---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a standard of songwriting that…"
description: "\"There's a standard of songwriting that, when you start immersing yourself in those types of songs, it raises your own bar as a songwriter. There's also..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/sinead-o-connor-3554_bars_there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-w_91684.png"
---

#  There's a standard of songwriting that, when you start…

![“There's a standard of songwriting that, when you start immersing yourself in those types of songs, it raises your own bar as a songwriter. There's also simplicity in the songwriting. It's much harder to be simple than it is to be complicated.” quote by Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/sinead-o-connor-3554_bars_there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-w_91684.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/sinead-o-connor-3554_bars_there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-w_91684.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/sinead-o-connor-3554_bars_there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-w_91684.png)

> “There's a standard of songwriting that, when you start immersing yourself in those types of songs, it raises your own bar as a songwriter. There's also simplicity in the songwriting. It's much harder to be simple than it is to be complicated.”

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

## About This Quote

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

Immersing in high-quality songs raises one's own songwriting standards, and true simplicity in music is more challenging than complexity.

**In simple terms:** Excellence through exposure and the difficulty of simplicity.

Key Takeaway

Simplicity is harder than complexity.

Themes

artistic growth songwriting standards simplicity vs complexity creative discipline

Mood

inspired reflective

Type

advice observation

When to use this quote

- songwriting workshops
- personal practice sessions
- collaborative jam sessions

Key Concepts

exposure skill elevation minimalism

Practical Applications

- improving lyrical craft
- designing minimalist arrangements

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you test whether your work has become truly simple?
- What habits help maintain high standards?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Songwriter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriter/) [Songwriters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriters/) [Songwriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriting/)

## Related quotes

> [As a songwriter, simplicity - what not to do, what not to play - can be the hardest thing to achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/as-a-songwriter-simplicity-what-not-to-do-what-not-to-play-can-be-the/)

[Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/)

> [It's hard for me to say what would happen if I didn't go to art school. It wasn't that I learned any specific painting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-hard-for-me-to-say-what-would-happen-if-i-didn-t-go-to-art/)

[John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/)

> [Immersing yourself in the environment of a real record store where music is celebrated and cherished adds real value to the experience of buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/immersing-yourself-in-the-environment-of-a-real-record-store-where/)

[John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/)

> [Learning is available at the library for free; under a tree with a dog-eared paperback; at a job with a boss who gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ellsberg/learning-is-available-at-the-library-for-free-under-a-tree-with-a-dog/)

[Michael Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ellsberg/)

> [The point of reading is to inhabit a consciousness that doesn't belong to the reader, immersing yourself in a life that's wholly realized. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-mohr/the-point-of-reading-is-to-inhabit-a-consciousness-that-doesn-t/)

[Joshua Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-mohr/)

> [There are probably only a certain number of people who can understand or tolerate how long a job will take and what demands it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cooper/there-are-probably-only-a-certain-number-of-people-who-can-understand/)

[Dominic Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cooper/)

> [What I hope is to really focus on being a songwriter. I'd love to write songs for other people; that's something I'd really like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/what-i-hope-is-to-really-focus-on-being-a-songwriter-i-d-love-to/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [People often talk about me as a singer, but they don't often talk about you when you're a woman as a songwriter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/people-often-talk-about-me-as-a-singer-but-they-don-t-often-talk/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [For a songwriter, you don't really go to songwriting school; you learn by listening to tunes. And you try to understand them and take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/for-a-songwriter-you-don-t-really-go-to-songwriting-school-you-learn/)

[Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/)

> [I tend to get quite close to the songs because I've always been the main songwriter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-orzabal/i-tend-to-get-quite-close-to-the-songs-because-i-ve-always-been-the/)

[Roland Orzabal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-orzabal/)

> [My little boy, West, and my wife, they're my rock and that's the thing that keeps driving me to do better at what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-houser/my-little-boy-west-and-my-wife-they-re-my-rock-and-that-s-the-thing/)

[Randy Houser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-houser/)

> [I'm a songwriter, and I'm more than just a screamer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corabi/i-m-a-songwriter-and-i-m-more-than-just-a-screamer/)

[John Corabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corabi/)

> [When you're a songwriter and you click with someone, you tend to want to keep writing with that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sherwood/when-you-re-a-songwriter-and-you-click-with-someone-you-tend-to-want/)

[Billy Sherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sherwood/)

> [Music is my personal addiction. So much of everything I've done has only been to open more doors for the music itself. It all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/music-is-my-personal-addiction-so-much-of-everything-i-ve-done-has/)

[Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/)

> [I'm a songwriter, and people will tell you the greatest stories about their lives, whether you want to hear it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-richie/i-m-a-songwriter-and-people-will-tell-you-the-greatest-stories-about/)

[Lionel Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-richie/)

## More by Sinead O'Connor

> [What I hope is to really focus on being a songwriter. I'd love to write songs for other people; that's something I'd really like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/what-i-hope-is-to-really-focus-on-being-a-songwriter-i-d-love-to/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [All of my life, actually, I had a real strong relationship with God, but I was always in the closet about it. The only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/all-of-my-life-actually-i-had-a-real-strong-relationship-with-god-but/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [It was the case in the 70s and 80s that people believed music could change the world. But now people aren't making music because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/it-was-the-case-in-the-70s-and-80s-that-people-believed-music-could/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [You can't solve a spiritual problem with politics. You may as well as throw the Parliament to a drowning man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/you-can-t-solve-a-spiritual-problem-with-politics-you-may-as-well-as/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [I suppose is very cathartic to do a show to the masses and you get to make magic in a manner that you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/i-suppose-is-very-cathartic-to-do-a-show-to-the-masses-and-you-get-to/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [God's place is the world but the world is not God's place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/god-s-place-is-the-world-but-the-world-is-not-god-s-place/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [What I like about being a musician is that I find the thing soothing, but I also give the soothing to other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/what-i-like-about-being-a-musician-is-that-i-find-the-thing-soothing/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [When I sing, it's the most solitary state: just me, and the microphone, and the holy spirit. It's not about notes or scales, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/when-i-sing-it-s-the-most-solitary-state-just-me-and-the-microphone/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [The irony is that musical artists have enormous public voices, but behind the scenes we're voiceless, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/the-irony-is-that-musical-artists-have-enormous-public-voices-but/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [There is a God. God exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/there-is-a-god-god-exists/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [I suppose in some ways, all over the world "crazy" is a term of abuse and I think that is something that should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/i-suppose-in-some-ways-all-over-the-world-crazy-is-a-term-of-abuse/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [The sexuality is being sold to the artists as power when in fact it's not; it's a way of hypnotizing their audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/the-sexuality-is-being-sold-to-the-artists-as-power-when-in-fact-it-s/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [I'm on fire when I'm singing, I'm completely in character, I use my sense memories, and every syllable of it is meant. It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/i-m-on-fire-when-i-m-singing-i-m-completely-in-character-i-use-my/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [“Women are to be valued for so much more than their sexuality”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/women-are-to-be-valued-for-so-much-more-than-their-sexuality/)

[Sinéad O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

> [I could stand in the street and sing and get enough to pay the bills. I don't need millions of dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/i-could-stand-in-the-street-and-sing-and-get-enough-to-pay-the-bills/)

[Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

[Explore all 128 Sinead O'Connor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/)

## More Bars quotes

> [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/)

[Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/)

> [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/)

[R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/)

> [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/)

[Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/)

> [Your thief looks Exactly like the rest, or rather better; 'Tis only at the bar, and in the dungeon, That wise men know your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/your-thief-looks-exactly-like-the-rest-or-rather-better-tis-only-at/)

[Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/)

> [While traveling, I love granola bars, trail mix nuts, dry cereal and fruit for on-the-go snacks. I also try and start the day with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-rampone/while-traveling-i-love-granola-bars-trail-mix-nuts-dry-cereal-and/)

[Christie Rampone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-rampone/)

> [3 people get stranded on a remote Island A Banker, a Daily Mail reader &amp; an Asylum seeker All they have to eat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-brookmyre/3-people-get-stranded-on-a-remote-island-a-banker-a-daily-mail-reader/)

[Christopher Brookmyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-brookmyre/)

> [Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house unless they have a well-stocked bar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-fields/thou-shalt-not-covet-thy-neighbor-s-house-unless-they-have-a-well/)

[W. C. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-fields/)

> [Meanwhile after failing the bar twice, I knew some people in New York and moved here in August '71.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-quine/meanwhile-after-failing-the-bar-twice-i-knew-some-people-in-new-york/)

[Robert Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-quine/)

> [If you look at coffee, tea, food and juice, we think there are inherent opportunities. If you look at health bars or grab-and-go products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/if-you-look-at-coffee-tea-food-and-juice-we-think-there-are-inherent/)

[Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/)

> [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [I bet a guy at a bar 50 bucks that I was more dysfunctional than he was. He raped me. So I tipped him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-a-guy-at-a-bar-50-bucks-that-i-was-more-dysfunctional-than-he/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I closed my own jazz bar so I could be a man who can write novels as I like. I was pleased about that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-closed-my-own-jazz-bar-so-i-could-be-a-man-who-can-write-novels-as/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [My parents were Orthodox Jews but not very regular Orthodox Jews. I was bar mitzvahed and all that. But God was hardly ever mentioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-parents-were-orthodox-jews-but-not-very-regular-orthodox-jews-i/)

[Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/)

> [I know a lot about Canadian politics. I lived in Canadian bars for six years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/i-know-a-lot-about-canadian-politics-i-lived-in-canadian-bars-for-six/)

[Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/)

> [History is the heavy traffic that prevents us from crossing the road. We're not especially interested in what it consists of. We wait, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/history-is-the-heavy-traffic-that-prevents-us-from-crossing-the-road/)

[Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/)

Browse all 1,768 Bars quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There's a standard of songwriting that, when you start immersing yourself in those types of songs, it raises your own bar as a songwriter. There's also simplicity in the songwriting. It's much harder to be simple than it is to be complicated.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sinead O'Connor"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-when-you-start-immersing/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bars"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-when-you-start-immersing/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/sinead-o-connor-3554_bars_there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-w_91684.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/sinead-o-connor-3554_bars_there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-w_91684.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/sinead-o-connor-3554_bars_there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-w_91684.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There's a standard of songwriting that, when you start immersing yourself in those types of songs, it raises…” — Sinead O'Connor",
                "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": "Sinead O'Connor",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There's a standard of songwriting that,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-when-you-start-immersing/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/there-s-a-standard-of-songwriting-that-when-you-start-immersing/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
