--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I'm singing a song on stage, I hate…" description: "\"When I'm singing a song on stage, I hate hypocrites. If you don't put yourself in that lyric and emote and be what that lyric says that you are, then y..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/trace-adkins-13355_acting_when-i-m-singing-a-song-on-stage-i-hate_2171188.jpg" --- # When I'm singing a song on stage, I hate hypocrites. If… ![“When I'm singing a song on stage, I hate hypocrites. If you don't put yourself in that lyric and emote and be what that lyric says that you are, then you're just going through the motions and you're being hypocritical. I just take that same approach with acting. I just take the dialogue and I…” quote by Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/trace-adkins-13355_acting_when-i-m-singing-a-song-on-stage-i-hate_2171188.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/trace-adkins-13355_acting_when-i-m-singing-a-song-on-stage-i-hate_2171188.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/trace-adkins-13355_acting_when-i-m-singing-a-song-on-stage-i-hate_2171188.jpg) > “When I'm singing a song on stage, I hate hypocrites. If you don't put yourself in that lyric and emote and be what that lyric says that you are, then you're just going through the motions and you're being hypocritical. I just take that same approach with acting. I just take the dialogue and I emote it and become that. I use the same technic.” [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He stresses authentic emotional connection in performance, urging artists to fully embody lyrics rather than merely recite them. **In simple terms:** Act with genuine feeling. Key Takeaway Live the words, not just sing them. Themes authenticity performance emotion Mood passionate determined Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - stage singing - acting - public speaking Key Concepts method acting embodiment Questions to Reflect On - How can you deepen emotional truth in your art? - What habits help you fully inhabit a role? A Different Perspective If you cannot feel the words, the audience will notice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Hypocrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrite/) [Hypocrites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrites/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) ## Related quotes > [I often play women who are not essentially good or likable, and I often go through a stage where I hate them. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-turner/i-often-play-women-who-are-not-essentially-good-or-likable-and-i/) [Kathleen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-turner/) > [“Hypocritical paradoxes arise within an individual in proportion to their growing status or fame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/hypocritical-paradoxes-arise-within-an-individual-in-proportion-to/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [“One of the universally despised sins is hypocrisy, falsely pretending to hold beliefs, feelings, standards qualities, opinions, virtues, motivations, or other characteristics that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/one-of-the-universally-despised-sins-is-hypocrisy-falsely-pretending/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“They will call you immoral if you dare to describe their immorality”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/they-will-call-you-immoral-if-you-dare-to-describe-their-immorality/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“For a government,' said the god, 'is nothing but a mirror of your minds--tyrannical for tyrants--hypocritical for hypocrites --corrupt for those who are indifferent--extravagant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talbot-mundy/for-a-government-said-the-god-is-nothing-but-a-mirror-of-your-minds/) [Talbot Mundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talbot-mundy/) > [“I'd represent "Love" when it sued hypocritical writers for abuse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-vorobyova/i-d-represent-love-when-it-sued-hypocritical-writers-for-abuse/) [Natalya Vorobyova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-vorobyova/) > [“Some folks who prescribe tolerance should take their own medicine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/some-folks-who-prescribe-tolerance-should-take-their-own-medicine/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [Had he been willing to live a hypocrite, he would have been respectable, he at least could have died surrounded by other hypocrites, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/had-he-been-willing-to-live-a-hypocrite-he-would-have-been/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [You don't understand me. You are not expected to. You are not capable. I am beyond your experience. I am beyond good and evil.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ramirez/you-don-t-understand-me-you-are-not-expected-to-you-are-not-capable-i/) [Richard Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ramirez/) > [“There are two sides to every story — especially if you’re a hypocrite.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/there-are-two-sides-to-every-story-especially-if-you-re-a-hypocrite/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [If you emote in your performances, people feel connected to you as an emotional person, because that's how we communicate. That doesn't mean people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/if-you-emote-in-your-performances-people-feel-connected-to-you-as-an/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [This is not a rock opera. This is not Tommy. I can write songs that emote, and that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/this-is-not-a-rock-opera-this-is-not-tommy-i-can-write-songs-that/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I got interested in the emotions after studying patients who had lost the ability to emote and feel under certain circumstances. Many of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/i-got-interested-in-the-emotions-after-studying-patients-who-had-lost/) [Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/) > [There's a need for music that has urgency and emotional honesty. That's why people are reintroducing themselves to guitar music - that instrument has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mura-masa/there-s-a-need-for-music-that-has-urgency-and-emotional-honesty-that/) [Mura Masa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mura-masa/) > [I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood and was raised by a man who did not emote, ever... I always cry at movies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-grew-up-in-a-blue-collar-neighborhood-and-was-raised-by-a-man-who/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) ## More by Trace Adkins > [Whoo-wee! whoo-wee!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/whoo-wee-whoo-wee/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [New York City is a notoriously hard market to perform country music in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/new-york-city-is-a-notoriously-hard-market-to-perform-country-music-in/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [Here she comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/here-she-comes/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [Turn it up some.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/turn-it-up-some/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [She might get up and dance again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/she-might-get-up-and-dance-again/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [Lord have mercy, how'd she even get them britches on?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/lord-have-mercy-how-d-she-even-get-them-britches-on/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [People get passionate about a song. It's been my experience if you put out radio candy, something commercial, it doesn't sell records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/people-get-passionate-about-a-song-it-s-been-my-experience-if-you-put/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [There's a gratification that comes from performing in front of a live audience, and you can't replicate that with anything else. In the studio,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/there-s-a-gratification-that-comes-from-performing-in-front-of-a-live/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [There outta be a law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/there-outta-be-a-law/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [For what her mama gave her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/for-what-her-mama-gave-her/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [Poor ole boy, it ain't his fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/poor-ole-boy-it-ain-t-his-fault/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [Throwin' darts at the wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/throwin-darts-at-the-wall/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [You can raise her up a lady but there’s one thing you just can't avoid...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/you-can-raise-her-up-a-lady-but-there-s-one-thing-you-just-can-t-avoid/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [We hate to see her go but love to watch her leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/we-hate-to-see-her-go-but-love-to-watch-her-leave/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) > [Anytime you get out of your comfort zone and you have to do something that you're not comfortable doing and that you're not real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/anytime-you-get-out-of-your-comfort-zone-and-you-have-to-do-something/) [Trace Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) [Explore all 50 Trace Adkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/) ## More Acting quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I'm singing a song on stage, I hate hypocrites. If you don't put yourself in that lyric and emote and be what that lyric says that you are, then you're just going through the motions and you're being hypocritical. I just take that same approach with acting. I just take the dialogue and I emote it and become that. I use the same technic.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Trace Adkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/when-i-m-singing-a-song-on-stage-i-hate-hypocrites-if-you-don-t-put/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/when-i-m-singing-a-song-on-stage-i-hate-hypocrites-if-you-don-t-put/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/trace-adkins-13355_acting_when-i-m-singing-a-song-on-stage-i-hate_2171188.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/trace-adkins-13355_acting_when-i-m-singing-a-song-on-stage-i-hate_2171188.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/trace-adkins-13355_acting_when-i-m-singing-a-song-on-stage-i-hate_2171188.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I'm singing a song on stage, I hate hypocrites. If you don't put yourself in that lyric and emote and…” — Trace Adkins", "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": "Trace Adkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-adkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I'm singing a song on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/when-i-m-singing-a-song-on-stage-i-hate-hypocrites-if-you-don-t-put/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-adkins/when-i-m-singing-a-song-on-stage-i-hate-hypocrites-if-you-don-t-put/#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 } } ] } ```