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Creativity Quote by Bobby McFerrin

"But, if there's any aspect of my career that needs attention, it's writing"

About this Quote

A performer famous for making entire rooms sing back at him admitting he needs to work on "writing" is a quiet flex disguised as humility. Bobby McFerrin built a public identity on spontaneity: voice-as-instrument, improvisation-as-composition, the body as metronome. So when he points to writing as the thing that "needs attention", he's not confessing weakness so much as naming the one part of artistry that doesn't get rescued by charisma in the moment.

The intent lands like a corrective to the myth of effortless genius. McFerrin's career has been proof that craft can look like play, and that play can be rigorous. By singling out writing, he highlights the unsexy labor behind music: decisions made when the audience isn't there, when you can't ride the feedback loop of a crowd. It's also an artist's way of insisting his legacy isn't just a highlight reel of live magic. Writing is what stays when the performance is over; it's the infrastructure that lets improvisation feel inevitable instead of lucky.

There's subtext, too, about genre and credibility. A musician associated in the public mind with "Don't Worry, Be Happy" has every reason to be vigilant about being flattened into a vibe. Emphasizing writing signals seriousness: not just the guy who can do astonishing things with a microphone, but a composer thinking about form, intent, and what remains on the page. It's a reminder that even virtuosity wants a blueprint.

Quote Details

TopicWriting
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APA Style (7th ed.)
McFerrin, Bobby. (2026, January 17). But, if there's any aspect of my career that needs attention, it's writing. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-if-theres-any-aspect-of-my-career-that-needs-40929/

Chicago Style
McFerrin, Bobby. "But, if there's any aspect of my career that needs attention, it's writing." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-if-theres-any-aspect-of-my-career-that-needs-40929/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"But, if there's any aspect of my career that needs attention, it's writing." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-if-theres-any-aspect-of-my-career-that-needs-40929/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.

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But, if any aspect of my career needs attention it is writing
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About the Author

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Bobby McFerrin (born March 11, 1950) is a Musician from USA.

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