--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I first started writing songs, I…" description: "\"When I first started writing songs, I looked around at the bands that were making it, and they all had the original material. Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/paul-rodgers-4957_beatles_when-i-first-started-writing-songs-i-loo_2550758.jpg" --- # When I first started writing songs, I looked around at the… ![“When I first started writing songs, I looked around at the bands that were making it, and they all had the original material. Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, the Stones - everybody was writing their own songs. That's the way that you established your own identity.” quote by Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/paul-rodgers-4957_beatles_when-i-first-started-writing-songs-i-loo_2550758.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/paul-rodgers-4957_beatles_when-i-first-started-writing-songs-i-loo_2550758.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/paul-rodgers-4957_beatles_when-i-first-started-writing-songs-i-loo_2550758.jpg) > “When I first started writing songs, I looked around at the bands that were making it, and they all had the original material. Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, the Stones - everybody was writing their own songs. That's the way that you established your own identity.” [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Original songwriting is essential for establishing a unique musical identity, as shown by classic bands. **In simple terms:** Original songs build identity. Key Takeaway Create your own music. Themes creativity identity music industry Mood reflective encouraging Type advice motivational When to use this quote - songwriting workshops - band formation - record label pitches Key Concepts artistic integrity influence originality Questions to Reflect On - What defines originality in music? - How does originality affect success? A Different Perspective Originality can be hard to achieve commercially. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beatles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beatles/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Making Original](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-original-639802/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Original Material](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original-material-316555/) [Started Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-writing/) [Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stones/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-songs/) ## Related quotes > [I'm very lazy when it comes to making the original sound. I don't go through amplifiers and different compressors and signal parts. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-heap/i-m-very-lazy-when-it-comes-to-making-the-original-sound-i-don-t-go/) [Imogen Heap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-heap/) > [A daily creative project is like a marathon. It's a ridiculously daunting task, but making an original creation every day gives you an incredible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-scalin/a-daily-creative-project-is-like-a-marathon-it-s-a-ridiculously/) [Noah Scalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-scalin/) > [I started making original music during my YouTube process. And as a young female, dealing with a lot of male producers who were older…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/i-started-making-original-music-during-my-youtube-process-and-as-a/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Recreating a song is tougher than making an original song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanishk-bagchi/recreating-a-song-is-tougher-than-making-an-original-song/) [Tanishk Bagchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanishk-bagchi/) > [Actually, I never tell for whom my songs are written. It's a kind of superstition! I started writing songs for not having the courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrique-iglesias/actually-i-never-tell-for-whom-my-songs-are-written-it-s-a-kind-of/) [Enrique Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrique-iglesias/) > [ \[My mother\] is much more musical, and by the time I started writing songs - by the time I was about 17 - she… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/my-mother-is-much-more-musical-and-by-the-time-i-started-writing/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [Well, I started writing songs about three years ago when I learned to play the guitar, but I've been singing since I was eleven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colbie-caillat/well-i-started-writing-songs-about-three-years-ago-when-i-learned-to/) [Colbie Caillat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colbie-caillat/) > [I also started writing songs because I had this burning activity in my heart and had to express myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/i-also-started-writing-songs-because-i-had-this-burning-activity-in/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [When I was 6 my dad taught me the blues scale, and I started writing songs and improvising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/when-i-was-6-my-dad-taught-me-the-blues-scale-and-i-started-writing/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [I stopped writing fiction the moment I started writing songs, and I miss it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-shears/i-stopped-writing-fiction-the-moment-i-started-writing-songs-and-i/) [Jake Shears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-shears/) > [In 2012, I started writing songs - not for the world to hear, but for certain people I needed to talk to. My family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-booker/in-2012-i-started-writing-songs-not-for-the-world-to-hear-but-for/) [Benjamin Booker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-booker/) > [I just feel like it's easier to co-write sometimes, especially if you have chemistry with somebody. It kind of takes all the pressure off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-lambert/i-just-feel-like-it-s-easier-to-co-write-sometimes-especially-if-you/) [Miranda Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-lambert/) > [I started writing songs when I was 10. It was a natural way to express myself as a kid. It wasn't until I started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbra/i-started-writing-songs-when-i-was-10-it-was-a-natural-way-to-express/) [Kimbra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbra/) > [I've always loved to write, and I wrote fiction all my life. That's what I thought I was going to do in my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-shears/i-ve-always-loved-to-write-and-i-wrote-fiction-all-my-life-that-s/) [Jake Shears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-shears/) > [If you watch home videos, at 4 years old, I was doing nothing but being the entertainer. Singing 'Boot Scootin' Boogie' in the living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-rhett/if-you-watch-home-videos-at-4-years-old-i-was-doing-nothing-but-being/) [Thomas Rhett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-rhett/) ## More by Paul Rodgers > [In Free, we managed ourselves, and it was too tough for us to handle all of what that entailed when we got to touring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/in-free-we-managed-ourselves-and-it-was-too-tough-for-us-to-handle/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [I don't like lyrics to be overbearing. I like them to say something. But I'm not trying to change the world overnight. Something simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/i-don-t-like-lyrics-to-be-overbearing-i-like-them-to-say-something/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [I got the idea for the song 'Bad Company' when I saw a poster for the Jeff Bridges movie, and it reminded of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/i-got-the-idea-for-the-song-bad-company-when-i-saw-a-poster-for-the/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [There were personality clashes in Free, really. I think it's as simple as that; I think we felt we weren't leaving each other enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/there-were-personality-clashes-in-free-really-i-think-it-s-as-simple/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [I met Paul Kossoff for the first time when I was playing in the back of a pub room in Finsbury Park in London…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/i-met-paul-kossoff-for-the-first-time-when-i-was-playing-in-the-back/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [Free got famous fast, and it was a shock. You're working towards it, and when you suddenly get it with bells on, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/free-got-famous-fast-and-it-was-a-shock-you-re-working-towards-it-and/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [Without music in schools' curriculum, there is a void for young people to express, explore, and experience music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/without-music-in-schools-curriculum-there-is-a-void-for-young-people/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [When I was 14, I heard Otis Redding in a club local to me, and I was blown away. It leaped out at me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/when-i-was-14-i-heard-otis-redding-in-a-club-local-to-me-and-i-was/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [I like to be in control of my own destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/i-like-to-be-in-control-of-my-own-destiny/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [When we formed Bad Company, I looked around and asked, 'Who is the biggest rock band in the world?' The answer was undoubtedly Led…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/when-we-formed-bad-company-i-looked-around-and-asked-who-is-the/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [I look back on the early days of Free with Paul Kossoff with the most fondness of any of my bands, because I met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/i-look-back-on-the-early-days-of-free-with-paul-kossoff-with-the-most/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [You've had all that punk and New Wave thing, and I think people have really got sick up to here with it. I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/you-ve-had-all-that-punk-and-new-wave-thing-and-i-think-people-have/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [My dad worked on the Middlesbrough docks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/my-dad-worked-on-the-middlesbrough-docks/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [Soul and blues were a definite influence on me. It was raw and naked emotion which you didn't get much where I come from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/soul-and-blues-were-a-definite-influence-on-me-it-was-raw-and-naked/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [I toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd as a solo artist, many years ago. I love those guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/i-toured-with-lynyrd-skynyrd-as-a-solo-artist-many-years-ago-i-love/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) [Explore all 104 Paul Rodgers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) ## More Beatles quotes > [When I first started making music, it was learning other people's songs and putting them onto four-track. Like Beatles songs and stuff. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-ward/when-i-first-started-making-music-it-was-learning-other-people-s/) [M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-ward/) > [I am a big Beatles fan. And, you know, unbeknownst to anyone, I used to be one. But I have no problems of putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ringo-starr/i-am-a-big-beatles-fan-and-you-know-unbeknownst-to-anyone-i-used-to/) [Ringo Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ringo-starr/) > [As a child, I was this record collector/listener that would sit in a room and listen to the entire Beatles catalog alone, over and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cornell/as-a-child-i-was-this-record-collector-listener-that-would-sit-in-a/) [Chris Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cornell/) > [I thought my Beatles LPs sounded pretty good on a record player, but that was before I had heard a CD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-wood/i-thought-my-beatles-lps-sounded-pretty-good-on-a-record-player-but/) [Alastair Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-wood/) > [Growing up in San Diego, my main interests were the Beatles, Louis Armstrong, 'Star Wars,' baseball cards, and drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-mooney/growing-up-in-san-diego-my-main-interests-were-the-beatles-louis/) [Kyle Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-mooney/) > [He's (Ringo Starr) not even the best drummer in the Beatles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/he-s-ringo-starr-not-even-the-best-drummer-in-the-beatles/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [It was great fun to be able to work with so many different artists. And I'm paying a tribute to the Beatles. I've just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-preston/it-was-great-fun-to-be-able-to-work-with-so-many-different-artists/) [Billy Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-preston/) > ['The X Factor' seems to be more about building up personalities and people in tears. And it's not a new idea. The pre-Beatles pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jools-holland/the-x-factor-seems-to-be-more-about-building-up-personalities-and/) [Jools Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jools-holland/) > [Oh, I think country has changed tremendously. I think country has totally changed. Country music when I was a kid was Hank Williams. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/oh-i-think-country-has-changed-tremendously-i-think-country-has/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Elvis Presley's music said, 'Free your body.' The Beatles said, 'Free your mind.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/elvis-presley-s-music-said-free-your-body-the-beatles-said-free-your/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [The Beatles have a deeper appreciation of all music. There's a humor, there's a Broadway sense, and later on, the Indian stuff came in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-vivino/the-beatles-have-a-deeper-appreciation-of-all-music-there-s-a-humor/) [Jimmy Vivino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-vivino/) > [The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Bruce Springsteen, these are just some of the people who threatened to sue if we used their songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-mochrie/the-beatles-rolling-stones-barbra-streisand-bruce-springsteen-these/) [Colin Mochrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-mochrie/) > [If you look in my CD case, you'll see it's Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, now I can't think of anyone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angarano/if-you-look-in-my-cd-case-you-ll-see-it-s-pink-floyd-the-rolling/) [Michael Angarano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angarano/) > [ “Like almost all of Beefheart's recorded work, \[Trout Mask Replica\] was not even "ahead" of its time in 1969. Then and now, it stands… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/like-almost-all-of-beefheart-s-recorded-work-trout-mask-replica-was/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [It's marvelous when you visit Tokyo: they have these clubs, and they'll have 'Motown Night' or 'The Beatles - Totally Authentic and Live!' You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-palmer/it-s-marvelous-when-you-visit-tokyo-they-have-these-clubs-and-they-ll/) [Robert Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-palmer/) [Browse all 786 Beatles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beatles/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I first started writing songs, I looked around at the bands that were making it, and they all had the original material. Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, the Stones - everybody was writing their own songs. 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