--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you ever want to know why I'm not on a…" description: "\"If you ever want to know why I'm not on a record label, look at 'The X Factor!' Honestly, of all the people that strive to break barriers in music and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab0/john-lydon-1234_barriers_if-you-ever-want-to-know-why-i-m-not-on_2576883.jpg" --- # If you ever want to know why I'm not on a record label… ![“If you ever want to know why I'm not on a record label, look at 'The X Factor!' Honestly, of all the people that strive to break barriers in music and do good things and write great lyrics, not one of them would ever pass the first round on any of these competitions.” quote by John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab0/john-lydon-1234_barriers_if-you-ever-want-to-know-why-i-m-not-on_2576883.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab0/john-lydon-1234_barriers_if-you-ever-want-to-know-why-i-m-not-on_2576883.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab0/john-lydon-1234_barriers_if-you-ever-want-to-know-why-i-m-not-on_2576883.jpg) > “If you ever want to know why I'm not on a record label, look at 'The X Factor!' Honestly, of all the people that strive to break barriers in music and do good things and write great lyrics, not one of them would ever pass the first round on any of these competitions.” [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mainstream talent shows often reject innovative or nonconformist artists despite their creative merit. **In simple terms:** Shows ignore true talent. Key Takeaway Seek authentic platforms for expression. Themes creativity industry authenticity Mood skeptical defiant Type cultural musical When to use this quote - music festivals - independent releases - online streaming Key Concepts conformity talent scouting media bias Questions to Reflect On - Why do gatekeepers favor familiar styles? - How can artists bypass mainstream filters? A Different Perspective Commercial pressures can dilute artistic integrity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barriers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Competitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitions/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Great lyric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-lyric/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Record labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-labels/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [X factor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/x-factor/) ## Related quotes > [There are no natural barriers. It's all music. It's either hip or it ain't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-morgan/there-are-no-natural-barriers-it-s-all-music-it-s-either-hip-or-it/) Lee Morgan > [I don't bring any ideology or barriers with me into my music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-mcnerney/i-don-t-bring-any-ideology-or-barriers-with-me-into-my-music/) [Mat McNerney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-mcnerney/) > [We human beings are tuned such that we crave great melody and great lyrics. And if somebody writes a great song, it's timeless that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-garfunkel/we-human-beings-are-tuned-such-that-we-crave-great-melody-and-great/) [Art Garfunkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-garfunkel/) > [Not only do you need great lyrics, a great message, a great story, great vocals, great chords... you also need great instrumentation, great editing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-sturgis/not-only-do-you-need-great-lyrics-a-great-message-a-great-story-great/) [Joey Sturgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-sturgis/) > [You can have a great lyric and a so-so melody; it's going to be a tough sell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-alpert/you-can-have-a-great-lyric-and-a-so-so-melody-it-s-going-to-be-a/) [Herb Alpert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-alpert/) > [There will always be some kid who's the new Kurt Cobain writing great lyrics and singing from his soul. The problem is they're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanna-arquette/there-will-always-be-some-kid-who-s-the-new-kurt-cobain-writing-great/) [Rosanna Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanna-arquette/) > [As a lyricist, you love to hear other great lyrics or other great concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-keys/as-a-lyricist-you-love-to-hear-other-great-lyrics-or-other-great/) [Alicia Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-keys/) > [I'm a real stickler for a great lyric, or what I think is a great lyric. It's almost impossible for me to sing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or-what-i-think-is-a-great/) [Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/) > [Sometimes, the best songs are the ones you write without any pen and paper or audio recording device or guitar in your hands. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/sometimes-the-best-songs-are-the-ones-you-write-without-any-pen-and/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) > [I'm not trying to dog any artist or genre, but to me, there is a lot of diversity missing from the radio. I miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maren-morris/i-m-not-trying-to-dog-any-artist-or-genre-but-to-me-there-is-a-lot-of/) [Maren Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maren-morris/) > [Mozart combines serenity, melancholy, and tragic intensity into one great lyric improvisation. Over it all hovers the greater spirit that is Mozart's - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-bernstein/mozart-combines-serenity-melancholy-and-tragic-intensity-into-one/) [Leonard Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-bernstein/) > [This proves that great lyric poetry can die, be reborn, die again, but will always remain one of the most outstanding creations of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugenio-montale/this-proves-that-great-lyric-poetry-can-die-be-reborn-die-again-but/) [Eugenio Montale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugenio-montale/) > [I just want to write a great lyric and write a great song, and everything else is icing on the cake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-hanson/i-just-want-to-write-a-great-lyric-and-write-a-great-song-and/) [Isaac Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-hanson/) > [If you can say the lyrics almost like a poem and they stand up, that's a great thing. Some songs have great lyrics and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-connick-jr/if-you-can-say-the-lyrics-almost-like-a-poem-and-they-stand-up-that-s/) [Harry Connick, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-connick-jr/) > [All my big heroes are literary, writers. I'd love to meet Jimmy Hendrix or John Coltrane, but I'd much rather meet Thomas Wolfe, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/all-my-big-heroes-are-literary-writers-i-d-love-to-meet-jimmy-hendrix/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) ## More by John Lydon > [Music is escapism from the grim realities of life. But then as soon as you escape into the music, from my point of view,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/music-is-escapism-from-the-grim-realities-of-life-but-then-as-soon-as/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I'm not one for like soul-searching, sour fizzy moments. I come from the school of hard knocks, "f\*\*king get on with it", that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-m-not-one-for-like-soul-searching-sour-fizzy-moments-i-come-from/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [All the things that you would have thought would have made me a professional A1 criminal... wrong. I decided that was too lazy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/all-the-things-that-you-would-have-thought-would-have-made-me-a/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Stroll into work at 10. Lunch from 12 till three. Leave work at five. That's living!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/stroll-into-work-at-10-lunch-from-12-till-three-leave-work-at-five/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Live music is healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/live-music-is-healthy/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I never wore a studded leather jacket, y'know. Ne-va! If I had had the money I wouldn't have spent it on shit like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-never-wore-a-studded-leather-jacket-y-know-ne-va-if-i-had-had-the/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I've always strived to maintain a very healthy, friendly working situation, and lo and behold, it only took forty years, so the next sixty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-ve-always-strived-to-maintain-a-very-healthy-friendly-working/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [This is a very difficult thing to remain independent and persistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/this-is-a-very-difficult-thing-to-remain-independent-and-persistent/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [A record company used to be a very good thing, but they ended up soul-destroyingly trapping people in the accounting department. And you couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/a-record-company-used-to-be-a-very-good-thing-but-they-ended-up-soul/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Destroy everything. That's all well and fine, but you got to offer something in it's place. Since I always have a point and purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/destroy-everything-that-s-all-well-and-fine-but-you-got-to-offer/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [For me people are people, without meaning to sound corny, it's a plain natural fact, music is a universal language and I've always known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/for-me-people-are-people-without-meaning-to-sound-corny-it-s-a-plain/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I'm not great at dealing with death, I have to say. I find death very hard: my mum, my dad, Sid Vicious. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-m-not-great-at-dealing-with-death-i-have-to-say-i-find-death-very/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [The joy of life is in the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/the-joy-of-life-is-in-the-work/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I have a sensible set of values that tell me to never lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-have-a-sensible-set-of-values-that-tell-me-to-never-lie/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I always knew the Sixties wasn't a revolution. It really was just a bunch of university students with wealthy parents having fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-always-knew-the-sixties-wasn-t-a-revolution-it-really-was-just-a/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) [Explore all 269 John Lydon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) ## More Barriers quotes > [Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-aunt-and-uncle-will-be-proud-though-won-t-they-said-hermione-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The gear you can't afford is not the barrier keeping you from success. Gear has very little to do with photography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-jarvis/the-gear-you-can-t-afford-is-not-the-barrier-keeping-you-from-success/) [Chase Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-jarvis/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [Security is a component of everyday life that one spending time in Washington, D.C., gets accustomed to. Metal detectors, police vehicle barriers and heavily-armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-crapo/security-is-a-component-of-everyday-life-that-one-spending-time-in/) [Mike Crapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-crapo/) > [The biggest obstacles to our progress exist within our own lives in the form of cowardice and the tendency to give up. Breaking through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/the-biggest-obstacles-to-our-progress-exist-within-our-own-lives-in/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [I feel that there are a few things in the world without cultural barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-feel-that-there-are-a-few-things-in-the-world-without-cultural/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [English literature is a glorious inheritance which is open to all - there are no barriers, no coupons, and no restrictions. In the English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/english-literature-is-a-glorious-inheritance-which-is-open-to-all/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Friendship embraces innumerable ends; turn where you will it is ever at your side; no barrier shuts it out; it is never untimely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-embraces-innumerable-ends-turn-where-you-will-it-is-ever/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [I've cosponsored legislation to establish a lend-lease program to simplify bureaucratic barriers and allow a speedier transfer of U.S. military equipment to Ukraine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/i-ve-cosponsored-legislation-to-establish-a-lend-lease-program-to/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [Don't be afraid of what you want. This is your time. The barriers are down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/don-t-be-afraid-of-what-you-want-this-is-your-time-the-barriers-are/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [Fear is the single biggest barrier to creativity. Unless we're brave enough to risk looking foolish, we'll inevitably find ourselves sticking to the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-linkner/fear-is-the-single-biggest-barrier-to-creativity-unless-we-re-brave/) [Josh Linkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-linkner/) > [He looked at my lips. I suddenly found myself wanting to lick his. 'Yes,' he replied, his eyes going molten. My breath caught in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/he-looked-at-my-lips-i-suddenly-found-myself-wanting-to-lick-his-yes/) [Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/) > [What do you have to surrender? A drop has to dissolve into the ocean to become the ocean. And a drop cannot be greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/what-do-you-have-to-surrender-a-drop-has-to-dissolve-into-the-ocean/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [“One way to generate a precise customer value proposition is to think about the four most common barriers keeping people from getting particular jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-w-johnson/one-way-to-generate-a-precise-customer-value-proposition-is-to-think/) [Mark W. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-johnson/) [Browse all 1,191 Barriers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you ever want to know why I'm not on a record label, look at 'The X Factor!' 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