I don't feel any pressure from fans. But I'm always in some kind of state of emotional turmoil. I would not describe myself as happy-go-lucky. That's not to say that I'm not happy.
Paul SimonRead
I don't really know why an idea comes to me. But all of a sudden, an idea comes and from experience I can intuit what something means when an interesting line pops up. Or I can intuit what an interesting choice might be. And I can try a couple of different choices, and see which one feels right, and then continue the song to see where it goes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Inspiration can often strike unexpectedly, guiding creative choices in a fluid process.
This quote by Paul Simon reflects the nature of artistic inspiration, emphasizing how ideas can suddenly emerge without clear origins. It illustrates the intuitive process of creativity where one explores various choices, relying on a sense of what feels right, and allowing the work to evolve organically. Simon shows that creativity involves experimentation and openness to where the idea may lead.
Themes
CreativityInspirationArtMusicIntuition
In practice
Example use cases
In a creative writing workshop, to encourage students to embrace unexpected inspiration.
More from Paul Simon
All quotes →I sort of recognize it, as opposed to shaping it. Oh, that's a good idea, that's a good line. I wonder where I can use that. And when you get into a rhyme group like 'not,' you got a lot of rhymes, you got a lot of choices. The more you do it, the luckier you get.
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I am just a poor boy, though my story's seldom told, and I have squandered my resistance, for a pocket full of mumbles, such are promises. All lies in jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest...la-la-la-la-la-la-la-lala-la-la-la-la...
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Who's gonna love you when your looks are gone?
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I don't believe what the papers are saying They're just out to capture my dime, Exaggerating this, exaggerating that.
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Improvisation is too good to leave to chance.
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