"You know, I've sung a lot of emotional songs in my life, but when you're writing it yourself, it's very difficult to decide what to reveal"
About this Quote
The line "I've sung a lot of emotional songs" frames vulnerability as part of the job description, almost routine. Then she pivots: "but when you're writing it yourself" changes the stakes from empathy to exposure. Krall isn't romanticizing confession; she's naming the editorial problem at the heart of autobiographical art. What do you leave in to make it real, and what do you cut to preserve a private life, a marriage, a future relationship with your own past? The phrase "decide what to reveal" sounds less like spilling and more like curating, acknowledging that authenticity is built as much by omission as by disclosure.
Context matters because Krall's public persona trades on intimacy: close-mic jazz, conversational phrasing, the illusion that you're overhearing something personal. Songwriting threatens to turn that illusion into a demand, where listeners feel entitled to the "real story". Her admission pushes back against the confessional economy of modern pop culture. It suggests that the most honest move an artist can make is not telling everything, but recognizing where honesty ends and self-protection begins.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Krall, Diana. (2026, January 16). You know, I've sung a lot of emotional songs in my life, but when you're writing it yourself, it's very difficult to decide what to reveal. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-know-ive-sung-a-lot-of-emotional-songs-in-my-124282/
Chicago Style
Krall, Diana. "You know, I've sung a lot of emotional songs in my life, but when you're writing it yourself, it's very difficult to decide what to reveal." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-know-ive-sung-a-lot-of-emotional-songs-in-my-124282/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"You know, I've sung a lot of emotional songs in my life, but when you're writing it yourself, it's very difficult to decide what to reveal." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-know-ive-sung-a-lot-of-emotional-songs-in-my-124282/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.





