--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everything I've ever done is out. I don't…" description: "\"Everything I've ever done is out. I don't have boxes of unreleased stuff. There's nothing in the files. I can never keep anything unless I don't like t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/john-lennon-322_boxes_everything-i-ve-ever-done-is-out-i-don-t_1446606.jpg" --- # Everything I've ever done is out. I don't have boxes of… ![“Everything I've ever done is out. I don't have boxes of unreleased stuff. There's nothing in the files. I can never keep anything unless I don't like the sound of it or it didn't work. If I can sing it to an engineer, I can sing it to anyone...” quote by John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/john-lennon-322_boxes_everything-i-ve-ever-done-is-out-i-don-t_1446606.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/john-lennon-322_boxes_everything-i-ve-ever-done-is-out-i-don-t_1446606.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/john-lennon-322_boxes_everything-i-ve-ever-done-is-out-i-don-t_1446606.jpg) > “Everything I've ever done is out. I don't have boxes of unreleased stuff. There's nothing in the files. I can never keep anything unless I don't like the sound of it or it didn't work. If I can sing it to an engineer, I can sing it to anyone...” [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes a creative process that rejects unfinished or unsatisfactory material, insisting on authenticity before sharing. **In simple terms:** Only share work you truly like. Key Takeaway Share only work you love. Themes authenticity creativity perfectionism Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - songwriting sessions - studio recordings - album releases Key Concepts Artistic integrity creative process Questions to Reflect On - What criteria determine a work is ready? - How do you handle unfinished ideas? A Different Perspective Perfectionism may stall productivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boxes/) [Boxes Unreleased](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boxes-unreleased-5191118/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers/) [Files](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/files/) [Files Unless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/files-unless-5191119/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Stuff Files](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff-files-5191120/) [Unreleased](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unreleased-478708/) [Unreleased Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unreleased-stuff-478707/) ## Related quotes > [But the Danzig unreleased stuff will be either a single or a double CD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-danzig/but-the-danzig-unreleased-stuff-will-be-either-a-single-or-a-double-cd/) [Glenn Danzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-danzig/) > [I must have 300 songs unreleased or unrecorded, lying around. I'm a production machine, it never stops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-sayer/i-must-have-300-songs-unreleased-or-unrecorded-lying-around-i-m-a/) [Leo Sayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-sayer/) > [Who else is putting seven figures down for unreleased rap tracks?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-shkreli/who-else-is-putting-seven-figures-down-for-unreleased-rap-tracks/) [Martin Shkreli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-shkreli/) > [DUST includes rarities, demos, unreleased songs and instrumentals, live recordings, and more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-belew/dust-includes-rarities-demos-unreleased-songs-and-instrumentals-live/) [Adrian Belew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-belew/) > [I've got my own studio, and I've got four- to five-hundred unreleased tracks. I've got stuff that's electronic, orchestral, jazz, I've got rock, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serj-tankian/i-ve-got-my-own-studio-and-i-ve-got-four-to-five-hundred-unreleased/) [Serj Tankian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serj-tankian/) > [I usually destroy unreleased material. It has a way of coming back to haunt you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fogerty/i-usually-destroy-unreleased-material-it-has-a-way-of-coming-back-to/) [John Fogerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fogerty/) > [If you're ever shot dead in an East Coast-West Coast rap war, I hope it's after you've recorded over 10 years worth of unreleased music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-re-ever-shot-dead-in-an-east-coast-west-coast-rap-war-i-hope/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There has got to be a lot of unreleased video out there, live footage and whatnot. There's always going to be something extra for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/there-has-got-to-be-a-lot-of-unreleased-video-out-there-live-footage/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [For years I never had the courage to bring my written songs out. I had so many unreleased English songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-bhasin/for-years-i-never-had-the-courage-to-bring-my-written-songs-out-i-had/) [Neha Bhasin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-bhasin/) > [One of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons is the existence of mobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/one-of-the-most-worrisome-things-that-emerges-from-the-thick/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [ I missed the whole thing \[X-files series\]. And I know it went for nine seasons, and I think I saw bits and pieces of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-darby/i-missed-the-whole-thing-x-files-series-and-i-know-it-went-for-nine/) [Rhys Darby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-darby/) > [This world is not a platform where you will hear Thalberg-piano-playing. It is a piano manufactory, where are dust and shavings and boards, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/this-world-is-not-a-platform-where-you-will-hear-thalberg-piano/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Donald Trump threatened to file a defamation suit against me for running a TV ad that consisted only entirely of his own words on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-threatened-to-file-a-defamation-suit-against-me-for/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Paper is no longer a big part of my day. I get 90% of my news online, and when I go to a meeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/paper-is-no-longer-a-big-part-of-my-day-i-get-90-of-my-news-online/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I think that prosecuting some college kid because she shared a file is a lot like sending somebody to Australia 200 years ago for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/i-think-that-prosecuting-some-college-kid-because-she-shared-a-file/) [Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/) ## More by John Lennon > [Well, I don't want to be king, I want to be real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/well-i-don-t-want-to-be-king-i-want-to-be-real/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [ We went to America a few times and \[Brian\] Epstein always tried to waffle on at us about saying nothing about Vietnam. So there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/we-went-to-america-a-few-times-and-brian-epstein-always-tried-to/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [As someone from the working class I was always interested in Russia and China and everything that related to the working class, even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/as-someone-from-the-working-class-i-was-always-interested-in-russia/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I never went to high school reunions. My thing is, out of sight, out of mind. That's my attitude toward life. So I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-never-went-to-high-school-reunions-my-thing-is-out-of-sight-out-of/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Today's folk song is rock and roll. Although it happened to emanate from America, that's not really important in the end because we wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/today-s-folk-song-is-rock-and-roll-although-it-happened-to-emanate/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [If you want to get peace, you can get it as soon as you like if we all pull together. ... Think peace, live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/if-you-want-to-get-peace-you-can-get-it-as-soon-as-you-like-if-we-all/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [The reason why kids are crazy is because nobody can face the responsibility of bringing them up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/the-reason-why-kids-are-crazy-is-because-nobody-can-face-the/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [In my case I've never not been political, though religion tended to overshadow it in my acid days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/in-my-case-i-ve-never-not-been-political-though-religion-tended-to/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-wasn-t-saying-whatever-they-re-saying-i-was-saying-i-m-sorry-i-said/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Songwriting is about getting the demon out of me. It's like being possessed. You try to go to sleep, but the song won't let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/songwriting-is-about-getting-the-demon-out-of-me-it-s-like-being/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Imagine there's no heaven... it's easy if you try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/imagine-there-s-no-heaven-it-s-easy-if-you-try/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/man-you-should-have-seen-them-kicking-edgar-allan-poe/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Love is like a flower - you've got to let it grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/love-is-like-a-flower-you-ve-got-to-let-it-grow/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I don't know which will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-don-t-know-which-will-go-first-rock-n-roll-or-christianity/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [The main hangup in the world today is hypocrisy and insecurity. If people can't face up to the fact of other people being naked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/the-main-hangup-in-the-world-today-is-hypocrisy-and-insecurity-if/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) [Explore all 681 John Lennon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) ## More Boxes quotes > [ The best way to marginalize the Muslim Brotherhood \[in Egypt\] is in the ballot box, not through arrests and killing people. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/the-best-way-to-marginalize-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-egypt-is-in-the/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [When I step into the batters box. The fans, the noise, the cheers, they all disappear. For that moment, the world is just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/when-i-step-into-the-batters-box-the-fans-the-noise-the-cheers-they/) [Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. I think I used four boxes of Soilex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/i-separated-the-joints-the-arm-joints-the-leg-joints-and-had-to-do/) [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/) > [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He decided then that he would love her forever no matter what came to pass. It was not so much a matter of deciding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/he-decided-then-that-he-would-love-her-forever-no-matter-what-came-to/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I have nothing but praise for the boy. He is easily the best player in the world. His contribution as a goal threat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-ferguson/i-have-nothing-but-praise-for-the-boy-he-is-easily-the-best-player-in/) [Alex Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-ferguson/) > [The recurrent laryngeal nerve - which runs from the head to the voice box - goes all the way down into the chest, loops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-recurrent-laryngeal-nerve-which-runs-from-the-head-to-the-voice/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The library is the biggest cracker box factory in the world. The more you eat, the more you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-library-is-the-biggest-cracker-box-factory-in-the-world-the-more/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [3 people get stranded on a remote Island A Banker, a Daily Mail reader & an Asylum seeker All they have to eat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-brookmyre/3-people-get-stranded-on-a-remote-island-a-banker-a-daily-mail-reader/) [Christopher Brookmyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-brookmyre/) > [Unpleasant questions are being raised about Mother's Day. Is this day necessary? . . . Isn't it bad public policy? . . . No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/unpleasant-questions-are-being-raised-about-mother-s-day-is-this-day/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [I could party in a cardboard box with people who are funny and don't care. For me, it's really about who I surround myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesha/i-could-party-in-a-cardboard-box-with-people-who-are-funny-and-don-t/) [Kesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesha/) > [The minister's brain is often the "poor-box" of the church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/the-minister-s-brain-is-often-the-poor-box-of-the-church/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [A token of love comes in a box because love itself cannot be contained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/binnie-kirshenbaum/a-token-of-love-comes-in-a-box-because-love-itself-cannot-be-contained/) [Binnie Kirshenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/binnie-kirshenbaum/) > [I'd just like to see athletes awake. And aware. There's so much going on and so much to know... We stay in our little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-teter/i-d-just-like-to-see-athletes-awake-and-aware-there-s-so-much-going/) [Hannah Teter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-teter/) [Browse all 2,146 Boxes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boxes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everything I've ever done is out. I don't have boxes of unreleased stuff. There's nothing in the files. I can never keep anything unless I don't like the sound of it or it didn't work. If I can sing it to an engineer, I can sing it to anyone...", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Lennon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/everything-i-ve-ever-done-is-out-i-don-t-have-boxes-of-unreleased/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Boxes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/everything-i-ve-ever-done-is-out-i-don-t-have-boxes-of-unreleased/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/john-lennon-322_boxes_everything-i-ve-ever-done-is-out-i-don-t_1446606.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/john-lennon-322_boxes_everything-i-ve-ever-done-is-out-i-don-t_1446606.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/john-lennon-322_boxes_everything-i-ve-ever-done-is-out-i-don-t_1446606.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everything I've ever done is out. I don't have boxes of unreleased stuff. There's nothing in the files. I…” — John Lennon", "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 Lennon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Everything I've ever done is out....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/everything-i-ve-ever-done-is-out-i-don-t-have-boxes-of-unreleased/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/everything-i-ve-ever-done-is-out-i-don-t-have-boxes-of-unreleased/#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 } } ] } ```