--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm lyrically driven, I'm not musically…" description: "\"I'm lyrically driven, I'm not musically driven.\" — Mandy Patinkin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/mandy-patinkin-3117_driven_i-m-lyrically-driven-i-m-not-musically-d_1379225.jpg" --- # I'm lyrically driven, I'm not musically driven. ![“I'm lyrically driven, I'm not musically driven.” quote by Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/mandy-patinkin-3117_driven_i-m-lyrically-driven-i-m-not-musically-d_1379225.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/mandy-patinkin-3117_driven_i-m-lyrically-driven-i-m-not-musically-d_1379225.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/mandy-patinkin-3117_driven_i-m-lyrically-driven-i-m-not-musically-d_1379225.jpg) > “I'm lyrically driven, I'm not musically driven.” [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker emphasizes lyrical expression over musical composition, highlighting personal artistic priorities. **In simple terms:** Prefers words to music. Key Takeaway Focus on lyrical craft. Themes artistic identity creativity personal preference Mood thoughtful introspective Type personal artistic When to use this quote - songwriting - poetry workshops - performance preparation Key Concepts lyricism artistic focus self‑definition Questions to Reflect On - Do you value lyrics over melody? - How does this shape your creative process? A Different Perspective May limit collaborative musical opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven/) [Driven Musically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven-musically-4772755/) [Lyrically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyrically/) [Lyrically Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyrically-driven-4772754/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Musically Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musically-driven-4772756/) ## Related quotes > [So much of listening to lyrically driven music is projecting your own feelings and experiences into the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/so-much-of-listening-to-lyrically-driven-music-is-projecting-your-own/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I hope people describe my music as lyrically driven, cross genre. Kind of alternative, kind of indie, kind of rap, kind of everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-flay/i-hope-people-describe-my-music-as-lyrically-driven-cross-genre-kind/) [K. Flay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-flay/) > [While some mothers sing lullabies to their children, my mother read me poetry. And to this day, I associate my strongest and most insistent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masiela-lusha/while-some-mothers-sing-lullabies-to-their-children-my-mother-read-me/) [Masiela Lusha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masiela-lusha/) > [Someone once said that "The Waste Land" was a scum of poetry floating on a sea of footnotes. That resonated with me, because that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/someone-once-said-that-the-waste-land-was-a-scum-of-poetry-floating/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [More often than not, changes had to be made in order for a song to make sense, and by the end of it, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vincent-mcmorrow/more-often-than-not-changes-had-to-be-made-in-order-for-a-song-to/) [James Vincent McMorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vincent-mcmorrow/) > [Being able to say something lyrically, to say something that will do more than just be words, is really hard. It's easy to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/being-able-to-say-something-lyrically-to-say-something-that-will-do/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [I would feel really dishonest writing a song that was really sassy, or really confident, because I'm not a supremely confident being. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shura/i-would-feel-really-dishonest-writing-a-song-that-was-really-sassy-or/) [Shura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shura/) > [I have developed a visionary modern lyric, and, for it, an idiom in which I can write lyrically, colloquially, and dramatically. My subject is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-tonks/i-have-developed-a-visionary-modern-lyric-and-for-it-an-idiom-in/) [Rosemary Tonks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemary-tonks/) > [Lyrically, the most important thing for me is, how can I tell a cohesive story?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-biersack/lyrically-the-most-important-thing-for-me-is-how-can-i-tell-a/) [Andy Biersack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-biersack/) > [Great music is just very clear. Sonically and lyrically, you understand the point of view, you understand the melodies, you understand the vibe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tranter/great-music-is-just-very-clear-sonically-and-lyrically-you-understand/) [Justin Tranter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tranter/) > [Hip-hop is the music of the youth. It sort of has the same purpose as what we do, at least lyrically, because we both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amadou-bagayoko/hip-hop-is-the-music-of-the-youth-it-sort-of-has-the-same-purpose-as/) [Amadou Bagayoko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amadou-bagayoko/) > [For some music, lyrically, the best move is to keep it simple in what it is that you are saying, and just kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-thought/for-some-music-lyrically-the-best-move-is-to-keep-it-simple-in-what/) [Black Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-thought/) > [Lyrically I address loads of things that I've never talked about before, about me or about other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-james-alphonse-franceschi/lyrically-i-address-loads-of-things-that-i-ve-never-talked-about/) [Joshua James Alphonse Franceschi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-james-alphonse-franceschi/) > [It's always my mission to try to do something that hasn't been done before, whether that's musically, lyrically or in terms of mixing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/it-s-always-my-mission-to-try-to-do-something-that-hasn-t-been-done/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [Today's records, even though they may be lyrically repetitive and not saying anything particularly heavy, they have energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-king/today-s-records-even-though-they-may-be-lyrically-repetitive-and-not/) [Carole King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-king/) ## More by Mandy Patinkin > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I was forced to lie to my father by doctors and relatives. I made that choice and agreed with them, and I will never,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-was-forced-to-lie-to-my-father-by-doctors-and-relatives-i-made-that/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I just love, love going around and traveling and bringing the music to people. They just make you feel so happy that you came.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-just-love-love-going-around-and-traveling-and-bringing-the-music-to/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [In my prayers every day, which are a combination of Hebrew prayers and Shakespeare and Sondheim lyrics and things people have said to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/in-my-prayers-every-day-which-are-a-combination-of-hebrew-prayers-and/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [In the hands of good writers, you have the opportunity to present both sides of an opinion equally and that you leave it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/in-the-hands-of-good-writers-you-have-the-opportunity-to-present-both/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [If you told me I could only do one thing, I would choose live concerts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/if-you-told-me-i-could-only-do-one-thing-i-would-choose-live-concerts/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I never publicise in advance what I'm going to be singing because I never quite know until I start. I often change my mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-never-publicise-in-advance-what-i-m-going-to-be-singing-because-i/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [The great love of my life is music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/the-great-love-of-my-life-is-music/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I didn't think of myself as a singer. I'm an actor who recites words, and sometimes that happens to be on musical notes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-didn-t-think-of-myself-as-a-singer-i-m-an-actor-who-recites-words/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [Ted Cruz ,when he was running for president, was a huge 'Princess Bride' fan. He would quote the lines and, you know, trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/ted-cruz-when-he-was-running-for-president-was-a-huge-princess-bride/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I can achieve that by personally relating the words that I am saying to something I have known in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-can-achieve-that-by-personally-relating-the-words-that-i-am-saying/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [If you stand too close to a painting - all you see are patches of color, if you stand too far back, you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/if-you-stand-too-close-to-a-painting-all-you-see-are-patches-of-color/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [All great men usually are awakened by the great women in their lives. No matter what friction is there, if that relationship was there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/all-great-men-usually-are-awakened-by-the-great-women-in-their-lives/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I just want other people to know the kind of joy that I have in my life. I want other people to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-just-want-other-people-to-know-the-kind-of-joy-that-i-have-in-my/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [The time it takes to get something done is the time it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/the-time-it-takes-to-get-something-done-is-the-time-it-takes/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) [Explore all 139 Mandy Patinkin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) ## More Driven quotes > [From what I have seen, I am driven to the conclusion that religion is only good for good people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/from-what-i-have-seen-i-am-driven-to-the-conclusion-that-religion-is/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. Having purpose in your life gives you the courage to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/when-you-heed-the-calling-of-your-heart-you-are-following-your/) [Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/the-bird-with-the-thorn-in-its-breast-it-follows-an-immutable-law-it/) [Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/) > [ \[As in the case of\] alcohol prohibition, illegality has driven organized crime, sent countless people to jail, and killed many thousands. Repression does not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-branson/as-in-the-case-of-alcohol-prohibition-illegality-has-driven-organized/) [Sam Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-branson/) > [Good ideas and innovations must be driven into existence by courage and patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/good-ideas-and-innovations-must-be-driven-into-existence-by-courage/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [The World's a Printing-House, our words, our thoughts, Our deeds, are characters of several sizes. Each soul is a Compos'tor, of whose faults The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-world-s-a-printing-house-our-words-our-thoughts-our-deeds-are/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [I've always liked game shows - the competitive aspect and the character-driven personalities you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/i-ve-always-liked-game-shows-the-competitive-aspect-and-the-character/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [I've always believed that the desire must come from within, not as a result of being driven by coaches or parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-fraser/i-ve-always-believed-that-the-desire-must-come-from-within-not-as-a/) [Dawn Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-fraser/) > [When the enemy is driven back, we have failed, and when he is cut off, encircled and dispersed, we have succeeded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-suvorov/when-the-enemy-is-driven-back-we-have-failed-and-when-he-is-cut-off/) [Alexander Suvorov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-suvorov/) > [Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/darkness-is-only-driven-out-with-light-not-more-darkness/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Autonomy is impossible as long as one is driven by anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/autonomy-is-impossible-as-long-as-one-is-driven-by-anything/) [Gabor Mate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you." Valek's warm breath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/yelena-you-ve-driven-me-crazy-you-ve-caused-me-considerable-trouble/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [The P2 is the best car I have driven so far. Once you get your head round it, it's fun to drive, it's responsive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hoy/the-p2-is-the-best-car-i-have-driven-so-far-once-you-get-your-head/) [Chris Hoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hoy/) [Browse all 2,078 Driven quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm lyrically driven, I'm not musically driven.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mandy Patinkin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-m-lyrically-driven-i-m-not-musically-driven/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Driven" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-m-lyrically-driven-i-m-not-musically-driven/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/mandy-patinkin-3117_driven_i-m-lyrically-driven-i-m-not-musically-d_1379225.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/mandy-patinkin-3117_driven_i-m-lyrically-driven-i-m-not-musically-d_1379225.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/mandy-patinkin-3117_driven_i-m-lyrically-driven-i-m-not-musically-d_1379225.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm lyrically driven, I'm not musically driven.” — Mandy Patinkin", "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": "Mandy Patinkin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm lyrically driven, I'm not musically...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-m-lyrically-driven-i-m-not-musically-driven/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-m-lyrically-driven-i-m-not-musically-driven/#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 } } ] } ```