---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People thought we were crazy for starting…"
description: "\"People thought we were crazy for starting a record company. They really thought I was shooting myself in the foot.\" — John Prine"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/john-prine-3521_business_people-thought-we-were-crazy-for-startin_2096111.jpg"
---

#  People thought we were crazy for starting a record…

![“People thought we were crazy for starting a record company. They really thought I was shooting myself in the foot.” quote by John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/john-prine-3521_business_people-thought-we-were-crazy-for-startin_2096111.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/john-prine-3521_business_people-thought-we-were-crazy-for-startin_2096111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/john-prine-3521_business_people-thought-we-were-crazy-for-startin_2096111.jpg)

> “People thought we were crazy for starting a record company. They really thought I was shooting myself in the foot.”

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Starting a record label seemed reckless, but it was a calculated risk to control artistic direction.

**In simple terms:** Risky venture for creative control.

Key Takeaway

Embrace bold moves for autonomy.

Themes

risk entrepreneurship creativity

Mood

determusiastic determined

Type

advice inspirational

When to use this quote

- launching a label
- signing artists
- negotiating contracts
- building a brand

Key Concepts

music industry self‑determination independence

Questions to Reflect On

- What risks are worth taking for creative freedom?
- How can you mitigate potential fallout?

A Different Perspective

Success depends on market timing and resources.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Record company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-company/)

## Related quotes

> [Everybody was starting to grow long hair and wear pink suits and purple glasses and stuff and then, I suppose, some people thought we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-redding/everybody-was-starting-to-grow-long-hair-and-wear-pink-suits-and/)

[Noel Redding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-redding/)

> [Some people thought I was crazy to have let go of all the worldly things I had "achieved." They didn't understand that I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/some-people-thought-i-was-crazy-to-have-let-go-of-all-the-worldly/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [People thought I was crazy thinking about a phone you can just put in your pocket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-cooper/people-thought-i-was-crazy-thinking-about-a-phone-you-can-just-put-in/)

[Martin Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-cooper/)

> [I had to put me foot down with the first record company. It was about 1975, when singers were being given names like Gary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/i-had-to-put-me-foot-down-with-the-first-record-company-it-was-about/)

[Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/)

> [From a production point of view, I still have one foot firmly planted in the independent film world, and much of the shooting on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/from-a-production-point-of-view-i-still-have-one-foot-firmly-planted/)

[Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/)

> [People thought I was crazy. I've had more fun coaching this style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calipari/people-thought-i-was-crazy-i-ve-had-more-fun-coaching-this-style/)

[John Calipari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calipari/)

> [I was very ashamed of seeing a therapist because I thought only crazy people went, and then, after about nine years, I asked him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-rourke/i-was-very-ashamed-of-seeing-a-therapist-because-i-thought-only-crazy/)

[Mickey Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-rourke/)

> [For most of my life, I thought I was crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-kingston/for-most-of-my-life-i-thought-i-was-crazy/)

[Eddie Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-kingston/)

> [I asked so many times if he thought I was crazy because thats what I was used to people saying. It baffled me that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-riccitello/i-asked-so-many-times-if-he-thought-i-was-crazy-because-thats-what-i/)

[Dominic Riccitello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-riccitello/)

> [People thought I was crazy for fighting Michael Bentt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-morrison/people-thought-i-was-crazy-for-fighting-michael-bentt/)

[Tommy Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-morrison/)

> [Everywhere I go, I thought that I'm crazy because what I see is only your face; anytime and anywhere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everywhere-i-go-i-thought-that-i-m-crazy-because-what-i-see-is-only/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When I told people that I was going to paint the big room magenta, many people thought that I was crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/when-i-told-people-that-i-was-going-to-paint-the-big-room-magenta/)

[Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/)

> [“Oh, Lord, she thought. This was crazy. She was being haunted by one ghost and guarded by another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-graham/oh-lord-she-thought-this-was-crazy-she-was-being-haunted-by-one-ghost/)

[Heather Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-graham/)

> [“I wanted to tell him to wake up before it was too late, but I no longer feel a responsibility to people who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-darigan/i-wanted-to-tell-him-to-wake-up-before-it-was-too-late-but-i-no/)

Mike Darigan

> [If somebody told me people would still care about our music 25 years ago, I would have thought they were crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/if-somebody-told-me-people-would-still-care-about-our-music-25-years/)

[Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/)

## More by John Prine

> [There's only two things. There's life, and there's death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/there-s-only-two-things-there-s-life-and-there-s-death/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [One time, I went to school, and they asked us all to find out where our roots were. It's goin' around the class, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/one-time-i-went-to-school-and-they-asked-us-all-to-find-out-where-our/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [When I turned 40, I invited Johnny Cash to my party, even though I knew there was gonna be 200 people roasting a pig…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/when-i-turned-40-i-invited-johnny-cash-to-my-party-even-though-i-knew/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [I always had an affinity for older people. I had a job delivering newspapers, and one place I had to go was an old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-always-had-an-affinity-for-older-people-i-had-a-job-delivering/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [It doesn't hit you until you pull up to the hospital, and you see 'cancer' in big letters, and you're the patient. Then it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/it-doesn-t-hit-you-until-you-pull-up-to-the-hospital-and-you-see/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [In high school, I was a poor student.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/in-high-school-i-was-a-poor-student/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [“I come home from work this evening there was a note in the frying pan said Fix Your Own Supper Babe I Run Off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-come-home-from-work-this-evening-there-was-a-note-in-the-frying-pan/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [Blow up your TV...throw away your paper...move to the country and build you a home. Plant a little garden...eat a lot of peaches...try and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/blow-up-your-tv-throw-away-your-paper-move-to-the-country-and-build/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [Howie Epstein was a kind, patient, and extremely talented musician. He took two years out of his life and dedicated his undivided attention to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/howie-epstein-was-a-kind-patient-and-extremely-talented-musician-he/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [The more producers I talked to, the more I got looked at like I was crazy for wanting to make a live-sounding album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/the-more-producers-i-talked-to-the-more-i-got-looked-at-like-i-was/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [I was kind of shy as a lad, and a lot of things that made me laugh, I found, did not make other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-was-kind-of-shy-as-a-lad-and-a-lot-of-things-that-made-me-laugh-i/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [To tell you the truth, the nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame totally surprised me. I had no idea that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/to-tell-you-the-truth-the-nomination-for-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [I could never teach a class on songwriting. I'd tell them to goof off and find a good hideout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-could-never-teach-a-class-on-songwriting-i-d-tell-them-to-goof-off/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [If somebody tells me to work or exercise, I go the other way. I'll come up with an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/if-somebody-tells-me-to-work-or-exercise-i-go-the-other-way-i-ll-come/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [Ignorance is bliss as a writer, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/ignorance-is-bliss-as-a-writer-i-think/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

[Explore all 128 John Prine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

## More Business quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/)

[Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "People thought we were crazy for starting a record company. They really thought I was shooting myself in the foot.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Prine"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/people-thought-we-were-crazy-for-starting-a-record-company-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Business"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/people-thought-we-were-crazy-for-starting-a-record-company-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/john-prine-3521_business_people-thought-we-were-crazy-for-startin_2096111.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/john-prine-3521_business_people-thought-we-were-crazy-for-startin_2096111.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/john-prine-3521_business_people-thought-we-were-crazy-for-startin_2096111.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People thought we were crazy for starting a record company. They really thought I was shooting myself in the…” — John Prine",
                "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 Prine",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "People thought we were crazy for...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/people-thought-we-were-crazy-for-starting-a-record-company-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/people-thought-we-were-crazy-for-starting-a-record-company-they/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
