--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The songwriting was almost like something…" description: "\"The songwriting was almost like something I did while I was waiting for my daughter to come back.\" — Joni Mitchell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/joni-mitchell-1160_children_the-songwriting-was-almost-like-somethin_1665766.png" --- # The songwriting was almost like something I did while I… ![“The songwriting was almost like something I did while I was waiting for my daughter to come back.” quote by Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/joni-mitchell-1160_children_the-songwriting-was-almost-like-somethin_1665766.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/joni-mitchell-1160_children_the-songwriting-was-almost-like-somethin_1665766.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/joni-mitchell-1160_children_the-songwriting-was-almost-like-somethin_1665766.png) > “The songwriting was almost like something I did while I was waiting for my daughter to come back.” [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She compares songwriting to a patient waiting period, suggesting creativity emerges during moments of anticipation. **In simple terms:** Creating music can happen while waiting. Key Takeaway Embrace quiet moments for inspiration. Themes creativity patience anticipation Mood reflective hopeful Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - waiting for loved ones - commuting - quiet evenings - creative blocks Key Concepts songwriting mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn idle time into creative work? - What emotions surface while you wait? A Different Perspective If waiting is stressful, inspiration may not flow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Daughter Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter-come-805933/) [Did Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-waiting-805934/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [My daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-daughter/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Songwriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriting/) [Songwriting Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriting-like-384573/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Waiting Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting-daughter-805932/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing can burst your fatherly bubble faster than hearing your daughter come home from a date and saying: 'Some nights I don't know why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry/nothing-can-burst-your-fatherly-bubble-faster-than-hearing-your/) [David Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry/) > [“Beloved, she my daughter. She mine. See. She come back to me of her own free will and I don't have to explain a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/beloved-she-my-daughter-she-mine-see-she-come-back-to-me-of-her-own/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Songwriting is like editing. You write down all this stuff - all this bad, stupid stuff - and then you have to get rid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-hatfield/songwriting-is-like-editing-you-write-down-all-this-stuff-all-this/) [Juliana Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-hatfield/) > [Most songwriting like poetry takes a careful selection of words. Sometimes you're just channeling something and a selection of words come out that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-joy/most-songwriting-like-poetry-takes-a-careful-selection-of-words/) [Vance Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-joy/) > [My songwriting... it's almost like a kind of self-therapy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-nutini/my-songwriting-it-s-almost-like-a-kind-of-self-therapy/) [Paolo Nutini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-nutini/) > [I often say songwriting is like trying to climb down a ladder at night. You put your foot on the next rung and test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crowder/i-often-say-songwriting-is-like-trying-to-climb-down-a-ladder-at/) [Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crowder/) > [My songwriting is like extending a hand to the listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/my-songwriting-is-like-extending-a-hand-to-the-listener/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [When you're songwriting, it's like talking about your own life experience. When you're with a band, you have to compromise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/when-you-re-songwriting-it-s-like-talking-about-your-own-life/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [When I'm songwriting, I like to expand the biggest emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruel/when-i-m-songwriting-i-like-to-expand-the-biggest-emotion/) [Ruel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruel/) > [When I was younger, I always wanted to be either a pianist or a classical singer, and when I discovered songwriting, it was like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-merton/when-i-was-younger-i-always-wanted-to-be-either-a-pianist-or-a/) [Alice Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-merton/) > [Songwriting is like working on a jigsaw puzzle, and it doesn't make any sense until you find that last piece. It has to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-hynde/songwriting-is-like-working-on-a-jigsaw-puzzle-and-it-doesn-t-make/) [Chrissie Hynde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-hynde/) > [Songwriting is like ... being possessed. You try to go to sleep but the song won't let you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/songwriting-is-like-being-possessed-you-try-to-go-to-sleep-but-the/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [For me songwriting is very...it's almost like an accident. 'Oh I accidentally wrote about that.' I sit down with the urge to write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lea-mayfield/for-me-songwriting-is-very-it-s-almost-like-an-accident-oh-i/) [Jessica Lea Mayfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lea-mayfield/) > [I love, love, love songwriting. It's like the most therapeutic thing in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troye-sivan/i-love-love-love-songwriting-it-s-like-the-most-therapeutic-thing-in/) [Troye Sivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troye-sivan/) > [All I know is when I start getting serious about songwriting... it's like a playground. All responsibilities slip away and you're with your essence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-nyro/all-i-know-is-when-i-start-getting-serious-about-songwriting-it-s/) [Laura Nyro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-nyro/) ## More by Joni Mitchell > [They paved paradise and put up a parkin lot With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot Don't it always seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/they-paved-paradise-and-put-up-a-parkin-lot-with-a-pink-hotel-a/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I have one piece of music, since 1997, and I don't see it having lyrics. Where does it go in this world? So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-have-one-piece-of-music-since-1997-and-i-don-t-see-it-having-lyrics/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Musically, I would never run dry. Any time I sit down to an instrument, I could write a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/musically-i-would-never-run-dry-any-time-i-sit-down-to-an-instrument/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [You snipe so steady, you snub so snide, so rip and ready to diminish and deride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/you-snipe-so-steady-you-snub-so-snide-so-rip-and-ready-to-diminish/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I loved Debussy, Stravinsky, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, anything with romantic melodies, especially the nocturnes. Nietzsche was a hero, especially with 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra.' He gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-loved-debussy-stravinsky-chopin-tchaikovsky-anything-with-romantic/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [When the spirit of child's play enters into the creative process, it's a wonderful force and something to be nurtured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/when-the-spirit-of-child-s-play-enters-into-the-creative-process-it-s/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Americans have decided to be stupid and shallow since 1980.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/americans-have-decided-to-be-stupid-and-shallow-since-1980/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I was young for my age. Not as naïve as they expected. I don't know why I seem to bring that out in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-was-young-for-my-age-not-as-na-ve-as-they-expected-i-don-t-know-why/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [This is a nation that has lost the ability to be self-critical, and that makes a lie out of the freedoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/this-is-a-nation-that-has-lost-the-ability-to-be-self-critical-and/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Land of snap decisions, land of short attention spans, nothing is savored long enough to really understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/land-of-snap-decisions-land-of-short-attention-spans-nothing-is/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I like my freedom. I like to do my own grocery shopping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-like-my-freedom-i-like-to-do-my-own-grocery-shopping/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I'm not a pitiable creature. It's just that I suffer very eloquently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-m-not-a-pitiable-creature-it-s-just-that-i-suffer-very-eloquently/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I can't remember anything I ever wrote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-can-t-remember-anything-i-ever-wrote/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) [Explore all 281 Joni Mitchell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The songwriting was almost like something I did while I was waiting for my daughter to come back.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joni Mitchell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/the-songwriting-was-almost-like-something-i-did-while-i-was-waiting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/the-songwriting-was-almost-like-something-i-did-while-i-was-waiting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/joni-mitchell-1160_children_the-songwriting-was-almost-like-somethin_1665766.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/joni-mitchell-1160_children_the-songwriting-was-almost-like-somethin_1665766.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/joni-mitchell-1160_children_the-songwriting-was-almost-like-somethin_1665766.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The songwriting was almost like something I did while I was waiting for my daughter to come back.” — Joni Mitchell", "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": "Joni Mitchell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The songwriting was almost like something...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/the-songwriting-was-almost-like-something-i-did-while-i-was-waiting/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/the-songwriting-was-almost-like-something-i-did-while-i-was-waiting/#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 } } ] } ```