Long live teachers of children, because they can show children how they can save the world.
Pete SeegerRead
Songwriters can’t explain. You get an idea and you don’t know where it’s come from. And if you’re lucky, you have a pencil or pen and can write it down.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Songwriters often create without understanding the source of their inspiration, relying on intuition to capture their ideas.
In this quote, Pete Seeger reflects on the mysterious nature of creativity in songwriting, emphasizing that inspiration can strike unexpectedly and may not always be easily explained. He suggests that the ability to write down these fleeting ideas, when they arise, is crucial for songwriters, as it captures the essence of their creative spark before it fades away.
Themes
CreativityInspirationSongwritingArtMusic
In practice
Example use cases
A music teacher might use this quote to inspire students about the nature of creativity in songwriting during a class.
More from Pete Seeger
All quotes →According to my definition of God, I'm not an atheist. Because I think God is everything. Whenever I open my eyes, I'm looking at God. Whenever I'm listening to something, I'm listening to God.
Pete SeegerRead
Songs are funny things. They can slip across borders. Proliferate in prisons. Penetrate hard shells. I always believed that the right song at the right moment could change history.
Pete SeegerRead
Well, normally I’m against big things. I think the world is going to be saved by millions of small things. Too many things can go wrong when they get big.” — Pete Seeger (on how he felt about attending his big 90th birthday bash last year)
Pete SeegerRead
I’ve never sung anywhere without giving the people listening to me a chance to join in - as a kid, as a lefty, as a man touring the U.S.A. and the world, as an oldster. I guess it’s kind of a religion with me. Participation. That’s what’s going to save the human race.
Pete SeegerRead
I write a song because I want to. I think the moment you start writing it to make money, you're starting to kill yourself artistically.
Pete SeegerRead
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