--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always try to write a song, I never…" description: "\"I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record.\" — Smokey Robinson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd2/smokey-robinson-8874_always_i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-jus_1172856.jpg" --- # I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a… ![“I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record.” quote by Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd2/smokey-robinson-8874_always_i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-jus_1172856.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd2/smokey-robinson-8874_always_i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-jus_1172856.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd2/smokey-robinson-8874_always_i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-jus_1172856.jpg) > “I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record.” [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes the creative drive to craft songs rather than merely produce records, highlighting artistic intent over commercial output. **In simple terms:** He focuses on songwriting as an art, not just record making. Key Takeaway Prioritize artistic creation over product output. Themes creativity artistic integrity music composition Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - studio sessions - songwriting workshops - personal journals Key Concepts songwriting process musical authenticity industry pressures Questions to Reflect On - What practices keep songwriting authentic? - How can artists resist market pressures? A Different Perspective Commercial demands can dilute artistic focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Every time I try to write a song, when I sit down and think I'm going to write, I really want to write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/every-time-i-try-to-write-a-song-when-i-sit-down-and-think-i-m-going/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [I get like a melody that comes up and I try to write it down or record it. Hum it into a tape recorder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/i-get-like-a-melody-that-comes-up-and-i-try-to-write-it-down-or/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) > [My philosophy on writing a song for myself is that I always, always, always want to write a song. I always want to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/my-philosophy-on-writing-a-song-for-myself-is-that-i-always-always/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [Penn and I want to write a record together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/domino-kirke/penn-and-i-want-to-write-a-record-together/) [Domino Kirke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/domino-kirke/) > [As an artist, you never want to write the same song again, you always want to challenge yourself to writing in a different way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serj-tankian/as-an-artist-you-never-want-to-write-the-same-song-again-you-always/) [Serj Tankian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serj-tankian/) > [It always starts as journaling for me. I find if I try to write a song, it doesn't feel as sincere as if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jp-saxe/it-always-starts-as-journaling-for-me-i-find-if-i-try-to-write-a-song/) [JP Saxe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jp-saxe/) > [When you sit and write a song, sit and write the best song you can write, just try and write it and be connected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-roberson/when-you-sit-and-write-a-song-sit-and-write-the-best-song-you-can/) [Eric Roberson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-roberson/) > [I don't force it. If you don't have an idea and you don't hear anything going over and over in your head, don't sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-don-t-force-it-if-you-don-t-have-an-idea-and-you-don-t-hear/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [I try to write down every song that comes to me, even though I know that every song that comes to me isnt a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-june/i-try-to-write-down-every-song-that-comes-to-me-even-though-i-know/) [Valerie June](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-june/) > [I can't try to write a song - songs come out of me. I have to play the guitar and if I jam a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shavo-odadjian/i-can-t-try-to-write-a-song-songs-come-out-of-me-i-have-to-play-the/) [Shavo Odadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shavo-odadjian/) > [If I try to write a song, I will completely fail to write a song. But if I'm just holding my guitar and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kina-grannis/if-i-try-to-write-a-song-i-will-completely-fail-to-write-a-song-but/) [Kina Grannis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kina-grannis/) > [The very best thing you can do is to try to write a song that has some sort of impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/the-very-best-thing-you-can-do-is-to-try-to-write-a-song-that-has/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [I sometimes try to write something that is actually really simple and I can't do it. So, then, it's not simple anymore. It's really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sondre-lerche/i-sometimes-try-to-write-something-that-is-actually-really-simple-and/) [Sondre Lerche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sondre-lerche/) > [I've tried over the years all kinds of ways of going about writing and even just thinking about the idea of writing. There was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-wagner/i-ve-tried-over-the-years-all-kinds-of-ways-of-going-about-writing/) [Kurt Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-wagner/) > [I sit and I write automatically. I don't really try to write. My subconscious mind takes over and writes the songs for me. Songs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-sit-and-i-write-automatically-i-don-t-really-try-to-write-my/) [Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/) ## More by Smokey Robinson > [My uncle Claude was my favorite uncle he was also my godfather. He and I were really, really close. He used to take me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/my-uncle-claude-was-my-favorite-uncle-he-was-also-my-godfather-he-and/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [People still look at Michael Jackson as being a Motown artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/people-still-look-at-michael-jackson-as-being-a-motown-artist/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [I will build you a castle with a tower so high it reaches the moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/i-will-build-you-a-castle-with-a-tower-so-high-it-reaches-the-moon/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [The music business has made a 360. It's a whole 'nother game. It's not nearly what it was. And I fear for it, because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/the-music-business-has-made-a-360-it-s-a-whole-nother-game-it-s-not/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [One thing I can say about the Motown acts is that we were a family. That's not a myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/one-thing-i-can-say-about-the-motown-acts-is-that-we-were-a-family/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [My philosophy on writing a song for myself is that I always, always, always want to write a song. I always want to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/my-philosophy-on-writing-a-song-for-myself-is-that-i-always-always/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [Even if I don't release it myself, somebody else might hear it and want to record it. When you write a song, it gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/even-if-i-don-t-release-it-myself-somebody-else-might-hear-it-and/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [I had been stockpiling Gospel songs for other artists, and had planned to submit them to Gospel artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/i-had-been-stockpiling-gospel-songs-for-other-artists-and-had-planned/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [Though you treat me badly, I love you madly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/though-you-treat-me-badly-i-love-you-madly/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [There's some sad things known to man, but ain't too much sadder than, the tears of a clown when noones around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/there-s-some-sad-things-known-to-man-but-ain-t-too-much-sadder-than/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [Now if I appear to be carefree it's only to camouflage my sadness. In order to keep my pride I try to cover the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/now-if-i-appear-to-be-carefree-it-s-only-to-camouflage-my-sadness-in/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [If you feel like loving me, if you've got the notion, I second that emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/if-you-feel-like-loving-me-if-you-ve-got-the-notion-i-second-that/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record. Originally I was not writing songs for myself. …And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-just-want-to-write-a-record/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [The Beatles were huge. And the first thing they said when you interviewed them, 'Oh yeah, we grew up on Motown.'..They were the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/the-beatles-were-huge-and-the-first-thing-they-said-when-you/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [My mother was a churchgoing lady, so I always heard about God at home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/my-mother-was-a-churchgoing-lady-so-i-always-heard-about-god-at-home/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) [Explore all 77 Smokey Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [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/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Smokey Robinson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-just-want-to-write-a-record-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-just-want-to-write-a-record-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd2/smokey-robinson-8874_always_i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-jus_1172856.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd2/smokey-robinson-8874_always_i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-jus_1172856.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd2/smokey-robinson-8874_always_i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-jus_1172856.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record.” — Smokey Robinson", "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": "Smokey Robinson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I always try to write a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-just-want-to-write-a-record-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/i-always-try-to-write-a-song-i-never-just-want-to-write-a-record-2/#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 } } ] } ```