Cat Stevens Quotes

Even if I don't release it myself, somebody else might hear it and want to record it. When you write a song, it gives it that potential.

My strongest message is: 'Never give your songs away. Never sign a contract you can't get out of.'

I don't write all my stuff. Everybody always thinks that. But in just about every album I've ever had has been about 50-50 songs I've written or co-written and other people's songs.

I do not like people writing songs and then other people singing them. A lot of people don't even sing their own songs anymore. It's like producers these days have ghost producers; 'I don't produce, but I am a producer.'

The reason I do interviews is because I'm protecting my songs.

It's time for artists to take their music back.

I have created hours upon hours of different music over the years that the general public has never heard. Maybe one day I'll release them all in one big package, but we'll see.

Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it.

I will not promote other people's songs big time. I will just mention that I produced the song to get the credit I think I deserve.

I don't do sessions for myself ever. I'm always working, writing for pop sessions. And what happens is that sometimes I like a song so much, I keep it for myself.

I feel bonded to 'Take Me.' I'm proud of it. It's empowering, and at the end of the day, it's a pretty solid pop hit.

Throughout my career I've never worried about who will be singing my song on the screen.

Etta James takes credit for writing some of the lyrics on 'I'd Rather Go Blind,' which I think are some of the most phenomenal lyrics I've ever heard. There's arguments now about who wrote it, but she always takes credit for it in her live performances.

If you had told me in 1968 that 20 years later I'd still be receiving wonderful royalty checks for those three years, I wouldn't have believed you.

It's hard to give your song away. They're like your kids.

People are always surprised to find this out, but the songs that we write, such as 'Winner of a Losing Game' and things like that, tend to be more country than the other stuff that we cut from outside writers.

I think the biggest thing, for me, was just to be recognized as a songwriter.

I rarely have any contact with the artists who cover my songs.

As songwriters, we are lucky to have ASCAP on our side, offering support and fighting for our rights.

We wrote 'Stellify' for Rihanna, but as we got to the end of writing it, I thought, 'You know what? I'm gonna keep this for myself. We'll give her another one.' She'd have probably sung it better, but it is too good for me not to do it.

I'd like to eventually be known as someone who emerged as a songwriter.

I'm not interested in being the producer of somebody else's song.

You don't necessarily have to write a song to make it your own. After all, Elvis never wrote a song in his life.

If someone asked me if I could have anything in the world, what would l want? If l could own anything, like owning a piece of art, l think it would be Elton John's publishing, on his first seven albums. I don't want the money. Being able to own those songs Is like owning a painting of someone you admire.

It's very hard to get good songs because a lot of writers record their own; they keep the best for themselves.