Sometimes it's liberating to confront horrible things in lyrics as a way to master the shadow-self that exists in everyone. Jeff Tweedy More Quotes by Jeff Tweedy More Quotes From Jeff Tweedy I spent a fair amount of time editing the lyrics and allowing the song to kind of evolve. ... anytime there's anything worthwhile, it certainly 'feels' like it happened on the spur of the moment, but it's a composite of lots of spurs of the moment, hopefully. And over time, you catch up with those, and then you have a full set of lyrics you've thought of and you feel comfortable singing. Jeff Tweedy editing writing song It doesn't necessarily matter if I'm onstage or not. I just find the communal experience of a rock concert, or any type of music performance, achieves a kind of transcendence that I associate with spirituality. It's the closest thing to what I think people expect church to be like. Or maybe just what I've always thought church should be. You lose yourself, and at the same time come to the realization or understanding that you're part of something bigger than yourself. Jeff Tweedy rocks people thinking I still love poetic imagery. I love the idea of using surrealist speak to generate lyrical content and I love the way English can be exciting in and of itself. Jeff Tweedy poetic way ideas It's hard for people to see how they can change how dismal things look, but there are still wonderful things to sing about. Music is the only way we are capable of talking about the most important things. Jeff Tweedy important wonderful people I don't like being in public with headphones on. I don't know how people can do it. It seems like you're so cut off from your environment. I feel like I'd get hit by a car. Jeff Tweedy car cutting people Everything alive must die. Every building built to the sky will fall. Don't try to tell me my everlasting love is a lie. Jeff Tweedy love-is lying fall The main thing I learned is that the more I can forget about being embarrassed when I make something, the more it is going to mean something to somebody else. I can't anticipate what it's going to be or how it's going to be perceived, so the quicker I let go of something I make, the better. Jeff Tweedy letting-go forget mean With some bands, there's a fear that if people do other things, the band is going to change and not hold it together. That's kind of sad; if you love someone, set them free, right? Jeff Tweedy if-you-love-someone together people It's rooted in things that maybe older people or people my age remember as being rock music. But at the same time, I don't think we're stuck in the past or retro. I think we've tried to push ourselves and experiment with what we can call Wilco music. Jeff Tweedy rocks past thinking What you once were isn't what you want to be anymore. Jeff Tweedy what-you-want want To be honest, I’m more concerned with living my life than writing about my life. I feel like that’s really the main thing I know now that I didn’t know when I was younger — and that is that you have to have a life to write about one. If you’re more worried about having experiences so you can write about them, I think you’re kinda being ridiculous, and I think a lot of young people look at it like that. Jeff Tweedy writing people thinking There's probably not any kind of music that means more to me than gospel and soul. I heard somebody say that soul music is being proud of where you're from and what you've accomplished, and letting that show. Losing some self-consciousness and ego to join something larger. I like that idea a lot, just letting it all hang out, and on this album we did our best at that. Jeff Tweedy ego soul mean Writing songs has always been hard and easy. It's not always easy when you want it to be, and then sometimes it's just like turning on the faucet. That's just the nature of it. Jeff Tweedy want writing song Anybody who'd expend energy preventing people from hearing music seems not to understand the basic principal of making music in the first place. It's so antithetical to being a musician. Jeff Tweedy musician energy people I don't know if experimental is a word I would ever use comfortably. Jeff Tweedy ifs use knows Avant-garde is the one area of music that has never changed. It doesn't mean anything. Jeff Tweedy avant-garde never-change mean For the most part I stand by all of records. I just always like the one I've done most recently the best and I think that's the whole point. Jeff Tweedy records done thinking You have to learn how to die if you wanna be alive. Jeff Tweedy dies alive ifs Treating your audience like thieves is absurd. Anyone who chooses to listen to our music becomes a collaborator. Jeff Tweedy absurd thieves music-is Stop trying to treat music like it's a tennis shoe, something to be branded. If the music industry wants to save money, they should take a look at some of their six-figure executive expense accounts. All those lawsuits can't be cheap, either. Jeff Tweedy tennis shoes trying
