--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, there are certainly original things…" description: "\"Well, there are certainly original things to say. But I'm not sure that a pop song is the appropriate format to say them in.\" — Stephin Merritt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8c/stephin-merritt-18370_not-sure_well-there-are-certainly-original-things_1097181.jpg" --- # Well, there are certainly original things to say. But I'm… ![“Well, there are certainly original things to say. But I'm not sure that a pop song is the appropriate format to say them in.” quote by Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8c/stephin-merritt-18370_not-sure_well-there-are-certainly-original-things_1097181.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8c/stephin-merritt-18370_not-sure_well-there-are-certainly-original-things_1097181.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8c/stephin-merritt-18370_not-sure_well-there-are-certainly-original-things_1097181.jpg) > “Well, there are certainly original things to say. But I'm not sure that a pop song is the appropriate format to say them in.” [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Original ideas may be better expressed in formats that suit their depth, not necessarily in pop songs. **In simple terms:** Some ideas need different formats than pop songs. Key Takeaway Choose a medium that fits the message. Themes creativity expression medium choice Mood thoughtful analytical Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - songwriting - marketing - public speaking - educational content Key Concepts artistic integrity communication theory Questions to Reflect On - What format best conveys your core message? - Can a pop song ever capture nuanced concepts? A Different Perspective Pop songs may oversimplify complex ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainly Original](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly-original-2866954/) [Not sure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-sure/) [Original Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original-things-2128800/) [Pop music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop-music/) [Pop song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop-song/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Song Appropriate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song-appropriate-2866953/) [Things Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-say/) ## Related quotes > [I retweet. I do retweet a lot. 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I am always the one who knows nothing. Playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaspar-claus/i-prefer-to-feel-uncomfortable-by-participating-in-projects-were-i-am/) [Gaspar Claus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaspar-claus/) > [There are times pop music is the end result when I'm in the studio, but I don't really go in and say, 'Today I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/post-malone/there-are-times-pop-music-is-the-end-result-when-i-m-in-the-studio/) [Post Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/post-malone/) > [I love pop music. It's not easy to write a good pop song. It may be easier to put out a fake jazz album,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-love-pop-music-it-s-not-easy-to-write-a-good-pop-song-it-may-be/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I've covered Avril Lavigne. 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'Cars' is probably the only true pop song…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-numan/i-m-not-good-at-happy-lightweight-kind-of-music-i-m-not-really-good/) [Gary Numan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-numan/) > [“It's the same thing that makes all pop music so heartbreaking. Even when Miley Cyrus sings "So I put my hands up, they're playin'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leyner/it-s-the-same-thing-that-makes-all-pop-music-so-heartbreaking-even/) [Mark Leyner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leyner/) > [I feel like a lot of people look at pop music with a very formulaic perspective in numbers and patterns, but an outsider would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halsey/i-feel-like-a-lot-of-people-look-at-pop-music-with-a-very-formulaic/) [Halsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halsey/) > [Well, things hold up even if they sound dated. It can be very difficult to listen to 80s pop songs with really, really gigantic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/well-things-hold-up-even-if-they-sound-dated-it-can-be-very-difficult/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) ## More by Stephin Merritt > [The adventure is when people don't know what they're doing at all. Like, I think that the first pop band to use synthesizers as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/the-adventure-is-when-people-don-t-know-what-they-re-doing-at-all/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) > [I gave up music criticism because of the increasingly obvious conflict of interest. I couldn't say anything bad about the records when I might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/i-gave-up-music-criticism-because-of-the-increasingly-obvious/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) > [Well, things hold up even if they sound dated. 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That's an example of a technology introducing a whole new meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/there-s-a-whole-kind-of-melancholy-that-you-can-only-attain-with/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) > [You know, most love songs are not cheesy and corny. Most love songs are complaints, I think. Or about unrequited love, coming at it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/you-know-most-love-songs-are-not-cheesy-and-corny-most-love-songs-are/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) > [I don't think there are any clichés I try to avoid. As soon as I spot a cliché, I go for it. I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/i-don-t-think-there-are-any-clich-s-i-try-to-avoid-as-soon-as-i-spot/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) > [Okay, a truly great song is a song that makes its own aesthetic intentions clear and then lives up to them and exceeds them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/okay-a-truly-great-song-is-a-song-that-makes-its-own-aesthetic/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) > [If you want to write a love song, you need to not try to write it for a particular person in a particular situation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/if-you-want-to-write-a-love-song-you-need-to-not-try-to-write-it-for/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) > [My mother says I have boring percussion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/my-mother-says-i-have-boring-percussion/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) > [I can imagine lyrics becoming better written by smart machines rather than stupid musicians. Songwriters generally have nothing to say. They may as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/i-can-imagine-lyrics-becoming-better-written-by-smart-machines-rather/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) > [Serious music isn't listened to in a casual setting. You don't want to listen to that in headphones on the subway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/serious-music-isn-t-listened-to-in-a-casual-setting-you-don-t-want-to/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) [Explore all 35 Stephin Merritt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) ## More Not sure quotes > [Ay-firmative,' Eve said, and tried for a smile. 'Sorry. An Aliens reference always makes me feel better at times like this. 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I'm not sure what took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/hollywood-is-finally-waking-up-to-the-fact-that-people-who-go-to/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [If you see someone lying out knives and forks consistently, but then one day those knives and forks become weapons you're not sure if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-fuqua/if-you-see-someone-lying-out-knives-and-forks-consistently-but-then/) [Antoine Fuqua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-fuqua/) > [I'm not sure Betsy DeVos has ever spent a day in a public school. And I don't - I'm pretty sure Donald Trump hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/i-m-not-sure-betsy-devos-has-ever-spent-a-day-in-a-public-school-and/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [I'm not sure why we want each other," she grumbled. "Nor am I, but the fact remains that we do want each other." 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