Evan Dando Quotes

I would write poems and think up melodies to them later.

I am never without my lyric book. If anything inspirational happens, I have it there so nothing's forgotten.

I used to write on pads with a pen but had trouble reading the words the next day. Years later, Bob Dylan taught me to just write and write on a laptop computer. Then I'd print that out. When it was time to write a song, I'd go through the pages and sing melodies to words that moved me.

I'm always writing something. There's always some structure sitting around someplace. There's always things on the computer, things scratched on score paper, legal tablets full of lyrics. It's never not buzzing around me all the time. I'm always doing it.

After that, I specifically started writing lyrics. I would like sweat and think and get it all together.

I'll write lines or words in a notepad. You work on little things and little parts; sometimes they turn into bigger songs.

I keep a composition book with me at all times to write rhymes, to write down ideas, write down my thoughts, you know just so I don't forget any ideas.

Sometimes I'll have an idea for a story or have a subject, and that will inspire lyrics, but most of the time, hopefully, they already exist somewhere else.

I sit down and draw from my lyric book. I sit down and start looking through it and see if there is anything that strikes me that I've written.

There's many, many ways to write a song. But generally, sitting down at a table and writing is not one of them.

People say all kinds of things about the ingredients of songs. But you know they are a kind of magic, in the sense that they may easily include a stain on your bedroom wall... and a variety of mis-recollections. And then you name it after a girl's name that you just made up.

I don't write poetry and then strum some chords and then fit the words on top of the chords.

I know already the music I will write. But the words? I have not yet decided.

I'm always writing; my phone is full of ideas - melodies and lyrics and stuff.

When I'm stuck for a closing to a lyric, I will drag out my last resort: overwhelming illogic.

Mr. Fantasy was the only song that was scribbling on a piece of paper.

I can clear my mind, and lyrics just come out; it's very easy for me.

I'd say almost that words come first, melody second.

I'm not like a professional writer with professional skills. Songs kind of come into my head the same way they did when I was a kid. I say I'm an overgrown kindergarten kid. I work on songs.

I write everything. It's my favorite part of what I do. And lyrics are my favorite thing.

I've written songs on everything. Menus. Napkins. Little pieces of paper.

Lyrics are really, really hard, I think, or at least they're really hard for me. Some people can channel lyrics faster. I find them very hard to find, so because of it, they take me a long time, and I really think about them.

You work very hard on the lyrics. Getting them to fit the contours of improvised melodies.

Sunday is a likely day to write a poem. Because poetry is a piece of language flying around: you'll find notebooks, something on your phone. It's about finding them and getting them off that crumpled piece of paper and onto my computer.

People don't stress enough that when they're writing lyrics, they are writing.