--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you write songs, you have to like…" description: "\"When you write songs, you have to like them yourself first, but then you have to make everyone else like them, because you can force them to play it, b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bb/mick-jagger-1929_firsts_when-you-write-songs-you-have-to-like-th_1883327.jpg" --- # When you write songs, you have to like them yourself… ![“When you write songs, you have to like them yourself first, but then you have to make everyone else like them, because you can force them to play it, but you can't force them to like it.” quote by Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bb/mick-jagger-1929_firsts_when-you-write-songs-you-have-to-like-th_1883327.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bb/mick-jagger-1929_firsts_when-you-write-songs-you-have-to-like-th_1883327.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bb/mick-jagger-1929_firsts_when-you-write-songs-you-have-to-like-th_1883327.jpg) > “When you write songs, you have to like them yourself first, but then you have to make everyone else like them, because you can force them to play it, but you can't force them to like it.” [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists must first love their work, then persuade others to appreciate it, recognizing that enjoyment cannot be forced. **In simple terms:** Love your art, then win others over. Key Takeaway Create for yourself, then share. Themes creativity audience authenticity Mood reflective determined Type advice motivational When to use this quote - songwriting - marketing - live performance - fan engagement Key Concepts self‑validation persuasion taste Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal vision with audience expectations? - What strategies help you gauge genuine interest? A Different Perspective Not everyone will like your work despite effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Never think that you are not like others,make they are not like you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arrahman/never-think-that-you-are-not-like-others-make-they-are-not-like-you/) ARRahman > [I wish I could hang out with every person who knows me and doesn't like me and make them like me, even if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-sennott/i-wish-i-could-hang-out-with-every-person-who-knows-me-and-doesn-t/) [Rachel Sennott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-sennott/) > [You make me smile like no one has ever, But you make me cry Like no one has ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-make-me-smile-like-no-one-has-ever-but-you-make-me-cry-like-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't try and make something you think someone else will like. You can only make what you like. How can you make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolandi-visser/you-can-t-try-and-make-something-you-think-someone-else-will-like-you/) [Yolandi Visser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolandi-visser/) > [Like if you always wanted to have the force like Popeye after eating Spinach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kand3n/like-if-you-always-wanted-to-have-the-force-like-popeye-after-eating/) [Kand3n](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kand3n/) > [I cannot force anyone to like or respect me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-basu-prasad/i-cannot-force-anyone-to-like-or-respect-me/) [Shweta Basu Prasad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-basu-prasad/) > [You cant FORCE me to like someone or force me to hangout with them, Jesus Christ it gets on my nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cant-force-me-to-like-someone-or-force-me-to-hangout-with-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Is there any force like faith?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/is-there-any-force-like-faith/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [We cannot force everyone to like you and agree with you, all we can do is just to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-alapan/we-cannot-force-everyone-to-like-you-and-agree-with-you-all-we-can-do/) [Mitch Alapan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-alapan/) > [I cant force myself to like you...Im sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-cant-force-myself-to-like-you-im-sorry/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't change just because you can't force everyone to like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleo/don-t-change-just-because-you-can-t-force-everyone-to-like-you/) [Cleo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleo/) > [I do so much to try and make you notice me and make myself seem like something you would want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-do-so-much-to-try-and-make-you-notice-me-and-make-myself-seem-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The No. 1 question I get from everybody is, 'How did you make it?' I'm like, Don't worry about making it. There is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-daly/the-no-1-question-i-get-from-everybody-is-how-did-you-make-it-i-m/) [Carson Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-daly/) > [Now, after the Cube, I still don't have any plans to make anything like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erno-rubik/now-after-the-cube-i-still-don-t-have-any-plans-to-make-anything-like/) [Erno Rubik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erno-rubik/) > [Always try to make yourself like a candle, which itself burns but gives light to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/always-try-to-make-yourself-like-a-candle-which-itself-burns-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mick Jagger > [I read the most extravagant things about people who suffer and depress because of things written about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/i-read-the-most-extravagant-things-about-people-who-suffer-and/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [Normally I am not so violent. Everything comes from the question: Where will I die? It is a strong concern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/normally-i-am-not-so-violent-everything-comes-from-the-question-where/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [Starting off in music, the purpose of it was not to become like well known on the street and be famous. You know, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/starting-off-in-music-the-purpose-of-it-was-not-to-become-like-well/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [Country music... doesn't bend notes in the same way, so I suppose it's very English, really. Even though it's been very Americanized, it feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/country-music-doesn-t-bend-notes-in-the-same-way-so-i-suppose-it-s/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [My father was furious with me, absolutely furious. I'm sure he wouldn't have been so mad if I'd have volunteered to join the army.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/my-father-was-furious-with-me-absolutely-furious-i-m-sure-he-wouldn-t/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [Iraq has lost 5 percent of its population, a number that in the U.S. would equal 14 million people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/iraq-has-lost-5-percent-of-its-population-a-number-that-in-the-u-s/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [People love talking about when they were young and heard Honky Tonk Women for the first time. It's quite a heavy load to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/people-love-talking-about-when-they-were-young-and-heard-honky-tonk/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [If you are British, you soon get used to people not loving you. The Irish remind us of offenses from 100 years ago. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/if-you-are-british-you-soon-get-used-to-people-not-loving-you-the/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [I didn't have any inhibitions. I saw Elvis and Gene Vincent, and I thought, "Well, I can do this." And I liked doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/i-didn-t-have-any-inhibitions-i-saw-elvis-and-gene-vincent-and-i/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [Either we stay at home and become pillars of the community or we go out and tour. We couldn't really find any communities that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/either-we-stay-at-home-and-become-pillars-of-the-community-or-we-go/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [That's one of the good things about a lot of the young British bands, they are mixing all styles of music. I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/that-s-one-of-the-good-things-about-a-lot-of-the-young-british-bands/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [Of course we're doing it for the money. We've always done it for the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/of-course-we-re-doing-it-for-the-money-we-ve-always-done-it-for-the/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [I haven't had the time to plan returning to the scene because I haven't left it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/i-haven-t-had-the-time-to-plan-returning-to-the-scene-because-i-haven/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [I got nasty habits; I take tea at three.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/i-got-nasty-habits-i-take-tea-at-three/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [The only performance that makes it, that really makes it, that makes it all the way, is the one that achieves madness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/the-only-performance-that-makes-it-that-really-makes-it-that-makes-it/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) [Explore all 197 Mick Jagger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) ## More Firsts quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. 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Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [When I first started, my message was about joy, but I didn't really have the vocabulary and life experience to fully deliver it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/when-i-first-started-my-message-was-about-joy-but-i-didn-t-really/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) Browse all 32,432 Firsts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you write songs, you have to like them yourself first, but then you have to make everyone else like them, because you can force them to play it, but you can't force them to like it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mick Jagger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/when-you-write-songs-you-have-to-like-them-yourself-first-but-then/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Firsts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/when-you-write-songs-you-have-to-like-them-yourself-first-but-then/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bb/mick-jagger-1929_firsts_when-you-write-songs-you-have-to-like-th_1883327.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bb/mick-jagger-1929_firsts_when-you-write-songs-you-have-to-like-th_1883327.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bb/mick-jagger-1929_firsts_when-you-write-songs-you-have-to-like-th_1883327.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you write songs, you have to like them yourself first, but then you have to make everyone else like…” — Mick Jagger", "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": "Mick Jagger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you write songs, you have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/when-you-write-songs-you-have-to-like-them-yourself-first-but-then/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/when-you-write-songs-you-have-to-like-them-yourself-first-but-then/#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 } } ] } ```