Aretha with no goals, eternally single & one step soft of heaven/ let it be understood that she owns this melody along with her emotional diplomats & her earth & her musical secrets
Bob DylanRead
You don't write a song to sit there on a page. You write it to sing it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The purpose of creating art, such as a song, is for it to be experienced and shared, not just to remain as a written document.
Bob Dylan emphasizes that the creation of music should not be an end in itself; rather, it is meant to be performed and appreciated in a live context. His words remind artists that their work is intended for a larger audience and should evoke emotions and experiences beyond the written form.
Themes
SongwritingPerformanceArtCreationMusic
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can inspire musicians during a songwriting workshop.
More from Bob Dylan
All quotes βIf I wasn't Bob Dylan, I'd probably think that Bob Dylan has a lot of answers myself.
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Some formulas are too complex and I don't want anything to do with them.
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My songs are personal music, they're not communal. I wouldn't want people singing along with me. It would sound funny. I'm not playing campfire meetings. I don't remember anyone singing along with Elvis, Carl Perkins or Little Richard.
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I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes. You'd know what a drag it is to see you.
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