--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're songwriting, it's like…" description: "\"When you're songwriting, it's like talking about your own life experience. When you're with a band, you have to compromise.\" — Timothy B. Schmit" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8e/timothy-b-schmit-15424_band_when-you-re-songwriting-it-s-like-talkin_1598910.jpg" --- # When you're songwriting, it's like talking about your own… ![“When you're songwriting, it's like talking about your own life experience. When you're with a band, you have to compromise.” quote by Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8e/timothy-b-schmit-15424_band_when-you-re-songwriting-it-s-like-talkin_1598910.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8e/timothy-b-schmit-15424_band_when-you-re-songwriting-it-s-like-talkin_1598910.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8e/timothy-b-schmit-15424_band_when-you-re-songwriting-it-s-like-talkin_1598910.jpg) > “When you're songwriting, it's like talking about your own life experience. When you're with a band, you have to compromise.” [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Songwriting reflects personal experience, while band collaboration requires compromise and shared vision. **In simple terms:** Writing is personal; band work needs compromise. Key Takeaway Balance authenticity with teamwork. Themes creativity collaboration artistic compromise personal expression music production Mood reflective inspirational practical Type advisory creative When to use this quote - songwriting workshops - band rehearsals - creative projects - conflict resolution Key Concepts authenticity group dynamics creative negotiation Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain personal voice in a group? - When is compromise beneficial versus detrimental? A Different Perspective Compromise may dilute original vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compromise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compromise/) [Life experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-experience/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Songwriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriting/) ## Related quotes > [Being in a band is always a compromise. Provided that the balance is good, what you lose in compromise, you gain by collaboration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rutherford/being-in-a-band-is-always-a-compromise-provided-that-the-balance-is/) [Mike Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-rutherford/) > [Songwriting is like talking to yourself when there is no one to talk to,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-howard/songwriting-is-like-talking-to-yourself-when-there-is-no-one-to-talk/) Brittany Howard > [Songwriting is like editing. You write down all this stuff - all this bad, stupid stuff - and then you have to get rid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-hatfield/songwriting-is-like-editing-you-write-down-all-this-stuff-all-this/) [Juliana Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-hatfield/) > [I often say songwriting is like trying to climb down a ladder at night. You put your foot on the next rung and test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crowder/i-often-say-songwriting-is-like-trying-to-climb-down-a-ladder-at/) [Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crowder/) > [Most songwriting like poetry takes a careful selection of words. Sometimes you're just channeling something and a selection of words come out that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-joy/most-songwriting-like-poetry-takes-a-careful-selection-of-words/) [Vance Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-joy/) > [My songwriting... it's almost like a kind of self-therapy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-nutini/my-songwriting-it-s-almost-like-a-kind-of-self-therapy/) [Paolo Nutini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-nutini/) > [I love, love, love songwriting. It's like the most therapeutic thing in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troye-sivan/i-love-love-love-songwriting-it-s-like-the-most-therapeutic-thing-in/) [Troye Sivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troye-sivan/) > [All I know is when I start getting serious about songwriting... it's like a playground. All responsibilities slip away and you're with your essence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-nyro/all-i-know-is-when-i-start-getting-serious-about-songwriting-it-s/) [Laura Nyro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-nyro/) > [The songwriting was almost like something I did while I was waiting for my daughter to come back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/the-songwriting-was-almost-like-something-i-did-while-i-was-waiting/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [My songwriting is like extending a hand to the listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/my-songwriting-is-like-extending-a-hand-to-the-listener/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [When I'm songwriting, I like to expand the biggest emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruel/when-i-m-songwriting-i-like-to-expand-the-biggest-emotion/) Ruel > [When I was younger, I always wanted to be either a pianist or a classical singer, and when I discovered songwriting, it was like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-merton/when-i-was-younger-i-always-wanted-to-be-either-a-pianist-or-a/) [Alice Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-merton/) > [Songwriting is like ... being possessed. You try to go to sleep but the song won't let you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/songwriting-is-like-being-possessed-you-try-to-go-to-sleep-but-the/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [For me songwriting is very...it's almost like an accident. 'Oh I accidentally wrote about that.' I sit down with the urge to write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lea-mayfield/for-me-songwriting-is-very-it-s-almost-like-an-accident-oh-i/) Jessica Lea Mayfield > [Songwriting is like working on a jigsaw puzzle, and it doesn't make any sense until you find that last piece. It has to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-hynde/songwriting-is-like-working-on-a-jigsaw-puzzle-and-it-doesn-t-make/) [Chrissie Hynde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-hynde/) ## More by Timothy B. Schmit > [I was playing surf music with my band when a girlfriend of mine who had come from Los Angeles took me to a James…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-was-playing-surf-music-with-my-band-when-a-girlfriend-of-mine-who/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [I probably learned most of my craft from singing to the radio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-probably-learned-most-of-my-craft-from-singing-to-the-radio/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [When I was about 13 or 14. I was in a Kingston Trio type group. We evolved into the New Breed. Our first song…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/when-i-was-about-13-or-14-i-was-in-a-kingston-trio-type-group-we/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [I've had a lot of people pass away in my life. I guess it's all a matter of how you deal with your mortality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-ve-had-a-lot-of-people-pass-away-in-my-life-i-guess-it-s-all-a/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [I'm good at fitting in, and I think I'm fairly perceptive about moods and psychic environments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-m-good-at-fitting-in-and-i-think-i-m-fairly-perceptive-about-moods/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [Jazz doesn't have much to do with how I write songs, but I am a big fan. My favorites are Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/jazz-doesn-t-have-much-to-do-with-how-i-write-songs-but-i-am-a-big/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [I traveled a lot, but we didn't hire nannies to take care of our kids. We were both very hands-on. My wife did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-traveled-a-lot-but-we-didn-t-hire-nannies-to-take-care-of-our-kids/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [I do not run my band like The Eagles, for sure. I've never had to be heavy handed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-do-not-run-my-band-like-the-eagles-for-sure-i-ve-never-had-to-be/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [Working solo means you don't have to account for anybody else. You do it yourself, so you're not trying to please others as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/working-solo-means-you-don-t-have-to-account-for-anybody-else-you-do/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [People would call me up because they liked my voice, and they wanted some kind of vocal harmony. Sometimes I was asked to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/people-would-call-me-up-because-they-liked-my-voice-and-they-wanted/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [I didn't really think too much about being any kind of pioneer. The truth is, I actually kind of caught onto a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-didn-t-really-think-too-much-about-being-any-kind-of-pioneer-the/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [Although I was writing songs when I was younger, I didn't feel I had much of a clue as to what I was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/although-i-was-writing-songs-when-i-was-younger-i-didn-t-feel-i-had/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [I grew up around music. My father was a professional musician. We used to have a trailer house that we travelled in. I've always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-grew-up-around-music-my-father-was-a-professional-musician-we-used/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [I play some places where the people are right at my feet, and you can see their expressions. It's kind of more like playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-play-some-places-where-the-people-are-right-at-my-feet-and-you-can/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [Music's always been a big part of my life. Because of my father, I was always surrounded by music and musicians, and in school,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/music-s-always-been-a-big-part-of-my-life-because-of-my-father-i-was/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) [Explore all 43 Timothy B. Schmit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. 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I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. 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