-the-longest-i-ve-ever-done-was/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [My names John Bonham, I'm a drummer and I'm potty about cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/my-names-john-bonham-i-m-a-drummer-and-i-m-potty-about-cars/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [I've always liked drums to be bright and powerful. I've never used cymbals much. I use them to crash into a solo and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/i-ve-always-liked-drums-to-be-bright-and-powerful-i-ve-never-used/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [I remember in the early days when we played six nights a week for a month and I was doing my long drum solo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/i-remember-in-the-early-days-when-we-played-six-nights-a-week-for-a/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [Sometimes you'd come up against a brick wall... or sometimes you go into a fill and you'd know halfway through it was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/sometimes-you-d-come-up-against-a-brick-wall-or-sometimes-you-go-into/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [I was so keen to play when I left school, I'd have played for nothing. In fact, I did that for a long time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/i-was-so-keen-to-play-when-i-left-school-i-d-have-played-for-nothing/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [I had a group with Nicky James, an incredible lead singer. But we had so much of the equipment on hire-purchase, we'd get stopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/i-had-a-group-with-nicky-james-an-incredible-lead-singer-but-we-had/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [When I first joined the group, I didn't know Jimmy, and I felt a bit shy. He was the big star, and had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/when-i-first-joined-the-group-i-didn-t-know-jimmy-and-i-felt-a-bit/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [We had offers to go everywhere and we could have done them. But what would have been the point? We were tired. We had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/we-had-offers-to-go-everywhere-and-we-could-have-done-them-but-what/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) > [Nowadays you can't be loud enough!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/nowadays-you-can-t-be-loud-enough/) [John Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) [Explore all 39 John Bonham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/) ## More Drumming quotes > [Drumming's pretty physical. We sit at the back of the stage getting beat up like a workhorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee/drumming-s-pretty-physical-we-sit-at-the-back-of-the-stage-getting/) [Tommy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee/) > [The passing of John Bonham... Let's just put it... Before we say, 'the passing of John Bonham,' the introduction of John Bonham on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-page/the-passing-of-john-bonham-let-s-just-put-it-before-we-say-the/) [Jimmy Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-page/) > [The drumming helps a lot when I'm producing songs or writing songs. My knowledge of drums helps more in that aspect, (although) I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/the-drumming-helps-a-lot-when-i-m-producing-songs-or-writing-songs-my/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [It's interesting. I've known quite a few good athletes that can't begin to play a beat on the drum set. Most team sport is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/it-s-interesting-i-ve-known-quite-a-few-good-athletes-that-can-t/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [I immersed myself in the police work and I guess drumming wasn't even a hobby, just something my body naturally wanted to do, tapping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hernandez/i-immersed-myself-in-the-police-work-and-i-guess-drumming-wasn-t-even/) [Eric Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hernandez/) > [Had I joined a straight rock band, I'm sure my drumming would be a little bit different right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-chamberlin/had-i-joined-a-straight-rock-band-i-m-sure-my-drumming-would-be-a/) [Jimmy Chamberlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-chamberlin/) > [But ice-crunching and loud gum-chewing, together with drumming on tables, and whistling the same tune 70 times in succession, because they indicate an indifference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/but-ice-crunching-and-loud-gum-chewing-together-with-drumming-on/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [“What I Will by Suheir Hammad I will not dance to your war drum. I will not lend my soul nor my bones to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suheir-hammad/what-i-will-by-suheir-hammad-i-will-not-dance-to-your-war-drum-i-will/) [Suheir Hammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suheir-hammad/) > [your morse code interferes with my heart beat. I had a steady heart before you, I replied upon it, it had seen active service…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/your-morse-code-interferes-with-my-heart-beat-i-had-a-steady-heart/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I had been composing just for myself, and people would say I played so orchestrally, and wondered if I thought about having someone write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-had-been-composing-just-for-myself-and-people-would-say-i-played-so/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [There was always a guitar hanging around the house when I was a kid. It was a much lower impact instrument than me playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rzeznik/there-was-always-a-guitar-hanging-around-the-house-when-i-was-a-kid/) [John Rzeznik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rzeznik/) > [When I was drumming with Mick Fleetwood I thought I looked half mad. I thought I looked half crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-corr/when-i-was-drumming-with-mick-fleetwood-i-thought-i-looked-half-mad-i/) [Caroline Corr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-corr/) > [For real, some of my favorite music is Mexican. It's something about the bassline and the drumming. I can't even speak Spanish, but that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yelawolf/for-real-some-of-my-favorite-music-is-mexican-it-s-something-about/) [Yelawolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yelawolf/) > [When you are drumming and really feeling the music, the beat, it is like you are transported to a different place, where you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-hart/when-you-are-drumming-and-really-feeling-the-music-the-beat-it-is/) [Mickey Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-hart/) > [When Sepultura played in B, because of Iggor's drumming, because of the way the songs are structured, it's very different from Korn. So, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-cavalera/when-sepultura-played-in-b-because-of-iggor-s-drumming-because-of-the/) [Max Cavalera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-cavalera/) [Browse all 137 Drumming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drumming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Drumming was the only thing I was ever good at.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Bonham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/drumming-was-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-good-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drumming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/drumming-was-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-good-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04b/john-bonham-16678_drumming_drumming-was-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-g_3063139.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04b/john-bonham-16678_drumming_drumming-was-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-g_3063139.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04b/john-bonham-16678_drumming_drumming-was-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-g_3063139.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Drumming was the only thing I was ever good at.” — John Bonham", "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": "John Bonham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bonham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Drumming was the only thing I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/drumming-was-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-good-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bonham/drumming-was-the-only-thing-i-was-ever-good-at/#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 } } ] } ```