--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing is, we've changed our style but…" description: "\"The thing is, we've changed our style but we've never changed the actual roots of what we've done.\" — John Oates" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96b/john-oates-7355_changed_the-thing-is-we-ve-changed-our-style-but_2667715.jpg" --- # The thing is, we've changed our style but we've never… ![“The thing is, we've changed our style but we've never changed the actual roots of what we've done.” quote by John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96b/john-oates-7355_changed_the-thing-is-we-ve-changed-our-style-but_2667715.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96b/john-oates-7355_changed_the-thing-is-we-ve-changed-our-style-but_2667715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96b/john-oates-7355_changed_the-thing-is-we-ve-changed-our-style-but_2667715.jpg) > “The thing is, we've changed our style but we've never changed the actual roots of what we've done.” [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our style has evolved, yet the core roots of our work remain unchanged. **In simple terms:** Style changes, roots stay. Key Takeaway Stay true to foundations. Themes artistic evolution authenticity legacy Mood reflective strategic Type musical philosophical When to use this quote - band branding - songwriting workshops - marketing strategies Key Concepts music history cultural continuity Questions to Reflect On - What core values define your work? - How can you innovate without losing identity? A Different Perspective Risk of stagnation if roots are too rigid. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actual Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actual-roots-2479033/) [Changed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changed/) [Changed Actual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changed-actual-2479034/) [Changed Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changed-style-1256747/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Ve Changed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-changed/) ## Related quotes > [I've changed my style somewhat, as you know. I'm less - I pontificate less, although it may be hard to tell it from this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-ve-changed-my-style-somewhat-as-you-know-i-m-less-i-pontificate/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [When I cut my hair, the whole sound changed, my style changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rihanna/when-i-cut-my-hair-the-whole-sound-changed-my-style-changed/) [Rihanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rihanna/) > [I've changed my style constantly, so I'm not sure I have one defined style, except perhaps style of subject matter. But you learn as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-ve-changed-my-style-constantly-so-i-m-not-sure-i-have-one-defined-2/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [I've changed my style constantly, so I'm not sure I have one defined style, except perhaps style of subject matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-ve-changed-my-style-constantly-so-i-m-not-sure-i-have-one-defined/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [No, because I've never really changed my style that much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-simon/no-because-i-ve-never-really-changed-my-style-that-much/) [Carly Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-simon/) > [There is no way that I could have survived if I had not changed my style of play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-lanier/there-is-no-way-that-i-could-have-survived-if-i-had-not-changed-my/) [Willie Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-lanier/) > [I think fashion is really opened me up as a person. All eyes are on you when you do the shows and when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-firth/i-think-fashion-is-really-opened-me-up-as-a-person-all-eyes-are-on/) [Malaika Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-firth/) > [I have changed the style of functioning of the government and administration and managed to change the perception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harish-rawat/i-have-changed-the-style-of-functioning-of-the-government-and/) [Harish Rawat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harish-rawat/) > [ The players today reflect how much the game has evolved and changed both in style and culture. \[...\] The game now has a wider… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/the-players-today-reflect-how-much-the-game-has-evolved-and-changed/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [You've changed… I didn't change!? I just started making better decisons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhiess-krieg/you-ve-changed-i-didn-t-change-i-just-started-making-better-decisons/) [Jhiess Krieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhiess-krieg/) > [Don't tell me I've changed... when in reality I've stopped dealing with you...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-tell-me-i-ve-changed-when-in-reality-i-ve-stopped-dealing-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When someone tells you, "You've changed," it might simply be because you've stopped living your life their way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-spence/when-someone-tells-you-you-ve-changed-it-might-simply-be-because-you/) [John Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-spence/) > [As an early adopter of the internet, I've changed as the internet has changed, and I regret a lot of the things that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-chu/as-an-early-adopter-of-the-internet-i-ve-changed-as-the-internet-has/) [Arthur Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-chu/) > [Some people think I've changed but deep down in my soul I know I'm the same. I'm still the same ole girl just older…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-think-i-ve-changed-but-deep-down-in-my-soul-i-know-i-m/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It changed me. Couple of my friends visited me, but they had enough of their problems, so they did not come here often. Alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-plackovic/it-changed-me-couple-of-my-friends-visited-me-but-they-had-enough-of/) [Dejan Plackovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-plackovic/) ## More by John Oates > [There's all sorts of soul. There's Irish soul and Native American soul. If it touches you and moves you, it's soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/there-s-all-sorts-of-soul-there-s-irish-soul-and-native-american-soul/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [I wish I could see over crowds and small groups of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/i-wish-i-could-see-over-crowds-and-small-groups-of-people/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > ['Maneater' is about N.Y.C. in the '80s. It's about greed, avarice, and spoiled riches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/maneater-is-about-n-y-c-in-the-80s-it-s-about-greed-avarice-and/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [I think it's kind of difficult to write a good Christmas song because you have a narrow framework of references that you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/i-think-it-s-kind-of-difficult-to-write-a-good-christmas-song-because/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [If anyone looks back to the '70s, '80s with nostalgic rosy colored glasses and goes, 'Well, everything was awesome.' No, everything was not awesome!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/if-anyone-looks-back-to-the-70s-80s-with-nostalgic-rosy-colored/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [I think the key to making records generally is to make 'em for yourself, regardless of the climate in the business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/i-think-the-key-to-making-records-generally-is-to-make-em-for/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [Personally, I've never really wanted to be a rock star. That wasn't my motivation in life. It kind of happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/personally-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-a-rock-star-that-wasn-t-my/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [When I graduated from college in the spring of 1970, I decided to hitchhike around Europe with my guitar and my backpack. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/when-i-graduated-from-college-in-the-spring-of-1970-i-decided-to/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [When albums gave way to CDs, people re-discovered their collection through their CDs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/when-albums-gave-way-to-cds-people-re-discovered-their-collection/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [I don't care if it's a Cole Porter song, or George Gershwin, or Lennon/McCartney, or Elton John, or you know, whoever, Bob Dylan. Great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/i-don-t-care-if-it-s-a-cole-porter-song-or-george-gershwin-or-lennon/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [To me, when a great band is playing together, it's amazing for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/to-me-when-a-great-band-is-playing-together-it-s-amazing-for-me/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [We should have an easier name to pronounce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/we-should-have-an-easier-name-to-pronounce/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [A good mustache makes a man for many reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/a-good-mustache-makes-a-man-for-many-reasons/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [I like playing on stage, don't get me wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/i-like-playing-on-stage-don-t-get-me-wrong/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [The world has accelerated to the point that, as far as the album as a form, I don't know if it's going to last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/the-world-has-accelerated-to-the-point-that-as-far-as-the-album-as-a/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) [Explore all 92 John Oates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) ## More Changed quotes > [“You put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed. People may not notice at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-things-that-have-not-been-put-together-before/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [You made me hate my own reflection Question every choice I make So I could try to be perfect But I will try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn/you-made-me-hate-my-own-reflection-question-every-choice-i-make-so-i/) [Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn/) > [Everything has changed and nothing has changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lowery/everything-has-changed-and-nothing-has-changed/) [Joseph Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lowery/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Faith is the avenue to salvation. Not intellectual understanding. Not money. Not your works. Just simple faith. How much faith? The faith of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/faith-is-the-avenue-to-salvation-not-intellectual-understanding-not/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [When I became Miss World, I couldn't believe I had won it. I used to sleep with my crown because I was scared someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanka-chopra/when-i-became-miss-world-i-couldn-t-believe-i-had-won-it-i-used-to/) [Priyanka Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanka-chopra/) > [As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-light-changed-from-red-to-green-to-yellow-and-back-to-red/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. Choose good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-only-a-thought-and-a-thought-can-be-changed-choose-good-ones/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Working with Rihanna has changed my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bibi-bourelly/working-with-rihanna-has-changed-my-life/) [Bibi Bourelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bibi-bourelly/) > [The international game has changed for bidding cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ueberroth/the-international-game-has-changed-for-bidding-cities/) [Peter Ueberroth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ueberroth/) > [You changed my life, don't know what you're doing to me with your love. You got me feeling super human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-changed-my-life-don-t-know-what-you-re-doing-to-me-with-your-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not changing because I'm part of a hit. People around me have changed in their attitude toward me, but I haven't changed. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-penny/i-m-not-changing-because-i-m-part-of-a-hit-people-around-me-have/) [Joe Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-penny/) > [Good people are found not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, 'We don't teach people to be nice. We simply hire nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/good-people-are-found-not-changed-recently-i-read-a-headline-that/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) [Browse all 6,529 Changed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The thing is, we've changed our style but we've never changed the actual roots of what we've done.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Oates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/the-thing-is-we-ve-changed-our-style-but-we-ve-never-changed-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Changed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/the-thing-is-we-ve-changed-our-style-but-we-ve-never-changed-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96b/john-oates-7355_changed_the-thing-is-we-ve-changed-our-style-but_2667715.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96b/john-oates-7355_changed_the-thing-is-we-ve-changed-our-style-but_2667715.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96b/john-oates-7355_changed_the-thing-is-we-ve-changed-our-style-but_2667715.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The thing is, we've changed our style but we've never changed the actual roots of what we've done.” — John Oates", "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 Oates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The thing is, we've changed our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/the-thing-is-we-ve-changed-our-style-but-we-ve-never-changed-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/the-thing-is-we-ve-changed-our-style-but-we-ve-never-changed-the/#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 } } ] } ```