--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't hear record companies coming up…" description: "\"I don't hear record companies coming up with any good ideas or suggestions. Historically, if it ain't their idea, it ain't no good, so you got that to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc4/levon-helm-12317_company_i-don-t-hear-record-companies-coming-up_150053.jpg" --- # I don't hear record companies coming up with any good… ![“I don't hear record companies coming up with any good ideas or suggestions. Historically, if it ain't their idea, it ain't no good, so you got that to contend with.” quote by Levon Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc4/levon-helm-12317_company_i-don-t-hear-record-companies-coming-up_150053.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc4/levon-helm-12317_company_i-don-t-hear-record-companies-coming-up_150053.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc4/levon-helm-12317_company_i-don-t-hear-record-companies-coming-up_150053.jpg) > “I don't hear record companies coming up with any good ideas or suggestions. Historically, if it ain't their idea, it ain't no good, so you got that to contend with.” [Levon Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levon-helm/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Record companies often lack originality, dismissing ideas not their own. **In simple terms:** Labels rarely generate fresh ideas. Key Takeaway Seek authentic creativity. Themes music industry originality control Mood skeptical determined Type critical inspirational When to use this quote - songwriting - artist development - industry critique Key Concepts authorship commercial pressure Questions to Reflect On - How can artists retain autonomy? - What alternatives exist for creative freedom? A Different Perspective Innovation can be stifled by gatekeepers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Good ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-ideas/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Record companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-companies/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Suggestions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suggestions/) ## Related quotes > [If you have a good idea, open your mouth and say something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/if-you-have-a-good-idea-open-your-mouth-and-say-something-else/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [I think I'm just trying to show a more mature side of the band and I think we've really come into the sound of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-c-miller/i-think-i-m-just-trying-to-show-a-more-mature-side-of-the-band-and-i/) [Jason C. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-c-miller/) > [Rock 'n' roll started to make so much money and generated so much income for the record companies that suddenly it was no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/rock-n-roll-started-to-make-so-much-money-and-generated-so-much/) [John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/) > [I have tons of tunes, maybe 30 tunes that I still think are great, and only because some jerk at a record company didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-have-tons-of-tunes-maybe-30-tunes-that-i-still-think-are-great-and/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [When people start writing songs for award shows, there's a very limited palette you can use. You end up not sounding like you. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dirnt/when-people-start-writing-songs-for-award-shows-there-s-a-very/) [Mike Dirnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dirnt/) > [A lot of people that buy vinyl today don’t realise that they’re listening to CD masters on vinyl and that’s because the record companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/a-lot-of-people-that-buy-vinyl-today-don-t-realise-that-they-re/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Records used to be documents, but now record companies want product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-getz/records-used-to-be-documents-but-now-record-companies-want-product/) [Stan Getz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-getz/) > [I've tried to stay true, in my own fashion, to the ideas of The Sex Pistols, even while I was working with bands like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-temple/i-ve-tried-to-stay-true-in-my-own-fashion-to-the-ideas-of-the-sex/) [Julien Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-temple/) > [I'm okay with suggestions but I want to do what I believe in, because I'm inspired by an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautham-menon/i-m-okay-with-suggestions-but-i-want-to-do-what-i-believe-in-because/) [Gautham Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautham-menon/) > [I've long ago learned that if an idea will stand on its own, it'll stand having the light shone on it. But if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fogerty/i-ve-long-ago-learned-that-if-an-idea-will-stand-on-its-own-it-ll/) [John Fogerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fogerty/) > [It is never a good idea to not be comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garance-dore/it-is-never-a-good-idea-to-not-be-comfortable/) [Garance Dore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garance-dore/) > [I came to New York in 1986. My father didn't think it was a good idea. I didn't know how I found it, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-costa/i-came-to-new-york-in-1986-my-father-didn-t-think-it-was-a-good-idea/) [Francisco Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-costa/) > [I have one very basic rule when it comes to "good ideas". A good idea is not an idea that solves a problem cleanly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-have-one-very-basic-rule-when-it-comes-to-good-ideas-a-good-idea-is/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [The Constitution: it's not just a good idea, it's the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-badnarik/the-constitution-it-s-not-just-a-good-idea-it-s-the-law/) [Michael Badnarik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-badnarik/) > [Everything in New Orleans is a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/everything-in-new-orleans-is-a-good-idea/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) ## More by Levon Helm > [Music is the language of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levon-helm/music-is-the-language-of-heaven/) [Levon Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levon-helm/) > [The rock star stuff never came up for us. 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He teaches me a song or two every time I'm home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levon-helm/my-dad-and-i-played-music-he-teaches-me-a-song-or-two-every-time-i-m/) [Levon Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levon-helm/) > [I was in high school, trying to get out of high school. 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I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [Companies are not charitable enterprises: They hire workers to make profits. In the United States, this logic still works. In Europe, it hardly does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/companies-are-not-charitable-enterprises-they-hire-workers-to-make/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [I don't think that a company should own a studio and the network, and program for their own network. It hurts the creativity -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/i-don-t-think-that-a-company-should-own-a-studio-and-the-network-and/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [Antidepressants are the biggest fraud in the world. 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