--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't get a better education in what…" description: "\"You can't get a better education in what it is to write songs until you listen to American soul music.\" — Roisin Murphy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/roisin-murphy-4949_american_you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what_49761.png" --- # You can't get a better education in what it is to write… ![“You can't get a better education in what it is to write songs until you listen to American soul music.” quote by Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/roisin-murphy-4949_american_you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what_49761.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/roisin-murphy-4949_american_you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what_49761.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/roisin-murphy-4949_american_you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what_49761.png) > “You can't get a better education in what it is to write songs until you listen to American soul music.” [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Immersive listening to American soul reveals the craft of songwriting, exposing melodic, lyrical, and rhythmic nuances that formal study alone cannot convey. **In simple terms:** Learn songwriting by absorbing soul music's style and structure. Key Takeaway Soul music is a masterclass in songcraft. Themes Music education Songwriting Cultural influence Listening skills Creative inspiration Mood Inspired Reflective Motivated Type Instructional Observational Motivational When to use this quote - Composing new songs - Analyzing song structures - Teaching music classes - Developing personal style - Improving lyrical content Key Concepts Melodic phrasing Lyric storytelling Rhythmic groove Emotional expression Practical Applications - Music curriculum design - Songwriting workshops Questions to Reflect On - How does soul music shape your melodic choices? - What lyrical techniques from soul can you apply? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-education/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Soul music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul-music/) ## Related quotes > [I think what I listen to now is what I listened to as a kid which is kind of black American soul. I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-healy/i-think-what-i-listen-to-now-is-what-i-listened-to-as-a-kid-which-is/) [Matthew Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-healy/) > [The corruption of the American soul is consumerism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-nicholson/the-corruption-of-the-american-soul-is-consumerism/) [Ben Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-nicholson/) > [The radio's pretty much always on, and I also listen to some American podcasts, such as for 'National Public Radio' and 'Newsweek'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schott/the-radio-s-pretty-much-always-on-and-i-also-listen-to-some-american/) [Ben Schott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schott/) > [I'm really an oldie, soldie, doldie... But I can't listen to 'American Pie' by Don McLean. It's so annoying, it goes on for ever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peaches/i-m-really-an-oldie-soldie-doldie-but-i-can-t-listen-to-american-pie/) [Peaches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peaches/) > [My parents wouldn't let me listen to 'American Idiot.' So it felt very rebellious to go over to my friend's house after school and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-baker/my-parents-wouldn-t-let-me-listen-to-american-idiot-so-it-felt-very/) [Julien Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-baker/) > [I'm weird - I don't really listen to American music while I'm writing. I do occasionally get an anthem song, but generally speaking, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/violet-duke/i-m-weird-i-don-t-really-listen-to-american-music-while-i-m-writing-i/) [Violet Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/violet-duke/) > [It's a really unfair world because life is, where I am; all day long we listen to American music. So I don't see why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/it-s-a-really-unfair-world-because-life-is-where-i-am-all-day-long-we/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [When I listen to an American singer, I wanna listen to his music in his language, because he's more spontaneous - he's more natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/when-i-listen-to-an-american-singer-i-wanna-listen-to-his-music-in/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [I used to go to soul nights because I loved dancing, and so did my friends, and we loved the music. We used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-astley/i-used-to-go-to-soul-nights-because-i-loved-dancing-and-so-did-my/) [Rick Astley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-astley/) > [The title song of David Bowie's 'Young Americans' is one of his handful of classics, a bizarre mixture of social comment, run-on lyric style,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-landau/the-title-song-of-david-bowie-s-young-americans-is-one-of-his-handful/) [Jon Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-landau/) > [The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essential-american-soul-is-hard-isolate-stoic-and-a-killer-it-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ah! American cigarettes are like the American soul - sweet and light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-frank/ah-american-cigarettes-are-like-the-american-soul-sweet-and-light/) [Hans Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-frank/) > [I've always been a big fan of the American soul sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-carreras/i-ve-always-been-a-big-fan-of-the-american-soul-sound/) [Jose Carreras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-carreras/) > [I'm a mad fan of American guitarist Ry Cooder and he made a record using Mexican musicians, but with American soul singers doing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-young/i-m-a-mad-fan-of-american-guitarist-ry-cooder-and-he-made-a-record/) [Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-young/) > [By hook or by crook, we're going to make sure that when I leave this office, that the country is more prosperous, more people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/by-hook-or-by-crook-we-re-going-to-make-sure-that-when-i-leave-this/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Roisin Murphy > [When I had my first child, I went back to Ireland to live with my mother. So, a typical day there was me being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/when-i-had-my-first-child-i-went-back-to-ireland-to-live-with-my/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [My music's like waiting for a bus. You wait a long time for one, then a whole heap of them come along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/my-music-s-like-waiting-for-a-bus-you-wait-a-long-time-for-one-then-a/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [I always try to lace my work with just a teensy-weensy bit of humour. It's rather like putting a sprig of feathery stuff in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/i-always-try-to-lace-my-work-with-just-a-teensy-weensy-bit-of-humour/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [My da used to sing 'Take Her Up to Monto' to me when we were walking down the street - he still does, actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/my-da-used-to-sing-take-her-up-to-monto-to-me-when-we-were-walking/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [I have a little antennae, and even when I'm trying not to be, I'm connected with the bloody zeitgeist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/i-have-a-little-antennae-and-even-when-i-m-trying-not-to-be-i-m/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [The reason why I'm not a pop star is I would have hated it. I'll stick to being an artist. I'm not trying not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/the-reason-why-i-m-not-a-pop-star-is-i-would-have-hated-it-i-ll-stick/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [I thought I would be a visual artist when I was growing up, so I'm always up for a bit of experimentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/i-thought-i-would-be-a-visual-artist-when-i-was-growing-up-so-i-m/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [The day I turned 16, I moved into my own flat. My parents had just broken up, and I didn't want to go back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/the-day-i-turned-16-i-moved-into-my-own-flat-my-parents-had-just/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [I work extremely hard, but I love every minute of it. Although I couldn't work as hard if I felt there was a ceiling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/i-work-extremely-hard-but-i-love-every-minute-of-it-although-i-couldn/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [I never thought that was even possible, to have your friends working with you. In the music, yes, in the creative side, yes, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/i-never-thought-that-was-even-possible-to-have-your-friends-working/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [When you're a kid, right, and you're surrounded by all these other kids, and let's say they don't have the same interests or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/when-you-re-a-kid-right-and-you-re-surrounded-by-all-these-other-kids/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [That's the good thing about pop. You can do whatever you like... it's a bendable medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/that-s-the-good-thing-about-pop-you-can-do-whatever-you-like-it-s-a/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [With Moloko, we tried to be the opposite of what was out there at the time. I like to be different. In the mid-Nineties,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/with-moloko-we-tried-to-be-the-opposite-of-what-was-out-there-at-the/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [I'm not someone to sit on her laurels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/i-m-not-someone-to-sit-on-her-laurels/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [My uncle was a photographer for 'The Irish Times.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/my-uncle-was-a-photographer-for-the-irish-times/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) [Explore all 104 Roisin Murphy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) Browse all 7,717 American quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't get a better education in what it is to write songs until you listen to American soul music.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roisin Murphy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what-it-is-to-write-songs-until/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what-it-is-to-write-songs-until/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/roisin-murphy-4949_american_you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what_49761.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/roisin-murphy-4949_american_you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what_49761.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/roisin-murphy-4949_american_you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what_49761.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't get a better education in what it is to write songs until you listen to American soul music.” — Roisin Murphy", "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": "Roisin Murphy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can't get a better education...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what-it-is-to-write-songs-until/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what-it-is-to-write-songs-until/#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 } } ] } ```