Mess Quote by Shuggie Otis
“Sometimes I'll hear some music in my head or I'll go to the piano and mess around and come up with a tune, or be on the guitar and come up with some chords - or I'll come up with lines, or just some words, or just a sentence. It could be the title of a song. I do that all the time. I write titles of songs a lot. And sometimes I'll end up writing a song that I don't have a title for and I'll say, "Oh, this goes with that title".”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Music magazine, 1975
He frequently improvises melodies, chords, and lyrics, often generating song titles spontaneously.
In simple terms: He constantly creates music and titles in his mind.
Key Takeaway
Capture spontaneous ideas quickly.
Themes
creativity
improvisation
songwriting
inspiration
Mood
enthusiastic
inventive
Type
creative process
musical insight
When to use this quote
- studio sessions
- live jams
- songwriting retreats
Key Concepts
musical cognition
creative process
spontaneity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you develop a raw idea into a finished song?
- What tools help you record fleeting inspiration?
A Different Perspective
Spontaneous ideas may lack refinement.
![“As an artist, I move along in my life, into whatever things I'm doing, and I hear things where it's like, "Oh, that'd be a great [song] title! I'll use that!" So I keep a running list of titles on my computer. I've got these words and phrases that just sustained my interest. So I'm a step ahead…” quote by Andy Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3cb/andy-summers-12789_art_as-an-artist-i-move-along-in-my-life-int_2079978.jpg)
![“Well the first time I performed, my mom was like how she is now when sees me on stage – all red, smiling from ear to ear. So I don’t want to mess up, [be]cause she’s smiling. Seeing my mom happy is kind of like an overwhelming feeling.” quote by Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/477/chris-brown-1887_causes_well-the-first-time-i-performed-my-mom-w_4699.jpg)
