"I think if you are writing an instrumental you are dealing with more of an aesthetic in a sense but a lyric is more of a putting yourself on the line and a much more expensive exercise"
About this Quote
Lyrics, though, force specificity. The minute you attach words, you’re no longer just designing a vibe-you’re making claims. About love, shame, politics, your own past. Even when the lyric is fictional, listeners read it as autobiography because pop culture trains us to treat the voice as confession. Kottke’s “putting yourself on the line” isn’t romantic bravery; it’s the risk of being pinned down, misread, quoted back at you, turned into a persona.
Calling it “more expensive” is the tell: he’s talking about cost beyond money. Words can date you, betray you, or reduce a complex feeling into a slogan. They also demand a different kind of musicianship: the discipline to be clear without becoming corny, personal without becoming self-mythologizing. For a player like Kottke-whose reputation rests on instrumental virtuosity and sly, sideways humor-lyrics aren’t just another tool. They’re a contract with the listener, one that charges interest.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Kottke, Leo. (2026, January 17). I think if you are writing an instrumental you are dealing with more of an aesthetic in a sense but a lyric is more of a putting yourself on the line and a much more expensive exercise. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-if-you-are-writing-an-instrumental-you-64542/
Chicago Style
Kottke, Leo. "I think if you are writing an instrumental you are dealing with more of an aesthetic in a sense but a lyric is more of a putting yourself on the line and a much more expensive exercise." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-if-you-are-writing-an-instrumental-you-64542/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I think if you are writing an instrumental you are dealing with more of an aesthetic in a sense but a lyric is more of a putting yourself on the line and a much more expensive exercise." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-think-if-you-are-writing-an-instrumental-you-64542/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
