--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not the cool thing, and I'm not going…" description: "\"I'm not the cool thing, and I'm not going to be the cool thing for a really long time, and it isn't like I'm not the cool thing and I sell 3,000,000 re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/ryan-adams-3854_big-companies_i-m-not-the-cool-thing-and-i-m-not-going_3140243.jpg" --- # I'm not the cool thing, and I'm not going to be the cool… ![“I'm not the cool thing, and I'm not going to be the cool thing for a really long time, and it isn't like I'm not the cool thing and I sell 3,000,000 records every time. I'm not the cool thing, and I barely sell 150,000 records, if that, ever. So I'm obviously working really hard to sustain myself…” quote by Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/ryan-adams-3854_big-companies_i-m-not-the-cool-thing-and-i-m-not-going_3140243.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/ryan-adams-3854_big-companies_i-m-not-the-cool-thing-and-i-m-not-going_3140243.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/ryan-adams-3854_big-companies_i-m-not-the-cool-thing-and-i-m-not-going_3140243.jpg) > “I'm not the cool thing, and I'm not going to be the cool thing for a really long time, and it isn't like I'm not the cool thing and I sell 3,000,000 records every time. I'm not the cool thing, and I barely sell 150,000 records, if that, ever. So I'm obviously working really hard to sustain myself. I'm actually a target to be dropped, because that's just not enough records for a big company.” [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acknowledges feeling out of sync with mainstream success metrics, emphasizing hard work and industry pressures despite commercial achievements. **In simple terms:** Hard work doesn’t guarantee mainstream “cool” status. Key Takeaway Focus on artistic integrity over external validation. Themes music industry success authenticity Mood reflective determined Type personal industry‑focused When to use this quote - album promotion - tour planning - mental health support - industry negotiations Key Concepts commercial pressure self‑esteem creative fatigue Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure personal success? - What role does public perception play in artistic motivation? A Different Perspective Success can be defined beyond sales numbers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-companies/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Cool things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cool-things/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Working really hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-really-hard/) ## Related quotes > [I was fascinated to see that if you knew what you were doing, you could sell a $3,000 computer system over the phone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-waitt/i-was-fascinated-to-see-that-if-you-knew-what-you-were-doing-you/) [Ted Waitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-waitt/) > [There's no publicist, no advertisements, and no one's pushing us. If people are buying our records, it's because big brothers and sisters or friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-moody/there-s-no-publicist-no-advertisements-and-no-one-s-pushing-us-if/) Spencer Moody > [When I did the record, I was coming off a time when my contract had been sold and the music industry had changed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-sweet/when-i-did-the-record-i-was-coming-off-a-time-when-my-contract-had/) [Matthew Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-sweet/) > [After you've written a story, the thing to do is sell it. Sounds simple, and it is, if one will follow certain basic principles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/after-you-ve-written-a-story-the-thing-to-do-is-sell-it-sounds-simple/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [The majority of my records that become big records are usually done in one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermaine-dupri/the-majority-of-my-records-that-become-big-records-are-usually-done/) [Jermaine Dupri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermaine-dupri/) > [In banking or insurance trust is the only thing you have to sell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dixon/in-banking-or-insurance-trust-is-the-only-thing-you-have-to-sell/) [Patrick Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dixon/) > [Everyone has something to sell. The greatest thing you can ever sell is an idea or talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-i/everyone-has-something-to-sell-the-greatest-thing-you-can-ever-sell/) T.I > [Truth is the easiest thing to sell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daymond-john/truth-is-the-easiest-thing-to-sell/) [Daymond John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daymond-john/) > [You only have one thing to sell in life, and that's yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-kravis/you-only-have-one-thing-to-sell-in-life-and-that-s-yourself/) [Henry Kravis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-kravis/) > [I always knew that content was the best way to sell things, but my thing was, why sell other people's stuff if I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-dash/i-always-knew-that-content-was-the-best-way-to-sell-things-but-my/) [Damon Dash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-dash/) > [Records have images. There are wet records and dry records. And big records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-garfunkel/records-have-images-there-are-wet-records-and-dry-records-and-big/) [Art Garfunkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-garfunkel/) > [Coming out with records when you're in a big, successful group that plays stadiums, that's scary to come out by yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/coming-out-with-records-when-you-re-in-a-big-successful-group-that/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [I don't make as many records as other people do because I prefer the live side of it - and my records are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaggy/i-don-t-make-as-many-records-as-other-people-do-because-i-prefer-the/) [Shaggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaggy/) > [If I was going to sell out, I would do it for more than 10,000 records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-elling/if-i-was-going-to-sell-out-i-would-do-it-for-more-than-10-000-records/) [Kurt Elling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-elling/) > [We've sold over 100,000 records so far, and we're an independent label.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-hanson/we-ve-sold-over-100-000-records-so-far-and-we-re-an-independent-label/) [Isaac Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-hanson/) ## More by Ryan Adams > [I was never much of a bass player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/i-was-never-much-of-a-bass-player/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [Ultimately, however bad a situation is for people, especially if it's a condition of love or some internal dialogue, I think most people would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/ultimately-however-bad-a-situation-is-for-people-especially-if-it-s-a/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [I am aware of the depths of heartache I'm experiencing but also how foolish it is to think that the things we have are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/i-am-aware-of-the-depths-of-heartache-i-m-experiencing-but-also-how/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [I'm a big music fan outside of the music I make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/i-m-a-big-music-fan-outside-of-the-music-i-make/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [Most of my songs are pretty sketchy. There's not a lot of bass sections. I don't write big bridges. Sometimes I'll try. But it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/most-of-my-songs-are-pretty-sketchy-there-s-not-a-lot-of-bass/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [A lot of my songs, they're like puzzle pieces, and there's just one way to put them together. You could, if you needed to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/a-lot-of-my-songs-they-re-like-puzzle-pieces-and-there-s-just-one-way/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [Sometimes an idea from six years ago will come to me out of the blue. And maybe I haven't even seen the lyrics I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/sometimes-an-idea-from-six-years-ago-will-come-to-me-out-of-the-blue/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [The weirdest thing I've been fascinated with nowadays is the new contemporary country music, which to me sounds like very strange '70s pop, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/the-weirdest-thing-i-ve-been-fascinated-with-nowadays-is-the-new/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [Writing and creating, those things come to me on their own. I feel like... you sort of summon them and it's like allowing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/writing-and-creating-those-things-come-to-me-on-their-own-i-feel-like/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [To make a song is a gift, and once it's done it keeps evolving and changing and becomes a tool to interact with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/to-make-a-song-is-a-gift-and-once-it-s-done-it-keeps-evolving-and/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [I like to read comics, and I'll listen to records, and I like to play pinball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/i-like-to-read-comics-and-i-ll-listen-to-records-and-i-like-to-play/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [I could fall asleep at 10:30 watching 'Hill Street Blues.' I might wake up at 1 A.M. and have a riff in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/i-could-fall-asleep-at-10-30-watching-hill-street-blues-i-might-wake/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [Some things were made to be felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/some-things-were-made-to-be-felt/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [A lot of the songs I write are like songs that I've never been able to find on any record, but that I've always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/a-lot-of-the-songs-i-write-are-like-songs-that-i-ve-never-been-able/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [When I'm in New York, I just want to walk down the street and feel this thing like I'm in a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/when-i-m-in-new-york-i-just-want-to-walk-down-the-street-and-feel/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) [Explore all 120 Ryan Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) ## More Big companies quotes > [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [In the commercial world, big companies mostly die within a few decades because they cannot maintain an internal system to keep them aligned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/in-the-commercial-world-big-companies-mostly-die-within-a-few-decades/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Whatever vocation you decide on, track down the best people in the world at doing it and surround yourself with them. Aim high and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiss/whatever-vocation-you-decide-on-track-down-the-best-people-in-the/) [Scott Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiss/) > [I started noticing a lot of big companies are bored with ads; they feel sort of lost in the advertising world. They're not into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/i-started-noticing-a-lot-of-big-companies-are-bored-with-ads-they/) [Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/) > [Be creative. Innovate consistently on the little things that the big companies ignore. Little things often make big differences in business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/be-creative-innovate-consistently-on-the-little-things-that-the-big/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I don't think you're going to have one bank. Big companies aren't going to give us all their business. So they can pick and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/i-don-t-think-you-re-going-to-have-one-bank-big-companies-aren-t/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [In the increasingly digital world, data is a valuable currency, yet as consumers, we control and own little of it. As consumers, we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mougayar/in-the-increasingly-digital-world-data-is-a-valuable-currency-yet-as/) [William Mougayar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mougayar/) > [I never imagined I'd be working with government, or military or politicians or big companies. None of this stuff I'm doing was on any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/i-never-imagined-i-d-be-working-with-government-or-military-or/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [The shining star in the world is Shanghai. That's what CEOs from big companies say - 'if I want mathematical analytical work done, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/the-shining-star-in-the-world-is-shanghai-that-s-what-ceos-from-big/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [They have a policy in China for their big companies called "Go abroad." It's a rational thing for both the company and the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/they-have-a-policy-in-china-for-their-big-companies-called-go-abroad/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [I hear my own daughters talking about big companies polluting the environment, and then I realise they are talking about companies of which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indra-nooyi/i-hear-my-own-daughters-talking-about-big-companies-polluting-the/) [Indra Nooyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indra-nooyi/) > [You need to ask yourself, ‘Where do you want to work: startups, mid-size or large companies?’ If you find yourself debating the ‘startup versus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-blank/you-need-to-ask-yourself-where-do-you-want-to-work-startups-mid-size/) [Steve Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-blank/) > [I suspect there's a lot of validity to the premise that big companies aren't going to attract entrepreneurial talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-williams/i-suspect-there-s-a-lot-of-validity-to-the-premise-that-big-companies/) [Evan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-williams/) > [“If you’re struggling to get into big companies, you probably have a weak value proposition. Pure and simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-konrath/if-you-re-struggling-to-get-into-big-companies-you-probably-have-a/) [Jill Konrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-konrath/) > [Before I started my company in 1998, I worked for big companies traveling a lot and saw firsthand how much waste there was. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-cornejo/before-i-started-my-company-in-1998-i-worked-for-big-companies/) [Maria Cornejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-cornejo/) [Browse all 124 Big companies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-companies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not the cool thing, and I'm not going to be the cool thing for a really long time, and it isn't like I'm not the cool thing and I sell 3,000,000 records every time. I'm not the cool thing, and I barely sell 150,000 records, if that, ever. So I'm obviously working really hard to sustain myself. 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