---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a real stickler for a great lyric, or…"
description: "\"I'm a real stickler for a great lyric, or what I think is a great lyric. It's almost impossible for me to sing a song I don't love. My thing is: If it'..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/sara-evans-4444_great_i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or_2148842.jpg"
---

#  I'm a real stickler for a great lyric, or what I think is…

![“I'm a real stickler for a great lyric, or what I think is a great lyric. It's almost impossible for me to sing a song I don't love. My thing is: If it's a great lyric, you can do anything with the song.” quote by Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/sara-evans-4444_great_i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or_2148842.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/sara-evans-4444_great_i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or_2148842.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/sara-evans-4444_great_i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or_2148842.jpg)

> “I'm a real stickler for a great lyric, or what I think is a great lyric. It's almost impossible for me to sing a song I don't love. My thing is: If it's a great lyric, you can do anything with the song.”

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

## About This Quote

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

A strong lyric determines the singer's connection to a song, making performance possible only when the words resonate deeply.

**In simple terms:** Great lyrics enable any performance.

Key Takeaway

Choose songs with lyrics you love.

Themes

music lyrics performance artistic integrity

Mood

passionate reflective

Type

artistic motivational

When to use this quote

- songwriting
- live performance
- recording sessions
- personal playlists

Key Concepts

emotional resonance song interpretation creative inspiration

Questions to Reflect On

- What lyrics have moved you to sing?
- How do you evaluate a lyric's greatness?

A Different Perspective

If the melody is weak, great lyrics may not compensate.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Great lyric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-lyric/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/)

## Related quotes

> [It's very rare - and it does happen on occasion - where I'll take a piece of lyric and I'll just sit down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geddy-lee/it-s-very-rare-and-it-does-happen-on-occasion-where-i-ll-take-a-piece/)

[Geddy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geddy-lee/)

> [No one can threaten poetry. It's always been there, always will be. Humans need it to live: it has sustaining powers. How could we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-orr/no-one-can-threaten-poetry-it-s-always-been-there-always-will-be/)

[Gregory Orr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-orr/)

> [“It's like you know a lyric for a song by heart and suddenly you forget the words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/it-s-like-you-know-a-lyric-for-a-song-by-heart-and-suddenly-you/)

[Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/)

> [You can have a great lyric and a so-so melody; it's going to be a tough sell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-alpert/you-can-have-a-great-lyric-and-a-so-so-melody-it-s-going-to-be-a/)

[Herb Alpert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-alpert/)

> [This proves that great lyric poetry can die, be reborn, die again, but will always remain one of the most outstanding creations of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugenio-montale/this-proves-that-great-lyric-poetry-can-die-be-reborn-die-again-but/)

[Eugenio Montale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugenio-montale/)

> [I just want to write a great lyric and write a great song, and everything else is icing on the cake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-hanson/i-just-want-to-write-a-great-lyric-and-write-a-great-song-and/)

[Isaac Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-hanson/)

> [Sometimes, the best songs are the ones you write without any pen and paper or audio recording device or guitar in your hands. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/sometimes-the-best-songs-are-the-ones-you-write-without-any-pen-and/)

[Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/)

> [Not only do you need great lyrics, a great message, a great story, great vocals, great chords... you also need great instrumentation, great editing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-sturgis/not-only-do-you-need-great-lyrics-a-great-message-a-great-story-great/)

[Joey Sturgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-sturgis/)

> [There will always be some kid who's the new Kurt Cobain writing great lyrics and singing from his soul. The problem is they're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanna-arquette/there-will-always-be-some-kid-who-s-the-new-kurt-cobain-writing-great/)

[Rosanna Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanna-arquette/)

> [If you ever want to know why I'm not on a record label, look at 'The X Factor!' Honestly, of all the people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/if-you-ever-want-to-know-why-i-m-not-on-a-record-label-look-at-the-x/)

[John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/)

> [As a lyricist, you love to hear other great lyrics or other great concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-keys/as-a-lyricist-you-love-to-hear-other-great-lyrics-or-other-great/)

[Alicia Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-keys/)

> [I'm not trying to dog any artist or genre, but to me, there is a lot of diversity missing from the radio. I miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maren-morris/i-m-not-trying-to-dog-any-artist-or-genre-but-to-me-there-is-a-lot-of/)

[Maren Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maren-morris/)

> [Mozart combines serenity, melancholy, and tragic intensity into one great lyric improvisation. Over it all hovers the greater spirit that is Mozart's - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-bernstein/mozart-combines-serenity-melancholy-and-tragic-intensity-into-one/)

[Leonard Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-bernstein/)

> [If you can say the lyrics almost like a poem and they stand up, that's a great thing. Some songs have great lyrics and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-connick-jr/if-you-can-say-the-lyrics-almost-like-a-poem-and-they-stand-up-that-s/)

[Harry Connick, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-connick-jr/)

> [We human beings are tuned such that we crave great melody and great lyrics. And if somebody writes a great song, it's timeless that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-garfunkel/we-human-beings-are-tuned-such-that-we-crave-great-melody-and-great/)

[Art Garfunkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-garfunkel/)

## More by Sara Evans

> [I want people to know that you can achieve what you want to achieve, but you have to work hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-want-people-to-know-that-you-can-achieve-what-you-want-to-achieve/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [I think human beings are drawn to other human beings who are beautiful or handsome. I do think that it probably helps to sway…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-think-human-beings-are-drawn-to-other-human-beings-who-are/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [When I had hits at country radio, that's what got my career off the ground and made my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/when-i-had-hits-at-country-radio-that-s-what-got-my-career-off-the/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [It's really important the words that we say to people - especially the ones that you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/it-s-really-important-the-words-that-we-say-to-people-especially-the/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [I'm holding up, Lord willing and the creek don't rise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-m-holding-up-lord-willing-and-the-creek-don-t-rise/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [I had severe PTSD and anxiety, but it was the '80s, and I didn't have a name for it. I don't think my mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-had-severe-ptsd-and-anxiety-but-it-was-the-80s-and-i-didn-t-have-a/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [I never wanted my private and public life to mix as much as they did when I got divorced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-never-wanted-my-private-and-public-life-to-mix-as-much-as-they-did/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [I'm a very hard worker, and I pride myself on that, but I won't compromise my family. I won't compromise my children's happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-m-a-very-hard-worker-and-i-pride-myself-on-that-but-i-won-t/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [I believe for America to stay strong there is nothing more important than for the family to stay together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-believe-for-america-to-stay-strong-there-is-nothing-more-important/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [I had a great, long run with Sony Records, and had great relationships and lots of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-had-a-great-long-run-with-sony-records-and-had-great-relationships/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [As a parent, it's your job to discipline your child and make him respect you, because that is essentially protecting them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/as-a-parent-it-s-your-job-to-discipline-your-child-and-make-him/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [Brad Paisley is very funny. Who else is funny? I think Reba McEntire is very funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/brad-paisley-is-very-funny-who-else-is-funny-i-think-reba-mcentire-is/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [I want to be nominated for Grammys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-want-to-be-nominated-for-grammys/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [I definitely don't think anybody should be voting for someone just because they're cute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-definitely-don-t-think-anybody-should-be-voting-for-someone-just/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

> [When the child is born, go home and just have it be you and your wife and the baby. I think all the stress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/when-the-child-is-born-go-home-and-just-have-it-be-you-and-your-wife/)

[Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

[Explore all 111 Sara Evans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/)

## More Great quotes

> [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/)

> [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/)

[Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/)

> [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/)

[Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/)

> [I'm very proud of some of the stories I've been given thanks to the team at 'Emmerdale,' they've been great over the years so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-fletcher/i-m-very-proud-of-some-of-the-stories-i-ve-been-given-thanks-to-the/)

[Kelvin Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-fletcher/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/to-me-caribbean-food-is-about-fresh-seasonal-produce-using-what-s-in/)

[Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/)

> [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/)

[Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/)

> [No matter how many great things you say about Jacques Pepin, there's always more. Through his books and videos, he taught me the importance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenji-lopez-alt/no-matter-how-many-great-things-you-say-about-jacques-pepin-there-s/)

[J. Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/)

> [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/)

[Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/)

> [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/)

[Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/)

> [I always bump into people that Ive met. Not great friends, but if I bump into somebody Ive known and I wont recognise them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-franchitti/i-always-bump-into-people-that-ive-met-not-great-friends-but-if-i/)

[Dario Franchitti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-franchitti/)

> [Performance matters because games are built on great performance, but form factor and energy efficiency matter incredibly because they want to build something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/performance-matters-because-games-are-built-on-great-performance-but/)

[Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/)

> [I'm a lot of things, but none of them are great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-nelson/i-m-a-lot-of-things-but-none-of-them-are-great/)

[Don Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-nelson/)

> [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/)

[Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/)

> [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/)

[Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/)

Browse all 24,273 Great quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I'm a real stickler for a great lyric, or what I think is a great lyric. It's almost impossible for me to sing a song I don't love. My thing is: If it's a great lyric, you can do anything with the song.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sara Evans"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or-what-i-think-is-a-great/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Great"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or-what-i-think-is-a-great/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/sara-evans-4444_great_i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or_2148842.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/sara-evans-4444_great_i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or_2148842.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/sara-evans-4444_great_i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or_2148842.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'm a real stickler for a great lyric, or what I think is a great lyric. It's almost impossible for me to…” — Sara Evans",
                "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": "Sara Evans",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'm a real stickler for a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or-what-i-think-is-a-great/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/i-m-a-real-stickler-for-a-great-lyric-or-what-i-think-is-a-great/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
