I may not be the most famous songwriter in the world, but you know a David Friedman song when you hear it. It took me a long time to appreciate that.

Friedman contrasts public recognition (“most famous”) with artistic distinctiveness: the idea that a songwriter’s real achievement may be a recognizable voice rather than celebrity. The second sentence frames this as a hard-won self-understanding—suggesting years of comparison, insecurity, or striving for external validation before accepting the value of a personal style. Implicitly, the quote affirms craft and authenticity: if listeners can identify a song as “yours,” you have built a coherent musical identity. It also gestures toward a mature definition of success in the arts, where influence and individuality can matter more than fame.