--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wrote a thirty-second song that I…" description: "\"I wrote a thirty-second song that I couldn't finish for a year.\" — John Flansburgh" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/john-flansburgh-14315_music_i-wrote-a-thirty-second-song-that-i-coul_1863614.jpg" --- # I wrote a thirty-second song that I couldn't finish for a… ![“I wrote a thirty-second song that I couldn't finish for a year.” quote by John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/john-flansburgh-14315_music_i-wrote-a-thirty-second-song-that-i-coul_1863614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/john-flansburgh-14315_music_i-wrote-a-thirty-second-song-that-i-coul_1863614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/john-flansburgh-14315_music_i-wrote-a-thirty-second-song-that-i-coul_1863614.jpg) > “I wrote a thirty-second song that I couldn't finish for a year.” [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A brief creative idea can linger unresolved for a long time before it is completed. **In simple terms:** Ideas can stay unfinished for years. Key Takeaway Give ideas time, then return to finish them. Themes creativity perseverance artistic process Mood reflective inspirational Type artistic motivational When to use this quote - music composition - writing workshops - personal projects - creative blocks Key Concepts songwriting creative incubation project completion Questions to Reflect On - What prevents you from revisiting an unfinished idea? - How can you keep momentum on a project? A Different Perspective Ideas may lose relevance if delayed too long. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Couldn Finish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couldn-finish-237919/) [Finish Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finish-year-384216/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Song Couldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song-couldn-2525134/) [Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirty/) [Thirty Second](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirty-second-1165303/) [Wrote Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-thirty-2525133/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [I was always amazed about how much I could finally squeeze into a thirty second commercial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/i-was-always-amazed-about-how-much-i-could-finally-squeeze-into-a/) [Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/) > [That song, 'Couldn't Be A Better Player,' was a major turning point in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/too-short/that-song-couldn-t-be-a-better-player-was-a-major-turning-point-in-my/) [Too Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/too-short/) > [I'd never taken to four foot creatures who had the uncanny ability to point out all my flaws in thirty second flat. And just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/i-d-never-taken-to-four-foot-creatures-who-had-the-uncanny-ability-to/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [Just as like the music industry still wishes for the days when it controlled its own production and distribution, the media and marketing world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/just-as-like-the-music-industry-still-wishes-for-the-days-when-it/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [With 'Love,' after I wrote that song, I couldn't listen to it, I still can't listen to 'Love,' I just can't. Like I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keyshia-cole/with-love-after-i-wrote-that-song-i-couldn-t-listen-to-it-i-still-can/) [Keyshia Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keyshia-cole/) > [“I suppose the best advert for abortion is just a silent thirty second shot of Chris Moyles”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franky-boyle/i-suppose-the-best-advert-for-abortion-is-just-a-silent-thirty-second/) [Franky Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franky-boyle/) > [The first time I wrote a song, I couldn't really believe - 'Can you just do that? You're just allowed?' I never thought about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lp/the-first-time-i-wrote-a-song-i-couldn-t-really-believe-can-you-just/) [LP](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lp/) > [If you asked me to write a rock song or a rap song, I couldn't do it because they're not in my fingers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/if-you-asked-me-to-write-a-rock-song-or-a-rap-song-i-couldn-t-do-it/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I was actually alone in my apartment. I only got half way through it, I couldn't finish it, because reading it, the script was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-long/i-was-actually-alone-in-my-apartment-i-only-got-half-way-through-it-i/) [Justin Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-long/) > [I couldn't finish my graduation so there were no jobs for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rimi-sen/i-couldn-t-finish-my-graduation-so-there-were-no-jobs-for-me/) [Rimi Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rimi-sen/) > [When I wrote 'The Pregnant Widow' three or four years ago, I tried to reread my first novel, 'The Rachel Papers,' because their young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/when-i-wrote-the-pregnant-widow-three-or-four-years-ago-i-tried-to/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“Did you mean it... that if Victor did tell...that you'd..." I couldn't finish. I couldn't bring myself to say the words have him killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/did-you-mean-it-that-if-victor-did-tell-that-you-d-i-couldn-t-finish/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I started reading the Carlos Baker biography of Dad but couldn't finish it. I had the impression I was reading about a guy who,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hemingway/i-started-reading-the-carlos-baker-biography-of-dad-but-couldn-t/) [Jack Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hemingway/) > [Forest of Arden was great for me. I couldn't finish outside the top five there no matter how hard I tried!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-clarke/forest-of-arden-was-great-for-me-i-couldn-t-finish-outside-the-top/) [Darren Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-clarke/) > [Call me old-fashioned, but it's always been my firm belief that a teacher's job should be for each of his or her students to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-crowder/call-me-old-fashioned-but-it-s-always-been-my-firm-belief-that-a/) [Steven Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-crowder/) ## More by John Flansburgh > [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [It's hard to tell a shallow person that they should care more about the feelings of the awkward and the alienated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/it-s-hard-to-tell-a-shallow-person-that-they-should-care-more-about/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Every declarative statement that comes out of an interview with somebody is actually in response to a question. It's like this very real interpersonal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/every-declarative-statement-that-comes-out-of-an-interview-with/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [There have been times I wanted to cry on interview, but it hasn't been because that's what they're trying to conjure. No. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/there-have-been-times-i-wanted-to-cry-on-interview-but-it-hasn-t-been/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [I feel like musicians have such a precarious place in the political discourse, because musicians are, sort of just by nature, people-pleasers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-musicians-have-such-a-precarious-place-in-the-political/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [I think the biggest wrestling match-up I have is how to respond to the word "quirky." Or the alternate, "nerdy." Both are essentially benign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-think-the-biggest-wrestling-match-up-i-have-is-how-to-respond-to/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [The simplest app on your smartphone requires 40 peoples' purest imagination. The challenges with people on environment, we just have to open some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/the-simplest-app-on-your-smartphone-requires-40-peoples-purest/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Sometimes you have to wonder if there isn't an ejector seat built into having a popular-music career. We were lucky when we started. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/sometimes-you-have-to-wonder-if-there-isn-t-an-ejector-seat-built/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Sometimes people will ask a real "Why are you beating your wife?" question where there's some assumption built into it, and all you're trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/sometimes-people-will-ask-a-real-why-are-you-beating-your-wife/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Bill O'Reilly knew he could just filibuster and enjoy all the airtime that a full interview would give him, and then also grab the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/bill-o-reilly-knew-he-could-just-filibuster-and-enjoy-all-the-airtime/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [I don't think bands should feel compelled to speak out unless they actually have something to say. I think that's a big mistake, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-don-t-think-bands-should-feel-compelled-to-speak-out-unless-they/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Look, up in the sky! It's the sky!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/look-up-in-the-sky-it-s-the-sky/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [A lot of times I'll post things on Facebook, and the immediate response will be like, "Stick to the music!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/a-lot-of-times-i-ll-post-things-on-facebook-and-the-immediate/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [ In an interview John \[Linnell\] said, 'At a certain point you just get tired of the way the other person breathes,' and I took… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/in-an-interview-john-linnell-said-at-a-certain-point-you-just-get/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [There is a fact-based belief system available to you if you want to believe in facts. But this is the weirdest time. I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/there-is-a-fact-based-belief-system-available-to-you-if-you-want-to/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) [Explore all 47 John Flansburgh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) ## More Music quotes > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I'm at the edge of the world, Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world, Should I sink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/i-m-at-the-edge-of-the-world-where-do-i-go-from-here-do-i-disappear/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/) [Hubert Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-laws/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [ “Downloading's the same as what I used to do. I used to tape the charts of the songs I liked \[off the radio\]. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-gallagher/downloading-s-the-same-as-what-i-used-to-do-i-used-to-tape-the-charts/) [Liam Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-gallagher/) > [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) [Browse all 55,293 Music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wrote a thirty-second song that I couldn't finish for a year.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Flansburgh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-wrote-a-thirty-second-song-that-i-couldn-t-finish-for-a-year/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Music" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-wrote-a-thirty-second-song-that-i-couldn-t-finish-for-a-year/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/john-flansburgh-14315_music_i-wrote-a-thirty-second-song-that-i-coul_1863614.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/john-flansburgh-14315_music_i-wrote-a-thirty-second-song-that-i-coul_1863614.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/john-flansburgh-14315_music_i-wrote-a-thirty-second-song-that-i-coul_1863614.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wrote a thirty-second song that I couldn't finish for a year.” — John Flansburgh", "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 Flansburgh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wrote a thirty-second song that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-wrote-a-thirty-second-song-that-i-couldn-t-finish-for-a-year/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-wrote-a-thirty-second-song-that-i-couldn-t-finish-for-a-year/#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 } } ] } ```