Music Quotes | Beyond Motive 2/60

top of page

Music Quotes

"Lean your body forward slightly to support the guitar against your chest, for the poetry of the music should resound in your heart."

"Lean your body forward slightly to support the guitar against your chest, for the poetry of the music should resound in your heart."

Andres Segovia, Spanish Musician

Music, Poetry, Heart, Body

46

"Mainly I was able to perform with music - I played the French horn, I would sing, and I was a drummer in the pipe band. So I think it was a way to show off."

"Mainly I was able to perform with music - I played the French horn, I would sing, and I was a drummer in the pipe band. So I think it was a way to show off."

Ewan McGregor, Scottish Actor

46

"Growing up, I was very much interested in jazz music."

"Growing up, I was very much interested in jazz music."

Jan Hammer, Czech Musician

Music, Growing up, Jazz

45

"I've been doing a lot of music for films and television for quite a few years."

"I've been doing a lot of music for films and television for quite a few years."

Jan Hammer, Czech Musician

Music, Television, Years

44

"Music's always been really cathartic. It's the best drug for me to get away from the everyday pressures just for a second via a good song."

"Music's always been really cathartic. It's the best drug for me to get away from the everyday pressures just for a second via a good song."

Ville Valo, Finnish Musician

44

"Very much like that, and very much a loner, do you know and I didn't fit really into sport or all kind of group activities as a kid, I couldn't find a niche. And music was not really part of the kind of village curriculum it would, you know."

"Very much like that, and very much a loner, do you know and I didn't fit really into sport or all kind of group activities as a kid, I couldn't find a niche. And music was not really part of the kind of village curriculum it would, you know."

Eric Clapton, British Musician

Music, Curriculum

44

"I think I'm a music fan before anything else."

"I think I'm a music fan before anything else."

Nuno Bettencourt, Portuguese Musician

43

"Rock is young music, it is youth oriented. It just speaks for a generation."

"Rock is young music, it is youth oriented. It just speaks for a generation."

Ruben Blades, Panamanian Musician

43

"This music isn't Top 40, we really stand out from anyone."

"This music isn't Top 40, we really stand out from anyone."

Dustin Diamond, American Actor

42

"Music exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart."

"Music exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart."

Shinichi Suzuki, Japanese Educator

Music, Heart, Purpose

42

"Music is very influential to my writing, as are theater and film."

"Music is very influential to my writing, as are theater and film."

Jessica Hagedorn, Filipino Writer

Music, Film, Theater, Writing

42

"I think Bridge Over Troubled Water was a very good song. Artie sang it beautifully. The Boxer was a really nice record. But I don't think I've written any great songs."

"I think Bridge Over Troubled Water was a very good song. Artie sang it beautifully. The Boxer was a really nice record. But I don't think I've written any great songs."

Paul Simon, American Musician

Music, Song, Songs, Water

42

"The music I do is food... that will be your dinner."

"The music I do is food... that will be your dinner."

Ziggy Marley, Jamaican Musician

Music, Food, Will

41

"It is easy to write unthinking music."

"It is easy to write unthinking music."

George Crumb, American Composer

41

"Anywhere you had a commerce center, you had a lot of music."

"Anywhere you had a commerce center, you had a lot of music."

Ruben Blades, Panamanian Musician

Music, Commerce

40

"What is interesting in this is the exchange of music that occurred between New Orleans and Cuba, I mean, they had ferries that would go from one port to another."

"What is interesting in this is the exchange of music that occurred between New Orleans and Cuba, I mean, they had ferries that would go from one port to another."

Ruben Blades, Panamanian Musician

38

"Those who seek to satisfy the mind of man by hampering it with ceremonies and music and affecting charity and devotion have lost their original nature."

"Those who seek to satisfy the mind of man by hampering it with ceremonies and music and affecting charity and devotion have lost their original nature."

Zhuang Zi, Chinese Philosopher

Music, Nature, Charity, Devotion

36

"I confess that I listen to my own music for my own pleasure."

"I confess that I listen to my own music for my own pleasure."

Herb Alpert, American Musician

Music, Pleasure

36

"I think everything Joni Mitchell did for music was big."

"I think everything Joni Mitchell did for music was big."

Maynard James Keenan, American Musician

36

"If some of our works are symphonies, then wrapped walkways was chamber music."

"If some of our works are symphonies, then wrapped walkways was chamber music."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

36

"There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres."

"There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres."

Pythagoras, Greek Mathematician

Music, Geometry

36

"It is only in his music, which Americans are able to admire because a protective sentimentality limits their understanding of it, that the Negro in America has been able to tell his story."

"It is only in his music, which Americans are able to admire because a protective sentimentality limits their understanding of it, that the Negro in America has been able to tell his story."

James Baldwin, American Educator

Music, America, Americans, Limits

35

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."

Frank Zappa, American Musician

Music, Time, Production

35

"The only things Mick and I disagree about is the band, the music and what we do."

"The only things Mick and I disagree about is the band, the music and what we do."

Keith Richards, English Musician

35

"The century of airplanes has a right to its own music."

"The century of airplanes has a right to its own music."

Claude Debussy, French Composer

Music, Airplanes, Right

34

"Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music."

"Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music."

Jimi Hendrix, American Musician

Music, Lie, World

34

"Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die."

"Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die."

Paul Simon, American Musician

34

"I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down'."

"I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down'."

Bob Newhart, American Comedian

Music, People, Country, Country music

34

"As Governor, I could think of only one way to unify our State that was made up of so many different climates, political beliefs and people, and that was our music."

"As Governor, I could think of only one way to unify our State that was made up of so many different climates, political beliefs and people, and that was our music."

Lamar Alexander, American Politician

Music, People, Beliefs, State

33

"We want to get this good music to as many people as possible because I think it heals, it soothes, I think music is incredibly important, especially in today's chaos."

"We want to get this good music to as many people as possible because I think it heals, it soothes, I think music is incredibly important, especially in today's chaos."

Graham Nash, British Musician

Music, People, Chaos, Today

33

"I always dreamed of being Maria in The Sound of Music."

"I always dreamed of being Maria in The Sound of Music."

Victoria Jackson, American Comedian

Music, Being, Sound

33

"They've been brought up on the best music. It's gonna be so good."

"They've been brought up on the best music. It's gonna be so good."

Sean Booth, English Musician

33

"First of all, the music that people call Latin or Spanish is really African. So Black people need to get the credit for that."

"First of all, the music that people call Latin or Spanish is really African. So Black people need to get the credit for that."

Carlos Santana, Mexican Musician

Music, People, African, Credit

32

"I couldn't live without my music, man. Or me mum."

"I couldn't live without my music, man. Or me mum."

Robbie Williams, British Musician

32

"Music is the language of the soul and the expression of deep inner feelings."

"Music is the language of the soul and the expression of deep inner feelings."

Debasish Mridha, American Author

Music, Soul, Feelings, Deep

32

"Jim, as just a spoken poet, was not that good. He needed the music behind him. He felt a security and a sense of abandon when the music existed around him."

"Jim, as just a spoken poet, was not that good. He needed the music behind him. He felt a security and a sense of abandon when the music existed around him."

Ray Manzarek, American Musician

Music, Security, Sense

32

"Beyond a certain point, the music isn't mine anymore. It's yours."

"Beyond a certain point, the music isn't mine anymore. It's yours."

Phil Collins, English Musician

31

"Music played at weddings always reminds me of the music played for soldiers before they go into battle."

"Music played at weddings always reminds me of the music played for soldiers before they go into battle."

Heinrich Heine, German Poet

Music, Battle, Soldiers, Weddings

31

"Music can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch."

"Music can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch."

Debasish Mridha, American Author

Music, Heal, Wounds, Medicine

31

"Cinematography is infinite in its possibilities... much more so than music or language."

"Cinematography is infinite in its possibilities... much more so than music or language."

Conrad Hall, American Artist

Music, Infinite, Language, Possibilities

31

"My music fights against the system that teaches to live and die."

"My music fights against the system that teaches to live and die."

Bob Marley, Jamaican Musician

30

"They all knew my name, but no one heard the music - I didn't look the same."

"They all knew my name, but no one heard the music - I didn't look the same."

Ricky Nelson, American Musician

30

"For me, how I feel about what I wrote down turns into a song."

"For me, how I feel about what I wrote down turns into a song."

Geddy Lee, Canadian Musician

30

"I know already the music I will write. But the words? I have not yet decided."

"I know already the music I will write. But the words? I have not yet decided."

Gyorgy Ligeti, Hungarian Composer

Music, Will, Words

30

"My first interest was always music, and somehow that channelled itself into films and acting. I don't know what the natural transition of it was. I mean I acted a little bit when I was young and like any kid would in a community theatre."

"My first interest was always music, and somehow that channelled itself into films and acting. I don't know what the natural transition of it was. I mean I acted a little bit when I was young and like any kid would in a community theatre."

Andy Garcia, American Actor

Music, Acting, Community, First

30

"In Hungary all native music, in its origin, is divided naturally into melody destined for song or melody for the dance."

"In Hungary all native music, in its origin, is divided naturally into melody destined for song or melody for the dance."

Franz Liszt, Hungarian Composer

Music, Dance, Song

29

"Instead of slashing my wrists, I just write a bunch of really crummy songs."

"Instead of slashing my wrists, I just write a bunch of really crummy songs."

Peter Steele, American Musician

29

"If you really believe music is dangerous, you should let it go in one ear and out the other."

"If you really believe music is dangerous, you should let it go in one ear and out the other."

Jose Bergamin, Spanish Writer

29

"Despite all the technical improvements, it still boils down to a man or a woman and a microphone, playing music, sharing stories, talking about issues - communicating with an audience."

"Despite all the technical improvements, it still boils down to a man or a woman and a microphone, playing music, sharing stories, talking about issues - communicating with an audience."

Casey Kasem, American Broadcaster

Music, Man, Sharing, Talking

29

"I think the world is very much embracing this whole concept of musicians going out and playing their instruments and playing music for music as opposed to music that has something to do with some form of image or imagery."

"I think the world is very much embracing this whole concept of musicians going out and playing their instruments and playing music for music as opposed to music that has something to do with some form of image or imagery."

Les Claypool, American Musician

Music, Musicians, World

29

bottom of page