--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd rather be a poor singer/songwriter…" description: "\"I'd rather be a poor singer/songwriter doing what I love than get rich from selling my soul.\" — Mark Foster" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/mark-foster-5994_i-love_i-d-rather-be-a-poor-singer-songwriter-d_2072049.jpg" --- # I'd rather be a poor singer/songwriter doing what I love… ![“I'd rather be a poor singer/songwriter doing what I love than get rich from selling my soul.” quote by Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/mark-foster-5994_i-love_i-d-rather-be-a-poor-singer-songwriter-d_2072049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/mark-foster-5994_i-love_i-d-rather-be-a-poor-singer-songwriter-d_2072049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/mark-foster-5994_i-love_i-d-rather-be-a-poor-singer-songwriter-d_2072049.jpg) > “I'd rather be a poor singer/songwriter doing what I love than get rich from selling my soul.” [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing passion over profit preserves authenticity, even if it means modest earnings. **In simple terms:** Prefer love of craft to wealth. Key Takeaway Stay true to artistic vision. Themes art integrity career choices Mood earnest determined Type personal career When to use this quote - songwriting - independent publishing - live gigs - crowdfunding Key Concepts authenticity creative fulfillment financial trade‑offs Questions to Reflect On - What would you sacrifice for passion? - How to sustain art without compromising values? A Different Perspective Financial strain can limit creative freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not just a singer-songwriter doing songs in the key of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/i-m-not-just-a-singer-songwriter-doing-songs-in-the-key-of-me/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [I have a hard time really claiming my place as a songwriter or as doing anything of import really because I feel like I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirah/i-have-a-hard-time-really-claiming-my-place-as-a-songwriter-or-as/) [Mirah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirah/) > [Hubspot's leaders were not heroes but rather a pack of sales and marketing charlatans who spun a good story about magical transformation technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lyons/hubspot-s-leaders-were-not-heroes-but-rather-a-pack-of-sales-and/) [Daniel Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lyons/) > [“Many people have made money selling magic potions and Ponzi schemes, but few have gotten rich selling the advice, “Don’t buy that stuff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/many-people-have-made-money-selling-magic-potions-and-ponzi-schemes/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [Looking back on my whole experience, the biggest takeaway was just being proud of what you do, and knowing that it's okay to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-jesso-jr/looking-back-on-my-whole-experience-the-biggest-takeaway-was-just/) Tobias Jesso Jr > [Now we know that, the way contracts are set up, it's not really made for artists to get rich from selling records - that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lopes/now-we-know-that-the-way-contracts-are-set-up-it-s-not-really-made/) [Lisa Lopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lopes/) > [“He'd told her that the phrase deal with the Devil came from him; Ellie felt like she was on the verge of selling her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/he-d-told-her-that-the-phrase-deal-with-the-devil-came-from-him-ellie/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [All money is not good money,so when selling your soul for success becomes the option you will lose the true blessing that god has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-money-is-not-good-money-so-when-selling-your-soul-for-success/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't dislike being famous, but there have been moments when you think: 'Is this really worth it?' Sometimes you go through that stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-collins/i-don-t-dislike-being-famous-but-there-have-been-moments-when-you/) [Gemma Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-collins/) > [The money one gets for selling one's soul is always spent in deadening one's conscience, so the net gain at the end of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/the-money-one-gets-for-selling-one-s-soul-is-always-spent-in/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [“when selling your soul it's important to remember that there is no buy back clause in the contract”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/when-selling-your-soul-it-s-important-to-remember-that-there-is-no/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [Selling your soul feels like letting someone borrow your phone with your consent and yet you still instinctively check your pocket for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/selling-your-soul-feels-like-letting-someone-borrow-your-phone-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My pop always said poverty fucks with you... makes you think you can do things you really can't and start selling your soul for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-mcavoy/my-pop-always-said-poverty-fucks-with-you-makes-you-think-you-can-do/) [J.J. McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-mcavoy/) > [Selling my soul would be a lot easier if I could just find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/selling-my-soul-would-be-a-lot-easier-if-i-could-just-find-it/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [It seems like the only way you could be a big shot now a days is by selling your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-seems-like-the-only-way-you-could-be-a-big-shot-now-a-days-is-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mark Foster > [I don't care if it's Dr. Dre or Dr. Luke or Brian Eno. When you're in a studio and making music together, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/i-don-t-care-if-it-s-dr-dre-or-dr-luke-or-brian-eno-when-you-re-in-a/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [I've written so many songs that are hopeful - songs that are, like, about an old man that gives all his possessions away because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/i-ve-written-so-many-songs-that-are-hopeful-songs-that-are-like-about/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [I realized probably when I was, like, 20 years old that the hardest thing to do is to write a pop song - not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/i-realized-probably-when-i-was-like-20-years-old-that-the-hardest/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [I've written hundreds of songs, and I tend to think that my instincts are pretty good when it comes to what people are going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/i-ve-written-hundreds-of-songs-and-i-tend-to-think-that-my-instincts/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [A timeless pop song is the hardest thing to do as a songwriter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/a-timeless-pop-song-is-the-hardest-thing-to-do-as-a-songwriter/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [I like to write about real-life topics, and I like to write about different walks of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/i-like-to-write-about-real-life-topics-and-i-like-to-write-about/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [I love to honour people and to write positive songs about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/i-love-to-honour-people-and-to-write-positive-songs-about-them/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [We're not trying to be a mega-pop-band, but we also wouldn't be opposed to selling millions of records, either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/we-re-not-trying-to-be-a-mega-pop-band-but-we-also-wouldn-t-be/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [I truly believe that love is greater than politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/i-truly-believe-that-love-is-greater-than-politics/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [I remember, when I heard Jeff Buckley's 'Grace,' on first listen I just thought it was such a great song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/i-remember-when-i-heard-jeff-buckley-s-grace-on-first-listen-i-just/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [In Morocco, a Muslim country, I got to hear the call to prayer five times a day. 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If I could put 20 melodies in a song and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/i-love-countermelodies-i-love-hooks-and-melodies-that-stick-in-your/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [I look at bands like the Beach Boys, Hall & Oates and Blur, and those are the bands I want to be in company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/i-look-at-bands-like-the-beach-boys-hall-oates-and-blur-and-those-are/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) [Explore all 100 Mark Foster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) ## More I love quotes > [I love going to Columbia, Missouri. That is a really underrated campus. 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