---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That song [You Got To Make It Through The…"
description: "\"That song [You Got To Make It Through The World] came from a vibe I picked up from an old blues singer named Bo Carter. My lady was making a film as a ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/van-morrison-1192_bootlegging_that-song-you-got-to-make-it-through-the_1193292.jpg"
---

#  That song \[You Got To Make It Through The World\] came from…

![“That song &#91;You Got To Make It Through The World&#93; came from a vibe I picked up from an old blues singer named Bo Carter. My lady was making a film as a thesis for U.C.L.A. and she wanted me to write a song to depict this character. The movie had something to do with bootlegging and stuff like that…” quote by Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/van-morrison-1192_bootlegging_that-song-you-got-to-make-it-through-the_1193292.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/van-morrison-1192_bootlegging_that-song-you-got-to-make-it-through-the_1193292.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/van-morrison-1192_bootlegging_that-song-you-got-to-make-it-through-the_1193292.jpg)

> “That song \[You Got To Make It Through The World\] came from a vibe I picked up from an old blues singer named Bo Carter. My lady was making a film as a thesis for U.C.L.A. and she wanted me to write a song to depict this character. The movie had something to do with bootlegging and stuff like that. I found this Bo Carter record and he was just saying something about making it to the woods or something like that.”

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Morrison describes drawing inspiration from a blues record to create a song that matches a film’s bootlegging theme, showing how artists remix old vibes for new stories.

**In simple terms:** He used an old blues vibe to fit a movie about bootlegging.

Key Takeaway

Blend past influences with current projects.

Themes

creativity inspiration music film heritage

Mood

reflective nostalgic

Type

artistic process.

When to use this quote

- songwriting
- film scoring
- thematic composition
- cultural homage

Key Concepts

blues tradition intertextuality storytelling

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you ensure a musical homage respects its source while serving a new story?
- What balance between originality and tribute feels authentic?

A Different Perspective

The borrowed vibe may not fully capture the film’s narrative depth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bootlegging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bootlegging/) [Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carter/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Just saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-saying/) [Records](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/records/) [Saying Making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-making-663287/) [Singers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singers/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Song Depict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song-depict-3549393/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Thesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thesis/) [Vibe Picked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vibe-picked-3549394/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woods/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Write Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-song/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

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> [I'm all for bootlegging. A record costs $20 . . . who can afford that?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-hynde/i-m-all-for-bootlegging-a-record-costs-20-who-can-afford-that/)

[Chrissie Hynde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-hynde/)

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> [If one looks into the genealogies of many 'old families,' one discovers episodes of slave trafficking, bootlegging, gun running, opium trading, falsified land claims,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/if-one-looks-into-the-genealogies-of-many-old-families-one-discovers/)

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> [Some call it bootlegging. Some call it racketeering. I call it a business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/some-call-it-bootlegging-some-call-it-racketeering-i-call-it-a/)

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[Ashley Purdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-purdy/)

## More by Van Morrison

> [The fog of illusion, the fog of confusion is hanging all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/the-fog-of-illusion-the-fog-of-confusion-is-hanging-all-over-the-world/)

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[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

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[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

[Explore all 276 Van Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

## More Bootlegging quotes

> [Some call it bootlegging. Some call it racketeering. I call it a business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capone/some-call-it-bootlegging-some-call-it-racketeering-i-call-it-a/)

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[Al Capone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capone/)

> [I'm all for bootlegging. A record costs $20 . . . who can afford that?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-hynde/i-m-all-for-bootlegging-a-record-costs-20-who-can-afford-that/)

[Chrissie Hynde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-hynde/)

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> [I think bootlegging is kinda cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-trachtenburg/i-think-bootlegging-is-kinda-cool/)

[Rachel Trachtenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-trachtenburg/)

> [Alcohol makes other people less tedious, and food less bland, and can help provide what the Greeks called entheos, or the slight buzz of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/alcohol-makes-other-people-less-tedious-and-food-less-bland-and-can-3/)

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[Burton Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burton-cummings/)

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[Donnie Eichar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-eichar/)

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[Shepard Fairey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shepard-fairey/)

[Browse all 12 Bootlegging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bootlegging/)

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