Keren Ann Quotes

A lot of times songs are very much of a moment, that you just encapsulate. They come to you, you write them, you feel good that day, or bad that day.

Songwriting is a mysterious art. When I sit down to write a song, the end result should be mysterious and have this dark quality.

Making music and writing kind of come from the same creative place.

Music is closer to poetry than anything.

'Finally' actually started out as a poem. I always wrote poetry, and pretty soon I figured out that if I could write poems, I could write songs.

I try to imagine what the greatest song I could ever write would sound like, and then try to do it.

I've never had trouble finding inspiration for new songs, no matter what I'm doing.

If you can make a little painting for the ears with a few words, well, I like words; I like cutting them up and finding different ways of saying the same thing... I get into a spell, and it all comes easy. I don't labor over it. I go inside the song, I think you make yourself an antenna for songs, and songs want to be around you. And then they bring other songs along, and then they're all sitting around, and they're drinkin' your beer, and they're sleeping on the floor. And they are using the phone, they're rude, thankless little f---ers.

What I do as a songwriter is a constant force in my life, that I'm grateful to have.

Sometimes when you're writing a song and that song comes into your head, it definitely comes from somewhere, like a real experience.

Everything I see and hear... I will take ideas from anyplace, anywhere, anytime, and life has become a song to me. I'm always looking for a song.

No, no, the songs write themselves, almost.

There is a formula that allows you to write a decent song. But a song like 'You're All I Need to Get By,' it just writes itself.

I started as a songwriter and wanted to be like Leonard Cohen. I've always seen my stories as enlarged songs.

Where does a man get inspiration to write a song like that? Well, he gets it from the landlady once a month.

I find it harder to write the lyrics afterwards because then you're just trying to fit them into something that's already there.

I genuinely find the most meaningful thing I do is to make music, but also to absorb some sort of creativity.

I write songs about real things... The subject dictates the mood and it goes from there, really.

Rap is something you can just throw on the skillet and fry up real quick. That's how it comes to me, my train of thought. It's like getting dressed - I don't have to sit down and stare at clothes, I just pick what I like and put it on. But rock, you gotta put it in the oven and let it bake.

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

Sometimes you stumble across a few chords that put you in a reflective place.

I was never a 'sit down with a notepad and write lyrics' kind of person.

I don't get my inspiration from a specific source. It's more like if you listen to a good tune, it gives me inspiration to write a better tune.

When we make records, it's hard to pinpoint one thing that inspires a record. It's usually a number of different things that lead to inspiration or wanting to write something down and share it with someone.

Being a good songwriter means paying attention and sticking your hand out the window to catch the song on the way to someone else's house!