--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Lyrics became important for a while in…" description: "\"Lyrics became important for a while in the late Seventies. Patti Smith was a poet and a rock star, as much one as the other, the distinctions were a bi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61e/john-cooper-clarke-4797_good_lyrics-became-important-for-a-while-in-t_3069142.png" --- # Lyrics became important for a while in the late Seventies… ![“Lyrics became important for a while in the late Seventies. Patti Smith was a poet and a rock star, as much one as the other, the distinctions were a bit blurred and then you get swept up in it. Punk poet, it's a good enough term.” quote by John Cooper Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61e/john-cooper-clarke-4797_good_lyrics-became-important-for-a-while-in-t_3069142.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61e/john-cooper-clarke-4797_good_lyrics-became-important-for-a-while-in-t_3069142.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61e/john-cooper-clarke-4797_good_lyrics-became-important-for-a-while-in-t_3069142.png) > “Lyrics became important for a while in the late Seventies. Patti Smith was a poet and a rock star, as much one as the other, the distinctions were a bit blurred and then you get swept up in it. Punk poet, it's a good enough term.” [John Cooper Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cooper-clarke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects how music and poetry merged in the late 1970s, blurring lines between punk rock and poetic expression, especially through artists like Patti Smith. **In simple terms:** Music and poetry merged, blurring genre lines. Key Takeaway Embrace hybrid art forms. Themes culture music poetry genre identity Mood reflective nostalgic inspirational Type observational inspirational When to use this quote - Concerts - creative writing workshops - music festivals - artist collaborations Key Concepts Punk Poetic expression Hybrid art Questions to Reflect On - How does blending art forms change audience perception? - Can hybrid identities thrive in mainstream culture? A Different Perspective Not all audiences appreciate genre blending; some prefer clear categories. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late/) [Lyrics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyrics/) [Lyrics Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyrics-important-561616/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patti-smith/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Punk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punk/) [Punk Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punk-poet-3727795/) [Rock star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-star/) ## Related quotes > [By the '80s, anything to do with punk was perceived as rancid. Me being known as the 'punk poet' meant my work and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cooper-clarke/by-the-80s-anything-to-do-with-punk-was-perceived-as-rancid-me-being/) [John Cooper Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cooper-clarke/) > [From like 15 to 19, all I listened to was Elliott Smith. I started to appreciate the more human aspect of music and was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-g/from-like-15-to-19-all-i-listened-to-was-elliott-smith-i-started-to/) [Alex G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-g/) > [A right balance between music and lyrics is important. Music complements lyrics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-kher/a-right-balance-between-music-and-lyrics-is-important-music/) [Kailash Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-kher/) > [ \[Columbia House\] magazines were how I found out about the punk world going on in New York. Because of what I read, at the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/columbia-house-magazines-were-how-i-found-out-about-the-punk-world/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [I'm partial to slouchier, more free clothing. My icon is Patti Smith, so the more rips, the more punk, the more comfortable I feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troian-bellisario/i-m-partial-to-slouchier-more-free-clothing-my-icon-is-patti-smith-so/) [Troian Bellisario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troian-bellisario/) > [I like Patti Smith's lyrics, and sometimes think I could be influenced by them. But she has a kind of cool that's beyond me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-oswald/i-like-patti-smith-s-lyrics-and-sometimes-think-i-could-be-influenced/) [Alice Oswald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-oswald/) > [Lyrics are important, but it's hard, because English isn't my first language - although it feels like it is these days! I grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicii/lyrics-are-important-but-it-s-hard-because-english-isn-t-my-first/) [Avicii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicii/) > [In both pop and disco, the meaning of the lyrics is not too important. I have nothing I feel I particularly want to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-moroder/in-both-pop-and-disco-the-meaning-of-the-lyrics-is-not-too-important/) [Giorgio Moroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-moroder/) > [Lyrics are so important, I hate every second of writing them, but it's something I take great pride in when it's finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-ruess/lyrics-are-so-important-i-hate-every-second-of-writing-them-but-it-s/) [Nate Ruess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-ruess/) > [Lyrics are back, maybe. It seems like there was a bit of an attitude that lyrics are not important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-malkmus/lyrics-are-back-maybe-it-seems-like-there-was-a-bit-of-an-attitude/) [Stephen Malkmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-malkmus/) > [When I sing a tune, the lyrics are important to me. Most of the standard lyrics I know well. And as soon as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vaughan/when-i-sing-a-tune-the-lyrics-are-important-to-me-most-of-the/) [Sarah Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vaughan/) > [Lyrics are so important, but they're really underrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-eilish/lyrics-are-so-important-but-they-re-really-underrated/) [Billie Eilish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-eilish/) > [When you're listening to music while you're sad all what you are focusing on is the lyrics , but the lyrics is not important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spido/when-you-re-listening-to-music-while-you-re-sad-all-what-you-are/) [Spido](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spido/) > [I try to focus on the melodies and try to make everything else minimal. The melody and the lyrics are most important to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-van-etten/i-try-to-focus-on-the-melodies-and-try-to-make-everything-else/) [Sharon Van Etten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-van-etten/) > [When I first started making music, I was pretty drawn to hip-hop beats wrapped together with super-good lyrics. 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