--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a very slow songwriter; it takes me…" description: "\"I'm a very slow songwriter; it takes me sometimes years to write one song, if I ever finish.\" — Michael McDonald" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/michael-mcdonald-6275_finish_i-m-a-very-slow-songwriter-it-takes-me-s_544297.jpg" --- # I'm a very slow songwriter; it takes me sometimes years to… ![“I'm a very slow songwriter; it takes me sometimes years to write one song, if I ever finish.” quote by Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/michael-mcdonald-6275_finish_i-m-a-very-slow-songwriter-it-takes-me-s_544297.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/michael-mcdonald-6275_finish_i-m-a-very-slow-songwriter-it-takes-me-s_544297.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/michael-mcdonald-6275_finish_i-m-a-very-slow-songwriter-it-takes-me-s_544297.jpg) > “I'm a very slow songwriter; it takes me sometimes years to write one song, if I ever finish.” [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Songwriting can be a slow, patient process, sometimes taking years to finish a piece. **In simple terms:** Writing songs often takes a long time. Key Takeaway Practice patience and keep creating. Themes creativity patience artistry Mood thoughtful encouraging Type creative inspirational When to use this quote - album production - personal songwriting - collaborative projects - learning instruments Key Concepts music composition creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay motivated over long projects? - What steps help you finish a song? A Different Perspective Perfectionism may stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Songwriter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriter/) ## Related quotes > [I'm always good for starting a bit of a tune and the first verse, but after that I just can never go anywhere. 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When you write a song, there are no rules, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirah/i-m-a-terrible-sentence-finisher-i-think-that-s-why-i-m-a-songwriter/) [Mirah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirah/) > [I was one of those guys, you know, playing and singing, and there was no reason for me to write a song, because there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-was-one-of-those-guys-you-know-playing-and-singing-and-there-was-no/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I'd hate to be a songwriter starting a career today...Al Stanton walked in one day and said, 'Otis, I've got an idea. Why don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-blackwell/i-d-hate-to-be-a-songwriter-starting-a-career-today-al-stanton-walked/) [Otis Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-blackwell/) > [You can't write a song out of thin air. You have to feel and know what you are writing about. ... Talent is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-berlin/you-can-t-write-a-song-out-of-thin-air-you-have-to-feel-and-know-what/) [Irving Berlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-berlin/) > [ It just takes a long time for me \[to write a song\]. I'm very slow. And it comes, kind of, by dribbles and drops. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-just-takes-a-long-time-for-me-to-write-a-song-i-m-very-slow-and-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I used to feel like I wasn't a good songwriter when I couldn't finish a song by myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/i-used-to-feel-like-i-wasn-t-a-good-songwriter-when-i-couldn-t-finish/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Slow and quiet is way more difficult than hard and fast, any day of the week. So for me that's always a little more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-freese/slow-and-quiet-is-way-more-difficult-than-hard-and-fast-any-day-of/) [Josh Freese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-freese/) > [It takes many years to be a great comedian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/it-takes-many-years-to-be-a-great-comedian/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [Sometimes it takes years to really grasp what has happened to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilma-rudolph/sometimes-it-takes-years-to-really-grasp-what-has-happened-to-your/) [Wilma Rudolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilma-rudolph/) > [Something which hurt us within seconds takes years, to get over. To heal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hqlinestumblr/something-which-hurt-us-within-seconds-takes-years-to-get-over-to-heal/) HQLinesTumblr > [A reputation takes years to build, but only a moment to destroy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-reputation-takes-years-to-build-but-only-a-moment-to-destroy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Someone told me once that Lucinda Williams takes six years between albums, and that's what stuck to me; it's like, you really are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ditto/someone-told-me-once-that-lucinda-williams-takes-six-years-between/) [Beth Ditto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ditto/) ## More by Michael McDonald > [Beck is obviously a consummate musician. He plays instruments, many instruments. He can make his own record without having a fleet of computer operators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/beck-is-obviously-a-consummate-musician-he-plays-instruments-many/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I'd say that Ray Charles is definitely the biggest influence on my singing. Also Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-d-say-that-ray-charles-is-definitely-the-biggest-influence-on-my/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [Since the '60s, we've lived so much in an age of quick fixes that the culture itself has become a quick fix.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/since-the-60s-we-ve-lived-so-much-in-an-age-of-quick-fixes-that-the/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [Hey, I'd love to have a hit single, but if that doesn't happen, I'm not going to complain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/hey-i-d-love-to-have-a-hit-single-but-if-that-doesn-t-happen-i-m-not/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I truly cherish the time and experience with friends that I have been making music with for so many years, even decades now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-truly-cherish-the-time-and-experience-with-friends-that-i-have-been/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [While making any record, you look for the opportunity to bring someone who will help generate something special in the music environments you create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/while-making-any-record-you-look-for-the-opportunity-to-bring-someone/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I do love the Nat King Cole stuff, the classic Christmas records. 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I've been fortunate to work with a lot of great people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-ve-always-felt-like-the-forrest-gump-of-the-music-business-i-ve/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [Rap is like any other genre: There are the people who are very creative with it and do remarkable things... and then there's that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/rap-is-like-any-other-genre-there-are-the-people-who-are-very/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I wish I wrote songs like Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, Don Henley, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, so many of the songwriters I admire. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-wish-i-wrote-songs-like-donald-fagen-walter-becker-don-henley/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [Most of my life is taken up with family. It takes me awhile to get a record together that I feel is worthy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/most-of-my-life-is-taken-up-with-family-it-takes-me-awhile-to-get-a/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > ['Livin' on the Fault Line' was kind of a commercial disappointment for us, although it seemed to have a certain buzz with the smaller…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/livin-on-the-fault-line-was-kind-of-a-commercial-disappointment-for/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [We try to promote the Christmas season and remind people that it is a season of peace. 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His sprint finish to defend his title really moved me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-farah/my-first-olympics-memory-was-watching-haile-gebrselassie-in-sydney/) [Mo Farah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-farah/) > [Children should finish school and even go to college if they can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fuller/children-should-finish-school-and-even-go-to-college-if-they-can/) [Robert Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fuller/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It doesn't matter where you start but how you finish that matters!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-irick-rainford/it-doesn-t-matter-where-you-start-but-how-you-finish-that-matters/) Valerie Irick Rainford > [Whenever I finish a film, I feel that this is the worst film that I have made. This is bound to happen because while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/whenever-i-finish-a-film-i-feel-that-this-is-the-worst-film-that-i/) [Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/) > [When I finish my career, I can look back and then decide if it was good or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-henderson/when-i-finish-my-career-i-can-look-back-and-then-decide-if-it-was/) [Jordan Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-henderson/) > [I've enjoyed my time at every club I have worked at, I've been lucky, but I won't jump in and finish up working with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-redknapp/i-ve-enjoyed-my-time-at-every-club-i-have-worked-at-i-ve-been-lucky/) [Harry Redknapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-redknapp/) > [“Do it well, finish it properly, and move on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eunice-kennedy-shriver/do-it-well-finish-it-properly-and-move-on/) [Eunice Kennedy Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eunice-kennedy-shriver/) > [Not everyone who started with you will finish with you. Be willing to go without them if you have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-gaskins/not-everyone-who-started-with-you-will-finish-with-you-be-willing-to/) [Tony Gaskins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-gaskins/) > [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Call me old-fashioned, but it's always been my firm belief that a teacher's job should be for each of his or her students to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-crowder/call-me-old-fashioned-but-it-s-always-been-my-firm-belief-that-a/) [Steven Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-crowder/) > [If it is possible I want to finish my career at Manchester United.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-ji-sung/if-it-is-possible-i-want-to-finish-my-career-at-manchester-united/) [Park Ji-sung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-ji-sung/) > [A lot of times, you finish a movie, and you're either going, 'Oh, thank God, that's over,' or 'Oh, my God, it's over, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyck-godfrey/a-lot-of-times-you-finish-a-movie-and-you-re-either-going-oh-thank/) [Wyck Godfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyck-godfrey/) > [I used to review games on 'The Totally Rad Show,' and the best thing about that was I would finish games. Now, it's become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-trachtenberg/i-used-to-review-games-on-the-totally-rad-show-and-the-best-thing/) [Dan Trachtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-trachtenberg/) > [“Winners run through the finish line. End your day with passion and enthusiasm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butch-bellah/winners-run-through-the-finish-line-end-your-day-with-passion-and/) [Butch Bellah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butch-bellah/) Browse all 1,526 Finish quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm a very slow songwriter; it takes me sometimes years to write one song, if I ever finish.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael McDonald" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-m-a-very-slow-songwriter-it-takes-me-sometimes-years-to-write-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Finish" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-m-a-very-slow-songwriter-it-takes-me-sometimes-years-to-write-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/michael-mcdonald-6275_finish_i-m-a-very-slow-songwriter-it-takes-me-s_544297.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/michael-mcdonald-6275_finish_i-m-a-very-slow-songwriter-it-takes-me-s_544297.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffd/michael-mcdonald-6275_finish_i-m-a-very-slow-songwriter-it-takes-me-s_544297.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm a very slow songwriter; it takes me sometimes years to write one song, if I ever finish.” — Michael McDonald", "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": "Michael McDonald", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm a very slow songwriter; it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-m-a-very-slow-songwriter-it-takes-me-sometimes-years-to-write-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-m-a-very-slow-songwriter-it-takes-me-sometimes-years-to-write-one/#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 } } ] } ```