--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The older I get, the more I think it's…" description: "\"The older I get, the more I think it's this listening. You listen for it, and you have a bit of patience. And it'll come until it sounds - to me, the b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/nick-lowe-9853_bits_the-older-i-get-the-more-i-think-it-s-th_1051584.jpg" --- # The older I get, the more I think it's this listening. You… ![“The older I get, the more I think it's this listening. You listen for it, and you have a bit of patience. And it'll come until it sounds - to me, the best songs I've written, I think, are ones that I can't hear anything - any of myself in it. It sounds like a cover song, like somebody else's song…” quote by Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/nick-lowe-9853_bits_the-older-i-get-the-more-i-think-it-s-th_1051584.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/nick-lowe-9853_bits_the-older-i-get-the-more-i-think-it-s-th_1051584.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/nick-lowe-9853_bits_the-older-i-get-the-more-i-think-it-s-th_1051584.jpg) > “The older I get, the more I think it's this listening. You listen for it, and you have a bit of patience. And it'll come until it sounds - to me, the best songs I've written, I think, are ones that I can't hear anything - any of myself in it. It sounds like a cover song, like somebody else's song - really something you've stolen wholesale off a radio that you've listened to in someone else's flat.” [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great songs emerge when the writer loses ego, letting external influences shape the music **In simple terms:** Best songs come from letting go of self and borrowing sounds Key Takeaway Embrace humility and external inspiration Themes creativity humility influence songwriting Mood introspective inspirational Type creative musical When to use this quote - songwriting sessions - collaborative studios - creative retreats - music production Key Concepts authenticity collaboration inspiration Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance influence with personal voice? - When does borrowing become plagiarism? A Different Perspective Over-reliance on others may dilute originality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-son/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Cover songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cover-songs/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Radio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radio/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [When I find a cover song that I like, I'll work away at it until I kind of believe that I wrote it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/when-i-find-a-cover-song-that-i-like-i-ll-work-away-at-it-until-i/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [The best thing is when you hear somebody take your song and make something great of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/the-best-thing-is-when-you-hear-somebody-take-your-song-and-make/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [When I record somebody else's song, I have to make it my own or it doesn't feel right. I'll say to myself, I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/when-i-record-somebody-else-s-song-i-have-to-make-it-my-own-or-it/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [Every day, somebody has a song they want you to hear, and you're stupid if you don't listen to it because you never know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-shelton/every-day-somebody-has-a-song-they-want-you-to-hear-and-you-re-stupid/) [Blake Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-shelton/) > [So pretty much, to sum it up, if you can freak someone out and bring that kind of emotion out of somebody with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lambert/so-pretty-much-to-sum-it-up-if-you-can-freak-someone-out-and-bring/) [Adam Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lambert/) > [I'm not interested in being the producer of somebody else's song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-m-not-interested-in-being-the-producer-of-somebody-else-s-song/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [All Patsy Cline had to do was sing somebody else’s song and her version would outsell theirs because it would be so good!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jones/all-patsy-cline-had-to-do-was-sing-somebody-else-s-song-and-her/) [George Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jones/) > [I usually tell somebody if a song’s for them. I don’t always tell them if it’s about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-garvey/i-usually-tell-somebody-if-a-song-s-for-them-i-don-t-always-tell-them/) [Guy Garvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-garvey/) > [I really don't believe in going too far out of your way to hunt down somebody to do a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-p/i-really-don-t-believe-in-going-too-far-out-of-your-way-to-hunt-down/) [El-P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-p/) > [Any lineup of Mot�rhead could play anything. You can witness it on the covers we've done: We even got a Grammy for one \[Metallica's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/motorhead/any-lineup-of-mot-rhead-could-play-anything-you-can-witness-it-on-the/) [Motorhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/motorhead/) > [I think if you're going to cover a song, you should definitely take it apart and put it back together as if you wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-martinez/i-think-if-you-re-going-to-cover-a-song-you-should-definitely-take-it/) [Melanie Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-martinez/) > [My idea of covers is that you should never cover a song and do it exactly like the artist because everyone's always going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-danzig/my-idea-of-covers-is-that-you-should-never-cover-a-song-and-do-it/) [Glenn Danzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-danzig/) > [I always feel that if you're going to cover a song, you should make it your own and flip it on its head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/i-always-feel-that-if-you-re-going-to-cover-a-song-you-should-make-it/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [Whenever I hear somebody cover a song, I don't like to hear it stray too far from the original. I like to hear some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-perry/whenever-i-hear-somebody-cover-a-song-i-don-t-like-to-hear-it-stray/) [Joe Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-perry/) > [It's no fun for me to cover a song and produce it the exact same way as it already exists. When I hear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-ward/it-s-no-fun-for-me-to-cover-a-song-and-produce-it-the-exact-same-way/) [M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-ward/) ## More by Nick Lowe > [You try to make every word count, so there's no doubt what you're talking about. When you're young, you waffle away. Well, I'm done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/you-try-to-make-every-word-count-so-there-s-no-doubt-what-you-re/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [And there were sort of three toys for boys and three toys for girls. And the boys I can remember was, well, there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/and-there-were-sort-of-three-toys-for-boys-and-three-toys-for-girls/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [And then, one day, they program a new tune, and it really catches your ear, you know, because you can be doing the washing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/and-then-one-day-they-program-a-new-tune-and-it-really-catches-your/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [I don't have the faith now. I certainly believe in Jesus - you know, that he existed and he was a very nice man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/i-don-t-have-the-faith-now-i-certainly-believe-in-jesus-you-know-that/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [I sort of have various sort of theories when people ask me about songwriting because it is a mystery. You don't really know. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/i-sort-of-have-various-sort-of-theories-when-people-ask-me-about/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [But anyway, I was convinced that it would go away, you know. But the idea was that he was sitting on a flight -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/but-anyway-i-was-convinced-that-it-would-go-away-you-know-but-the/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [Later in life, suddenly, if you're an outsider, it's something to be celebrated, I think, rather than getting on people's nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/later-in-life-suddenly-if-you-re-an-outsider-it-s-something-to-be/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [As long as my body holds out, I'll be grooving when I'm 70, and not some sort of horrible spectacle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/as-long-as-my-body-holds-out-i-ll-be-grooving-when-i-m-70-and-not/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [And religious music and the sort of symbolism of it and everything. But I had this idea. Actually, I sort of dreamt it. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/and-religious-music-and-the-sort-of-symbolism-of-it-and-everything/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [They tell me I produced songs. I just stood in the back, wore a good suit and said, Yeah, that's happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/they-tell-me-i-produced-songs-i-just-stood-in-the-back-wore-a-good/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [A devastating culmination of the elegant and the funky, a really sensational musician with enormous depth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/a-devastating-culmination-of-the-elegant-and-the-funky-a-really/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [I'm really lucky that I've had a little gang of people who I've been involved with for a long time... I've been really lucky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/i-m-really-lucky-that-i-ve-had-a-little-gang-of-people-who-i-ve-been/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [I'm still kind of a hapless character in my everyday life. But when it comes to the writing, my influences are very old influences.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/i-m-still-kind-of-a-hapless-character-in-my-everyday-life-but-when-it/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [In the '70s, you had to come up with an album every year whether you were ready or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/in-the-70s-you-had-to-come-up-with-an-album-every-year-whether-you/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [So you can be about your business, and then on it comes again. And this time you're ready, and you've got a wine glass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/so-you-can-be-about-your-business-and-then-on-it-comes-again-and-this/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) [Explore all 69 Nick Lowe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) ## More Bits quotes > [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/) [David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I became a bit of a teacher's pet, and it became known in the school by both faculty and students that I really excelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-became-a-bit-of-a-teacher-s-pet-and-it-became-known-in-the-school/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [He referred to me as an 'insufferable puffed-up prat'. This is a bit rich coming from a man who actually married his own mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/he-referred-to-me-as-an-insufferable-puffed-up-prat-this-is-a-bit/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [It won't do you a bit of good to know everything if you don't do anything with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-fitzhugh/it-won-t-do-you-a-bit-of-good-to-know-everything-if-you-don-t-do/) [Louise Fitzhugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-fitzhugh/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/) [Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/) > [I think that's the beauty of the current setup, is that Legends is meant to be a bit of a revolving door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-the-current-setup-is-that-legends-is/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [We, as pop stars, are people not androids. We’ve got views. I’ve got opinions and I don’t see why I shouldn’t use a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-meddows-taylor/we-as-pop-stars-are-people-not-androids-we-ve-got-views-i-ve-got/) [Roger Meddows Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-meddows-taylor/) > [In terms of style, too, I think I've been working with a somewhat limited -- although intentionally limited -- set of tools. So I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/in-terms-of-style-too-i-think-i-ve-been-working-with-a-somewhat/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [ Donald Trump has opened \[ politically correct enforcement\] up wide. He's made a very bold statement and he's backed it back just a little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-has-opened-politically-correct-enforcement-up-wide-he-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [When my name started popping up I was quite irritated and a little bit in shock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/when-my-name-started-popping-up-i-was-quite-irritated-and-a-little/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/) [Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/) Browse all 5,709 Bits quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The older I get, the more I think it's this listening. You listen for it, and you have a bit of patience. And it'll come until it sounds - to me, the best songs I've written, I think, are ones that I can't hear anything - any of myself in it. 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