--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you stretch your imagination, I'll…" description: "\"If you stretch your imagination, I'll tell you all a tale, about a time when everything wasn't up for sale.\" — Tom Petty" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/tom-petty-2030_games_if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tel_195169.png" --- # If you stretch your imagination, I'll tell you all a tale… ![“If you stretch your imagination, I'll tell you all a tale, about a time when everything wasn't up for sale.” quote by Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/tom-petty-2030_games_if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tel_195169.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/tom-petty-2030_games_if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tel_195169.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/tom-petty-2030_games_if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tel_195169.png) > “If you stretch your imagination, I'll tell you all a tale, about a time when everything wasn't up for sale.” [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagining beyond commercial constraints reveals untold stories and values **In simple terms:** Imagination reveals untold stories Key Takeaway Value imagination over materialism Themes imagination values storytelling Mood hopeful critical Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - music - writing - education - activism Key Concepts artistic creation social critique Questions to Reflect On - What stories remain untold due to profit? - How can imagination challenge market forces? A Different Perspective May romanticize idealism over practical needs ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Nursery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nursery/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Tales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tales/) ## Related quotes > [I never bought a man who wasn't for sale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-clark/i-never-bought-a-man-who-wasn-t-for-sale/) William A. Clark > [“I have been to the edge and lived to tell the tale..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-wells/i-have-been-to-the-edge-and-lived-to-tell-the-tale/) [Rebecca Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-wells/) > [You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/you-may-tell-a-tale-that-takes-up-residence-in-someone-s-soul/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [I can't beleive I'm here to tell the tale, this was my first brush with death, and God must have been looking after us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-fox/i-can-t-beleive-i-m-here-to-tell-the-tale-this-was-my-first-brush/) [Samantha Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-fox/) > [“Most high and happy princess, we must tell you a tale of the Man in the Moon, which if it seem ridiculous for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/most-high-and-happy-princess-we-must-tell-you-a-tale-of-the-man-in/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [I hate To tell again a tale once fully told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/i-hate-to-tell-again-a-tale-once-fully-told/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [“What manner of people they were only books and other people could tell... and the tale was a long and gory one dating from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-edison-fulton-jr/what-manner-of-people-they-were-only-books-and-other-people-could/) [Robert Edison Fulton Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-edison-fulton-jr/) > [Poe was such a tragic and brilliant figure; he's somebody whom I've been somewhat obsessed with my whole life. I first read 'The Tell-Tale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/poe-was-such-a-tragic-and-brilliant-figure-he-s-somebody-whom-i-ve/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [“Stretch your imagination to a new dimension with hope and flexibility—opening your world to new possibilities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/stretch-your-imagination-to-a-new-dimension-with-hope-and-flexibility/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [I write about, more or less, everything I can think of, that is I stretch my imagination as far as it'll go. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-write-about-more-or-less-everything-i-can-think-of-that-is-i/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Courses in the humanities, in particular, often seem impractical, but they are vital, because they stretch your imagination and challenge your mind to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/courses-in-the-humanities-in-particular-often-seem-impractical-but/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [Most scripts you need to stretch your imagination just to see what it would look like on screen; 'Neverwhere' was not like that, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/most-scripts-you-need-to-stretch-your-imagination-just-to-see-what-it/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [I don't want to become a laid-back artist by any stretch of the imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/i-don-t-want-to-become-a-laid-back-artist-by-any-stretch-of-the/) [Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/) > [I like to build a character, trying to stretch my imagination as far to the walls of my brain as I can to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-like-to-build-a-character-trying-to-stretch-my-imagination-as-far/) [Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/) > [“you must stretch your own imagination, rouse yourself from mental lethargy, and be bold enough to discard old dogmatic comfort blankets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-roberts/you-must-stretch-your-own-imagination-rouse-yourself-from-mental/) [Jane Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-roberts/) ## More by Tom Petty > [Where the sky begins, the horizon ends, despite the best intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/where-the-sky-begins-the-horizon-ends-despite-the-best-intentions/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [As time goes by, you seem to weed out the things that were making your life hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/as-time-goes-by-you-seem-to-weed-out-the-things-that-were-making-your/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I would never put my songs in a commercial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-would-never-put-my-songs-in-a-commercial/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Take back your insurance, baby, nothing is guaranteed. Take back your acid rain, let your TV bleed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/take-back-your-insurance-baby-nothing-is-guaranteed-take-back-your/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [The great thing about the Wilburys was that none of us had to take the heat by ourselves. I was just a member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/the-great-thing-about-the-wilburys-was-that-none-of-us-had-to-take/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I don't believe in censorship, but I do believe that an artist has to take some moral responsibility for what he or she is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-don-t-believe-in-censorship-but-i-do-believe-that-an-artist-has-to/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Any time you're making a living at what you love to do, you're blessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/any-time-you-re-making-a-living-at-what-you-love-to-do-you-re-blessed/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [A rebel without a clue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/a-rebel-without-a-clue/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [If you look around at America, that's one of its biggest problems is you have corporations that can never be pleased at a profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/if-you-look-around-at-america-that-s-one-of-its-biggest-problems-is/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Even the losers get lucky sometimes. Even the losers keep a little bit of pride. They get lucky sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/even-the-losers-get-lucky-sometimes-even-the-losers-keep-a-little-bit/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Buy me a drink, sing me a song; take me as I come, cause I can't stay long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/buy-me-a-drink-sing-me-a-song-take-me-as-i-come-cause-i-can-t-stay/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I never could have dreamed that her heart was so wicked, but I keep coming back because it's so hard to kick it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-never-could-have-dreamed-that-her-heart-was-so-wicked-but-i-keep/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [She's a good girl, crazy about Elvis, loves horses, and her boyfriend, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/she-s-a-good-girl-crazy-about-elvis-loves-horses-and-her-boyfriend-too/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I'm more interested in what I'm going to leave behind me than in making a big hit record. I've refined what I do for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-m-more-interested-in-what-i-m-going-to-leave-behind-me-than-in/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Sometimes life, will get you down, break your heart, steal your crown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/sometimes-life-will-get-you-down-break-your-heart-steal-your-crown/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) [Explore all 190 Tom Petty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) ## More Games quotes > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know that in the rap game you've got a lot of people, that come from poverty, was born in poverty and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-connor/i-know-that-in-the-rap-game-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-people-that-come-from/) [Jon Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-connor/) > [And I have been very blessed, having coached some of the greatest that have ever played the game. But if I had to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-auerbach/and-i-have-been-very-blessed-having-coached-some-of-the-greatest-that/) [Red Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-auerbach/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [You just can't let the outside world affect your game.You can't hold anything back. You can't play a different game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-palmer/you-just-can-t-let-the-outside-world-affect-your-game-you-can-t-hold/) [Carson Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-palmer/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [I learned so much from Sue about the Xs and Os of the game of basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/i-learned-so-much-from-sue-about-the-xs-and-os-of-the-game-of/) [Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/) > [Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/palindrome-as-well-my-sister-s-name-is-hannah-father-liked-word-games/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [You got to harden yourself. Make, like, a shell around you. But not everyone can do it. If they got nothing to hang on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-higson/you-got-to-harden-yourself-make-like-a-shell-around-you-but-not/) [Charlie Higson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-higson/) > [Playing video games is something I enjoy in my spare time. I'm a gamer, always have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-garnett/playing-video-games-is-something-i-enjoy-in-my-spare-time-i-m-a-gamer/) [Kevin Garnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-garnett/) > [“Let the motherfucking games begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-mchugh/let-the-motherfucking-games-begin/) [Gail McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-mchugh/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [Kids, if anything, are harder to write for because they are a more discerning audience. They will not stay with you if you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/kids-if-anything-are-harder-to-write-for-because-they-are-a-more/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) [Browse all 11,463 Games quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you stretch your imagination, I'll tell you all a tale, about a time when everything wasn't up for sale.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Petty" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tell-you-all-a-tale-about-a-time/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Games" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tell-you-all-a-tale-about-a-time/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/tom-petty-2030_games_if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tel_195169.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/tom-petty-2030_games_if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tel_195169.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/tom-petty-2030_games_if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tel_195169.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you stretch your imagination, I'll tell you all a tale, about a time when everything wasn't up for sale.” — Tom Petty", "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": "Tom Petty", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you stretch your imagination, I'll...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tell-you-all-a-tale-about-a-time/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tell-you-all-a-tale-about-a-time/#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 } } ] } ```