--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I'm doing is basically the same as…" description: "\"What I'm doing is basically the same as Bob Dylan did with folk songs and Woody Guthrie songs, the same as folk music's always done. I'm not going to s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f26/justin-townes-earle-20898_bob_what-i-m-doing-is-basically-the-same-as_3174746.jpg" --- # What I'm doing is basically the same as Bob Dylan did with… ![“What I'm doing is basically the same as Bob Dylan did with folk songs and Woody Guthrie songs, the same as folk music's always done. I'm not going to sing about ploughing, but I'll write a song that sounds like it should be about ploughing.” quote by Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f26/justin-townes-earle-20898_bob_what-i-m-doing-is-basically-the-same-as_3174746.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f26/justin-townes-earle-20898_bob_what-i-m-doing-is-basically-the-same-as_3174746.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f26/justin-townes-earle-20898_bob_what-i-m-doing-is-basically-the-same-as_3174746.jpg) > “What I'm doing is basically the same as Bob Dylan did with folk songs and Woody Guthrie songs, the same as folk music's always done. I'm not going to sing about ploughing, but I'll write a song that sounds like it should be about ploughing.” [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists often emulate traditional styles while infusing contemporary perspectives, using familiar forms to convey new messages. **In simple terms:** He writes songs that mimic folk themes without literal content. Key Takeaway Blend tradition with innovation in art. Themes music tradition innovation authenticity Mood thoughtful artistic Type creative musical When to use this quote - songwriting - folk festivals - cultural preservation - modern storytelling Key Concepts genre adaptation creative reinterpretation Questions to Reflect On - How can you honor tradition while staying original? - What elements make a modern work feel authentically folk? A Different Perspective Risk of being seen as derivative or lacking originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bob/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dylan/) [Folk music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folk-music/) [Folk songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folk-songs/) [Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks/) [Guthrie Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guthrie-songs-2711684/) [Like Ploughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-ploughing-5792815/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Ploughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ploughing/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Sing Ploughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sing-ploughing-5792814/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Songs Folk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs-folk-1674182/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Woody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woody/) [Woody Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woody-guthrie/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I grew up in the Bay Area, and I went to lovely public schools with gardens and arts programs, and we sang Woody Guthrie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-barbaro/i-grew-up-in-the-bay-area-and-i-went-to-lovely-public-schools-with/) [Monica Barbaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-barbaro/) > [...you could listen to Woody Guthrie songs and actually learn how to live ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/you-could-listen-to-woody-guthrie-songs-and-actually-learn-how-to-live/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [A lot of Woody Guthrie's songs were taken from other songs. He would rework the melody and lyrics, and all of a sudden it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/a-lot-of-woody-guthrie-s-songs-were-taken-from-other-songs-he-would/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I guess all songs is folk songs. I never heard no horse sing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-bill-broonzy/i-guess-all-songs-is-folk-songs-i-never-heard-no-horse-sing-them/) [Big Bill Broonzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-bill-broonzy/) > [I guess all songs is folk songs. I never heard no horse sing 'em.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-bill-broonzy/i-guess-all-songs-is-folk-songs-i-never-heard-no-horse-sing-em/) [Big Bill Broonzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-bill-broonzy/) > [Folk music is not so much a body of art as it is a process, an attitude, and a way of life; its distinguishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-hinton/folk-music-is-not-so-much-a-body-of-art-as-it-is-a-process-an/) [Sam Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-hinton/) > [ I don't think I have any right to say I belong to that \[Woody Guthrie/Bob Dylan tradition\]. I think that's something that eventually maybe… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-don-t-think-i-have-any-right-to-say-i-belong-to-that-woody-guthrie/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [To teach one who has no curiosity to learn, is to sow a field without ploughing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/to-teach-one-who-has-no-curiosity-to-learn-is-to-sow-a-field-without/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [We are going to inherit the earth . There is not the slightest doubt about that. The bourgeoisie may blast and burn its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buenaventura-durruti/we-are-going-to-inherit-the-earth-there-is-not-the-slightest-doubt-2/) [Buenaventura Durruti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buenaventura-durruti/) > [Courage to me means ploughing through that dull gray mist that comes down on life-not only overriding people and circumstances but overriding the bleakness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/courage-to-me-means-ploughing-through-that-dull-gray-mist-that-comes/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [It is often said it is no matter what a man believes if he is only sincere. This is true of all minor truths,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/it-is-often-said-it-is-no-matter-what-a-man-believes-if-he-is-only/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sojourner-truth/and-ain-t-i-a-woman-look-at-me-look-at-my-arm-i-have-ploughed-and/) [Sojourner Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sojourner-truth/) > [As he rounded the corner, he saw two dozen men, naked to the waist, digging a hole thirty yards square at the side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-faulks/as-he-rounded-the-corner-he-saw-two-dozen-men-naked-to-the-waist/) [Sebastian Faulks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-faulks/) > [The earth doesn't belong to anyone. It is the land upon which all of us are to live for many years, ploughing, reaping and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/the-earth-doesn-t-belong-to-anyone-it-is-the-land-upon-which-all-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Well, I am ploughing on my canvases as they do on their fields (the peasants). It goes badly enough in our profession - in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/well-i-am-ploughing-on-my-canvases-as-they-do-on-their-fields-the/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) ## More by Justin Townes Earle > [I've always written. When I was in school, the only teacher who ever liked me was my creative writing teacher. I used to enter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-ve-always-written-when-i-was-in-school-the-only-teacher-who-ever/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [I didn't do anything differently than what my father was doing. It's a really hard family to rebel in. I could have become an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-didn-t-do-anything-differently-than-what-my-father-was-doing-it-s-a/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [ I don't think I have any right to say I belong to that \[Woody Guthrie/Bob Dylan tradition\]. I think that's something that eventually maybe… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-don-t-think-i-have-any-right-to-say-i-belong-to-that-woody-guthrie/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [I didn't get into music to become a blues musician, or a country musician. I'm a singer-songwrit er. In my book that means I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-didn-t-get-into-music-to-become-a-blues-musician-or-a-country/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [I think that it's the job of the artist to be in transition and constantly learn more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-think-that-it-s-the-job-of-the-artist-to-be-in-transition-and/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [I always watched movies and rooted for the bad guys, you know? I've always been that kind of guy. I still hold some respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-always-watched-movies-and-rooted-for-the-bad-guys-you-know-i-ve/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [There’s a certain urgency that comes from the records of the early 60s before overdubbing and multitracking came into play,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/there-s-a-certain-urgency-that-comes-from-the-records-of-the-early/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [I heard Nirvana, and discovered that songs could be like poetry, but a little bit more refined: you didn't have to have 20 verses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-heard-nirvana-and-discovered-that-songs-could-be-like-poetry-but-a/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [I think a lot of men are afraid of pretty things, and I'm not, I like pretty songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-think-a-lot-of-men-are-afraid-of-pretty-things-and-i-m-not-i-like/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [I love Motown, but I've obviously always been more of a Memphis soul fan. If it's Stax or Motown, I go Stax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-love-motown-but-i-ve-obviously-always-been-more-of-a-memphis-soul/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [On the road, I weigh 168. At home, ten more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/on-the-road-i-weigh-168-at-home-ten-more/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [I've got a 27-inch waist. Before, I was stupid smaller. Finding clothes in the South was impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-ve-got-a-27-inch-waist-before-i-was-stupid-smaller-finding-clothes/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [Finding clothes in the South was impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/finding-clothes-in-the-south-was-impossible/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [I know I’m never going to be a big pop star, because I’m not willing to conform,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-know-i-m-never-going-to-be-a-big-pop-star-because-i-m-not-willing/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [You have to live what you write, or you have to know it. There are exceptions, like story songs, where you just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/you-have-to-live-what-you-write-or-you-have-to-know-it-there-are/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) [Explore all 30 Justin Townes Earle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) ## More Bob quotes > [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I think anyone that grew up in the '70s and '80s grew up with Bob Barker and Wink Martindale and I think that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-fieri/i-think-anyone-that-grew-up-in-the-70s-and-80s-grew-up-with-bob/) [Guy Fieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-fieri/) > [ Except in these latter-day songs, \[Bob\] Dylan is a grizzled old prophet who's already been to hell and back. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/except-in-these-latter-day-songs-bob-dylan-is-a-grizzled-old-prophet/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [Over the past 50 years Bob Hope employed 88 joke writers who supplied him with more than one million gags, and he still couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/over-the-past-50-years-bob-hope-employed-88-joke-writers-who-supplied/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) > [I was very engaged by the folk music movement.Bob Dylan; Joan Baez; Peter, Paul and Mary. And then I sort of discovered world music,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-was-very-engaged-by-the-folk-music-movement-bob-dylan-joan-baez/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [ The most recent incarnation of \[Bob\] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan-has-been-the-traveling/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [Well. We’ll just have to hope that this wasn’t a loup-garou, I guess.” “If it was a louper, you’d know,” Bob said wisely. “In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/well-we-ll-just-have-to-hope-that-this-wasn-t-a-loup-garou-i-guess-if/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [Because of my tremendous respect for Bob Barker and for the show's high standards of professionalism I consider this a tremendous honor that few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-west/because-of-my-tremendous-respect-for-bob-barker-and-for-the-show-s/) [Randy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-west/) > [That's who I wanted to be like was Bob Dylan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kristofferson/that-s-who-i-wanted-to-be-like-was-bob-dylan/) [Kris Kristofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kristofferson/) > [Everybody who I ever cared about has told me that they like my music: Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Al Green, The Spinners, Smokey Robinson.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/everybody-who-i-ever-cared-about-has-told-me-that-they-like-my-music/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [Bob's work gleaned from hoofing, from vaudeville, from ballet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reinking/bob-s-work-gleaned-from-hoofing-from-vaudeville-from-ballet/) [Ann Reinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reinking/) > [Producing Bob Dylan was pretty much a spectator sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-kooper/producing-bob-dylan-was-pretty-much-a-spectator-sport/) [Al Kooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-kooper/) > [Listen, the story of the United States is this: One kid, without anything, walks out of his house, down the road, with nothing but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-bone-burnett/listen-the-story-of-the-united-states-is-this-one-kid-without/) [T Bone Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-bone-burnett/) > [I figure if I keep my health, I have no intention of retiring. I love to work. I want to be like Bob Hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-figure-if-i-keep-my-health-i-have-no-intention-of-retiring-i-love/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) [Browse all 886 Bob quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bob/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What I'm doing is basically the same as Bob Dylan did with folk songs and Woody Guthrie songs, the same as folk music's always done. 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