--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I've got a talent, it's for picking…" description: "\"If I've got a talent, it's for picking the right song at the right time for the right audience. And I can always get people to sing with me.\" — Pete Se..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/pete-seeger-1942_always_if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-th_2448476.png" --- # If I've got a talent, it's for picking the right song at… ![“If I've got a talent, it's for picking the right song at the right time for the right audience. And I can always get people to sing with me.” quote by Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/pete-seeger-1942_always_if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-th_2448476.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/pete-seeger-1942_always_if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-th_2448476.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/pete-seeger-1942_always_if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-th_2448476.png) > “If I've got a talent, it's for picking the right song at the right time for the right audience. And I can always get people to sing with me.” [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He excels at selecting songs that fit the moment and audience, encouraging collective singing. **In simple terms:** Has a knack for picking timely songs that unite people. Key Takeaway Choose songs that match the crowd and moment. Themes music leadership community timing participation Mood inspirational engaging Type music leadership When to use this quote - festivals - protest rallies - family gatherings - radio shows - concerts Key Concepts song selection crowd psychology collective singing Questions to Reflect On - How do you read the room? - What makes a song “right” for a crowd? A Different Perspective May not suit all audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [If I've got a talent, it's for picking the right song at the right time for the right audience. And I can always seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-the-right-song-at-the-right/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [Songs are funny things. They can slip across borders. Proliferate in prisons. Penetrate hard shells. I always believed that the right song at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/songs-are-funny-things-they-can-slip-across-borders-proliferate-in/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [“The key in all situations. . . is always to know your audience. It's not about what you know or what you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-monaco/the-key-in-all-situations-is-always-to-know-your-audience-it-s-not/) Kelly Monaco > [Really there's different scales of stories. Sometimes you want to tell one that 20, 30, 40, 50 million people will want to see and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/really-there-s-different-scales-of-stories-sometimes-you-want-to-tell/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [You can't second-guess your audience. You can only do what you think is right. If you do that, your audience will appreciate you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyle-lovett/you-can-t-second-guess-your-audience-you-can-only-do-what-you-think/) [Lyle Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyle-lovett/) > [When you get just that right audience and just that right sound on stage and you can just sit back and kinda just let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-lang/when-you-get-just-that-right-audience-and-just-that-right-sound-on/) [Jonny Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-lang/) > [Ive found that if you just try to make the film you want, youll find the right audience. If you try to please everyone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/ive-found-that-if-you-just-try-to-make-the-film-you-want-youll-find/) [Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/) > [I've seen the power of the community. A young person can stand up, talk about his dream, and someone from the audience will come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lakshmi-pratury/i-ve-seen-the-power-of-the-community-a-young-person-can-stand-up-talk/) [Lakshmi Pratury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lakshmi-pratury/) > [The ghastly thing about being a producer is that, once the curtain goes up, there is nothing you can do. At least when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-o-mara/the-ghastly-thing-about-being-a-producer-is-that-once-the-curtain/) [Kate O'Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-o-mara/) > [I've found that if you just try to make the film you want, you'll find the right audience. If you try to please everyone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-ve-found-that-if-you-just-try-to-make-the-film-you-want-you-ll-find/) [Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/) > [Now, when I started my theater, the modus operandi was having the actors stare right into the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-foreman/now-when-i-started-my-theater-the-modus-operandi-was-having-the/) [Richard Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-foreman/) > [Everybody loves a good Christmas song if you do it right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-carpenter/everybody-loves-a-good-christmas-song-if-you-do-it-right/) [Sabrina Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-carpenter/) > [There are a lot of aspects of filmmaking that I love, but one of my favorites is in post, finding the right song for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/there-are-a-lot-of-aspects-of-filmmaking-that-i-love-but-one-of-my/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [I can write a song, but can't un-right my wrongs. I guess you live and learn, learn when the love is gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-write-a-song-but-can-t-un-right-my-wrongs-i-guess-you-live-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He was right. The annoying Disney song was right. The universe was too fucking small.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/he-was-right-the-annoying-disney-song-was-right-the-universe-was-too/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) ## More by Pete Seeger > [Honest songs aren't written for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/honest-songs-aren-t-written-for-money/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [My father, Charles Seeger, got me into the Communist movement. He backed out around '38. I drifted out in the 50's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/my-father-charles-seeger-got-me-into-the-communist-movement-he-backed/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [In the sixties, during the Vietnam war, when anarchists and pacifists and socialists, Democrats and Republicans, decent-hearted Americans, all recoiled with horror at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/in-the-sixties-during-the-vietnam-war-when-anarchists-and-pacifists/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [Now somebody will ask me, Pete, how can you prove these songs really make a difference? And I have to confess I can't prove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/now-somebody-will-ask-me-pete-how-can-you-prove-these-songs-really/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [The truth is a rabbit in a bramble patch. All you can do is circle around and say it's somewhere in there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/the-truth-is-a-rabbit-in-a-bramble-patch-all-you-can-do-is-circle/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [I was about 16 years old years when my father took me to a square dance festival in North Carolina. For the first time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/i-was-about-16-years-old-years-when-my-father-took-me-to-a-square/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [It was Rachel Carson's famous book 'Silent Spring' that got me involved with the environment. I read it in The New Yorker, in installments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/it-was-rachel-carson-s-famous-book-silent-spring-that-got-me-involved/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [When you play the 12-string guitar, you spend half your life tuning the instrument and the other half playing it out of tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/when-you-play-the-12-string-guitar-you-spend-half-your-life-tuning/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [Folks out in the country couldn't afford to pay for anybody else to make music. They had to make their own. So the peasantry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/folks-out-in-the-country-couldn-t-afford-to-pay-for-anybody-else-to/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [If there's something wrong, speak up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/if-there-s-something-wrong-speak-up/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [This world is so full of hypocrisy, the only way you can be honest is to be a hermit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/this-world-is-so-full-of-hypocrisy-the-only-way-you-can-be-honest-is/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [There is a big, beautiful world that could be destroyed by selfishness and foolishness. We musicians have it within our power to help save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/there-is-a-big-beautiful-world-that-could-be-destroyed-by-selfishness/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [And the people in the houses All went to the University And they got put in boxes Little boxes all the same, Little boxes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/and-the-people-in-the-houses-all-went-to-the-university-and-they-got/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [A good song reminds us what we're fighting for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/a-good-song-reminds-us-what-we-re-fighting-for/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [Most conservatives just want to turn back the clock to a time before the income tax - 100 years or so. I would like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/most-conservatives-just-want-to-turn-back-the-clock-to-a-time-before/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) [Explore all 196 Pete Seeger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I've got a talent, it's for picking the right song at the right time for the right audience. And I can always get people to sing with me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pete Seeger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-the-right-song-at-the-right-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-the-right-song-at-the-right-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/pete-seeger-1942_always_if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-th_2448476.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/pete-seeger-1942_always_if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-th_2448476.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e07/pete-seeger-1942_always_if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-th_2448476.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I've got a talent, it's for picking the right song at the right time for the right audience. And I can…” — Pete Seeger", "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": "Pete Seeger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I've got a talent, it's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-the-right-song-at-the-right-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/if-i-ve-got-a-talent-it-s-for-picking-the-right-song-at-the-right-2/#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 } } ] } ```