If heartaches was commercials, we'd all be on TV.
John PrineRead
When I was a mailman, writing songs was my escape from the regular world, and now writing songs is my job. And I've always been one to avoid my job.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the transformation of a passion into a profession and the complexities that arise from it.
John Prine expresses how songwriting began as a refuge from the monotony of his job as a mailman and evolved into his career. He points out the irony of now having to navigate the pressures of a job that once served as a personal escape, highlighting the tension between passion and obligation.
Themes
SongwritingPassionJobEscapeMusic
In practice
Example use cases
A songwriter discussing their journey at a music festival.
More from John Prine
All quotes →One time, I went to school, and they asked us all to find out where our roots were. It's goin' around the class, and the kids were going, 'I'm Swedish-German' or 'I'm English-Irish.' They got to me and I said, 'Pure Kentuckian.'
John PrineRead
I just tried to come up with some honest songs. What I was writing about was real plain stuff that I wasn't sure was going to be interesting to other people. But I guess it was...I've never had any discipline whatsoever. I just wait on a song like I was waiting for lightning to strike. And eventually-usually sometime around 3 in the morning-I'll have a good idea. By the time the sun comes up, hopefully, I'll have a decent song.
John PrineRead
I feel basically good about my career because it's remained constant. What I do has never been especially in vogue or gotten high on the charts. At the same time, I haven't had to stop performing any of my music because it aged in style.
John PrineRead
You know that first love that leaves you? You never forget that, especially if you're a songwriter. I must have gotten nine songs out of that girl.
John PrineRead
You get to thinking that because you've written 50 or 100 songs, you think maybe you know how to do it. But when they're not coming along, you're just as in the dark as you ever were. When they're coming along, there's nothing to it. Sometimes it's so easy, it's like you're a court stenographer.
John PrineRead
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