---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I thought we were gonna get \"Smooth…"
description: "\"I thought we were gonna get \"Smooth Operator.\" That song was big in the '90s.\" — Rush Limbaugh"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/rush-limbaugh-28_bigs_i-thought-we-were-gonna-get-smooth-opera_651163.jpg"
---

#  I thought we were gonna get "Smooth Operator." That song…

![“I thought we were gonna get "Smooth Operator." That song was big in the '90s.” quote by Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/rush-limbaugh-28_bigs_i-thought-we-were-gonna-get-smooth-opera_651163.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/rush-limbaugh-28_bigs_i-thought-we-were-gonna-get-smooth-opera_651163.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/rush-limbaugh-28_bigs_i-thought-we-were-gonna-get-smooth-opera_651163.jpg)

> “I thought we were gonna get "Smooth Operator." That song was big in the '90s.”

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker expected a popular song but got a different one, highlighting misaligned expectations.

**In simple terms:** Expected one song, got another.

Key Takeaway

Check expectations before reacting.

Themes

expectation music disappointment

Mood

lighthearted ironic

Type

cultural observational

When to use this quote

- radio listening
- playlist creation
- event planning

Key Concepts

cultural reference miscommunication

Questions to Reflect On

- Why did the expectation differ from reality?
- How can we manage expectations in media consumption?

A Different Perspective

Misinterpretations can cause frustration.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/)

## Related quotes

> [My song 'Smooth Operator,' I think that's a real simple, easy, sing-a-long kind of song. It's not too complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-daddy-kane/my-song-smooth-operator-i-think-that-s-a-real-simple-easy-sing-a-long/)

[Big Daddy Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-daddy-kane/)

> [No need to ask. He's a smooth operator...Smooth operator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade/no-need-to-ask-he-s-a-smooth-operator-smooth-operator/)

[Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade/)

> [I'm mainstream, and I have pretty chart-tastic tastes. I don't often veer away from a big melodic song with big words for big stadiums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-williams/i-m-mainstream-and-i-have-pretty-chart-tastic-tastes-i-don-t-often/)

[Robbie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-williams/)

> [Sometimes when you get in this game, you think that you're going to take off if you do a song with someone big. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunna/sometimes-when-you-get-in-this-game-you-think-that-you-re-going-to/)

[Gunna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunna/)

> [Every band wants to be have a song that is that big, that will pretty much live on forever. I don't know too many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickey-medlocke/every-band-wants-to-be-have-a-song-that-is-that-big-that-will-pretty/)

[Rickey Medlocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickey-medlocke/)

> [Its hard cuz I like em all, but if I had to go with just one of them Id probably say the song, Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bow-wow/its-hard-cuz-i-like-em-all-but-if-i-had-to-go-with-just-one-of-them/)

[Bow Wow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bow-wow/)

> [I was a Teletype operator in the army, so that's where I learned to type. One day, I went downstairs to see if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-reiner/i-was-a-teletype-operator-in-the-army-so-that-s-where-i-learned-to/)

[Carl Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-reiner/)

> [Nonviolent non-co-operators can only succeed when they have succeeded in attaining control over the hooligans of India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/nonviolent-non-co-operators-can-only-succeed-when-they-have-succeeded/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [If you had a national grid with one operator, you had twenty or even a hundred operators, if you don't have the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-abraham/if-you-had-a-national-grid-with-one-operator-you-had-twenty-or-even-a/)

[Spencer Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-abraham/)

> [Non-co-operators will make a serious mistake if they seek to convert people to their creed by violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/non-co-operators-will-make-a-serious-mistake-if-they-seek-to-convert/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [I was a co-operator too in the sense that I non-co-operated for co-operation, and even then I said that if I could carry the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-was-a-co-operator-too-in-the-sense-that-i-non-co-operated-for-co/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [Well, there was stuff going on, heroic events. One was what used to be, and probably still is, the largest moving project in history.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/well-there-was-stuff-going-on-heroic-events-one-was-what-used-to-be/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [ \[Buckminster\] Fuller was an independent operator coming up with these madcap ways of combining things with absolutely no strings attached and the fact that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathon-keats/buckminster-fuller-was-an-independent-operator-coming-up-with-these/)

[Jonathon Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathon-keats/)

> [ It cannot be an American fight. And I think what the president \[Barack Obama\] has consistently said - which I agree with - is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-cannot-be-an-american-fight-and-i-think-what-the-president-barack/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [Every time I get in an elevator, the operator says the same thing to me: 'Basement?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/every-time-i-get-in-an-elevator-the-operator-says-the-same-thing-to/)

[Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/)

## More by Rush Limbaugh

> [You can criticize Trump and his wealth all day long, but you can't say he hasn't worked. You can say that about the Clintons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/you-can-criticize-trump-and-his-wealth-all-day-long-but-you-can-t-say/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [ I guarantee you \[Hillary Clinton\] is smoking in humiliation over the idea that she needs to heal and that \[Donald\] Trump's the guy to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-guarantee-you-hillary-clinton-is-smoking-in-humiliation-over-the/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [How do you, on the one hand, not object to Hillary Clinton being elected, and then, on the other hand, tell people, "Elect me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/how-do-you-on-the-one-hand-not-object-to-hillary-clinton-being/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [ The real leadership of the opposition is never, ever gonna do anything but continue to ramp up efforts to stop \[Donald\] Trump or destroy… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-real-leadership-of-the-opposition-is-never-ever-gonna-do-anything/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I can't see the Democrats working with Donald Trump on tax reform unless the rich get soaked. The thing about this that should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-can-t-see-the-democrats-working-with-donald-trump-on-tax-reform/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [We're in more wars today under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than under George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan. Yet they tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-re-in-more-wars-today-under-barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-than/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [People from all over the world came to America and assimilated into a single culture rooted in the founding, which is rooted in individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/people-from-all-over-the-world-came-to-america-and-assimilated-into-a/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [The left wants to transform America away from founding ideals, and this is it. And they know it. And they're doing everything they, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-left-wants-to-transform-america-away-from-founding-ideals-and/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [There is an all-out assault now on the Christian community in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-is-an-all-out-assault-now-on-the-christian-community-in-this/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [It doesn't matter to me where Barack Obama goes. If he wants to go to Hawaii because it's his home state, fine! Hunky-dory. Plastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-doesn-t-matter-to-me-where-barack-obama-goes-if-he-wants-to-go-to/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [ Four states where \[Democrats\] have the governorship and both houses of the legislature. That's it. They have lost seats. They are not gonna win… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/four-states-where-democrats-have-the-governorship-and-both-houses-of/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

[Explore all 2,819 Rush Limbaugh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

## More Bigs quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

> [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/)

[Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/)

> [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/)

> [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/)

[Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/)

> [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/)

[Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/)

> [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/)

[Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/)

> [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/)

[Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/)

> [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/)

[Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/)

> [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/)

[Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/)

> [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/)

[Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/)

> [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/)

[Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/)

Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I thought we were gonna get \"Smooth Operator.\" That song was big in the '90s.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rush Limbaugh"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-thought-we-were-gonna-get-smooth-operator-that-song-was-big-in-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bigs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-thought-we-were-gonna-get-smooth-operator-that-song-was-big-in-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/rush-limbaugh-28_bigs_i-thought-we-were-gonna-get-smooth-opera_651163.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/rush-limbaugh-28_bigs_i-thought-we-were-gonna-get-smooth-opera_651163.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c21/rush-limbaugh-28_bigs_i-thought-we-were-gonna-get-smooth-opera_651163.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I thought we were gonna get \"Smooth Operator.\" That song was big in the '90s.” — Rush Limbaugh",
                "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": "Rush Limbaugh",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I thought we were gonna get...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-thought-we-were-gonna-get-smooth-operator-that-song-was-big-in-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-thought-we-were-gonna-get-smooth-operator-that-song-was-big-in-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```