That folk music led to learning to play, and making things up led to what turns out to be the most lucrative part of the music business - writing, because you get paid every time that song gets played.

Browne traces a common musician’s trajectory: early immersion in folk music encourages self-teaching on an instrument, and the habit of improvising (“making things up”) naturally develops into songwriting. The quote underscores a practical, industry-aware lesson: while performance can be transient and dependent on touring, composition generates ongoing income through publishing and royalties each time a song is broadcast, streamed, covered, or otherwise publicly used. Implicitly, Browne elevates songwriting as both an artistic culmination of learning-by-doing and a durable economic foundation—an argument for creators to value authorship and rights, not only musicianship.