John Legend Quotes

I always had a passion for writing, but I always visualized other artist singing my lyrics, I never visualized myself.

When I did 'Hand Cannot Erase,' I didn't have a specific singer in mind.

I sing, but I'm not a singer. I'm just a producer who sings on her own songs because I can't find anybody else who sounds like me.

I really just tried to make a record full of great songs, which is the goal I always have.

It was just like a dream. I could have ended up with an album that's not all that different from anything else coming out of Nashville. Mutt made the difference. He took these songs, my attitude, my creativity, and colored them in a way that is unique.

When I want to put out an album, I want to write it. I want to be able to say that I wrote my album, and all this stuff is from me.

I write a lot of lyrics and I'm involved in the producing process, because it's like, if I'm singing it, I want it to be something that I can relate to.

I don't wanna get into that space where a lot of guys now, their solo album is like eight or 10 songs with other people, you don't get an idea of who this guy is. I just wasn't interested in that.

I think once I started writing my own music and having my own bands, that's when I got more of a focus on what I wanted to do, personally.

I love working with my band-mates in Alkaline Trio, but to make a rock record that was just mine was something that I wanted to do.

I've never recorded anyone else's songs. I'm not interested. If you gave me a song by Bono and Edge and promised me a number one hit with it I'd still say no. That, for me, is not the kind of success I want.

There is no way I'll ever write an album for Avril Lavigne or Christina Aguilera. I just couldn't do it. There is no way I could ever do it because my musical process is about being directly involved with whatever I'm going through in life.

I feel like, throughout 'True Romance,' I was unsure of myself in terms of songwriting. Even though it was my voice, I feel there were a lot of other voices on that record, too.

The fact is, for the first 10 years I toured as a solo artist, I wasn't playing any of the songs I didn't write or sing.

In music, I don't think there's any need to be an all-rounder and do everything yourself. Play to your strengths, and do what you feel. Or do whatever the material itself demands. In this case, I felt like it would benefit from me singing, and I wanted it to have that sound.

I don't sit there writing songs, thinking, 'This would be good for Rihanna.' I don't want to be pitching out like that.

I'm always writing my own music, recording my own music, even if I am 9/10 of the time recording stuff for other people. I'm still working on my own creative endeavors.

I do see myself doing more than just playback singing.

I want to make the music that's not there anymore. I'm so passionate about the singing voice... What I'm trying to do actually with my album is show that it's my voice that's leading. It's my voice that's the instrument.

I'd say writing songs is, for me, as much playing the tape recorder as it is playing guitar or writing words.

I wrote a whole solo album and recorded some of it, even did a little tour with Sara Lee and Gail Ann Dorsey.

I've wanted to do a solo album since 2000 when I was writing songs for the 'Machine' record.

I like to be on most of my songs. I think being on your songs makes it all the more special in a way. Especially for me, just knowing that I'm releasing something that I was really a part of and dug in the dirt with.

We never thought we were musicians. We just thought we were in a band.

I never produce a song, whether writing it or making a beat, and give it a wack visual or wack performance. I'm like a trifecta.