Famous quotes
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“MacIntyre's teaching us waltzing Out on the gymnasium floor McIntyre's out of the army You'll be slippered if you get him wrong McIntyre's din booms loud in the gym And we've only got a little short song We've only got a little short song”
Mark Knopfler (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This song brings me back … I was brutally raped to this song.”
Sarah Silverman (born 1970) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Song ideas have come to me in the middle of interviews, in the shower, or while I'm writing another song.”
Joe Satriani (born 1956) first seen 1990 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Guitar Magazine (March 1990).
“[When I wrote], I'd be expanding on an idea and then I'd go back and I'd review it. So a lot of it you can hear train wrecks as you're playing through the song -- I'm just working and trying stuff. Then I'd come back, as you say, and extract what appeared to be the shining bits, if you like, as opposed to the bits, and then I'd lace them together. That's how the sequence of the song would arrive.”
Jimmy Page (born 1944) first seen 2014 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted by Rachel Daniel in The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters. St. Martin's Griffin (published 7 October 2014). pp. 52.
“This next song is called 'Wolf Moon' [crowd starts to cheer]. Wait with cheering until you hear what the song's about. It's about a guy who turns into a werewolf when he engages in oral sex with a menstruating woman [crowd cheers even louder, and Steele spreads out his arms]. You wanna call me a pussy? You are what you eat.”
Peter Steele (1962–2010) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Source: During a live performance at Train, Århus, Denmark, 22nd of june, 2003
“And it's the same sad song coming back again. The same old song, flows back again. ~ "So Much Work”
“The earth grows white with harvest; all day long The sickles gleam, until the darkness weaves Her web of silence o'er the thankful song Of reapers bringing home the golden sheaves. The wave tops whiten on the sea fields drear, And men go forth at haggard dawn to reap; But ever 'mid the gleaners' song we hear The half-hushed sobbing of the hearts that weep.”
John McCrae (1872–1918) said by 1918 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A boy's hunched body loved out of a stalk The first song of his happiness, and the song woke His heart to the darkness and into the sadness of joy.”
Galway Kinnell (1927–2014) first seen 1983 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: First Song (1983).
“You played and sang a snatch of song, A song that all-too well we knew; But whither had flown the ancient wrong; And was it really I and you? O, since the end of life's to live And pay in pence the common debt, What should it cost us to forgive Whose daily task is to forget?”
William Ernest Henley (1849–1903) said by 1903 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The first song that most people picked up on, particularly in America, of mine, was a ballad, not a rock'n'roll song. It was 'Alison', and that's an R&B ballad. I don't think there's any other way to describe it.”
Elvis Costello (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“That [song] was about an execution I saw on tele, that was an ad I saw on tele. I got this video of an execution, and I just saw it, and I was watching it one night, and I had a dream about it, and I woke up and thought, 'Oh yeah, that's pretty cool', and I wrote a song about it.”
Daniel Johns (born 1979) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Touring we thought was a waste of time. It was much more productive and much more creative to write and record. I am glad today that we didn't tour. We knew it begins and ends with a song. Back then the entire business revolved around the song.”
Björn Ulvaeus (born 1945) first seen 2008 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Daily Telegraph, 5 Jul 2008
“[S]he used her intellect, and that action is the vitality of all poetry that is not song only, but poetry and song.”
Alice Meynell (1847–1922) said by 1922 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Is your voice “silence”? When you are not singing a song then I hear your song’s melody clearly! Your voice is silence. Is your face “darkness”? When I shut my eyes then I see your face clearly! Your face is darkness.Is your shadow “light”? Your shadow is cast on the dark window after the moon has gone down! Your shadow is light.”
Han Yong-un (1879–1944) said by 1944 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“From song to song, the album [Dirt] changes from glorifying drugs to being completely miserable and questioning what I thought once worked for me. By the end of the album, it's pretty obvious it didn't work out as well as I thought it would.”
Layne Staley (1967–2002) said by 2002 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To love Nanapush, to love at all, is like trying to remember the tune and words to a song that the spirits have given you in your sleep. Some days, I knew exactly how the song went and some days I couldn’t even hum the first line. (p182)”
Louise Erdrich (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“…The song does remember the deceased, and it’s the song that helps the deceased move on—to ascend, in the words of the poem, to the next life. I wanted to take that and apply it to senses of transition and, hopefully, ascendance within life, moments where one feels one has to move on and move up. I didn’t know it would become an ongoing, theoretically endless series—”
Nathaniel Mackey (born 1947) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On his series Song of the Andoumboulou in “Nathaniel Mackey, The Art of Poetry No. 107” in The Paris Review (Spring 2020)
“You become a slave to the song. It (recording and producing a song) becomes a spiritual experience.”
Ike Moriz (born 1972) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in this Die Burger interview in Afrikaans, German finds his muse in the Cape, page 6, Cape Town, South Africa, 07.06.2013
“It all starts with a good song. You can look cool and work hard, but that won’t be enough. People will get into your coolness once they like the song. That’s when people want to find out more about an artist.”
Sébastien Lefebvre (born 1981) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Maradona was a hit song when I dropped the video I and my team members knew it was a hit song for me but didn't know it was a master jam.”
“Urhuese is a song of thanksgiving to God Almighty for His love and kindness towards mankind and one of the purposes of this song is to stimulate the heart of gratitude in individuals across the Globe. My expectation is that everyone that comes in contact with Urhuese will cultivate a heart of gratitude because being thankful is not a gift but an attitude that can be cultivated.”
Princess Peters (born 1986) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Well, we didn’t spend a lot of resources on the song because everyone who participated in this song volunteered to give back to the community and I would like to thank them for doing so”
Kate Bashabe (born 1990) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Bashabe on wearing many hatsThe New Times(June 10, 2019)
“My latest song, “Ganja,” is a love song, love inspired it and the way I see it, love is intoxicating.”
Donna Adja first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Donna Adja makes big comeback with ‘Ganja’, by Ayo Anikoyi, 14 August, 2022, Vanguard News, retrieved 9 December 2022
“I've played every kind of gig there is to play now. I've played faggot bars, hooker bars, motor cycle funerals, in opera houses, concert halls, halfway houses. Well, I found that in all these places that I've played all the people that I've played for are the same people. So if you'll listen, maybe you'll see someone you know in this song. A most disgusting song.”
Sixto Rodriguez (1942–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As for me, I don't hate Russians at all; I'm so exhausted by the war they have waged on us that I cannot feel anything. I am numb. There’s a beautiful song by the Ukrainian band Kozak System, a wartime song with many profanities but no hatred. It starts like this: "Our national idea— fuck the hell off!”
Victoria Amelina (1986–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To be well in spirit is the most important health. [She] was the song of that run-down house. She was its roof, its walls, its windows, its doors. She was its song. To be well in spirit is the most important wellness. To be well in spirit lifts the physical and mental state to an extraordinary level. All are affected by it. Dark thoughts disappear.”
Patricia Grace (born 1937) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This is how they took back the world - step by step, song by song.”
Kathleen Alcalá (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Roberto Vecchioni, The Song of the Theater Song. Notes on the specificity of a language; in Gaber, Giorgio, il Signor G. Told by intellectuals, friends, artists, edited by Andrea Pedrinelli, Kowalski, Milan, C.E.2008, pp. 207-210. ISBN 978-88-7496-754-4”
Roberto Vecchioni (born 1943) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is not just a song. It is more than a song because it has a story behind.”
Aline Gahongayire (born 1986) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“he visuals of the song evoked a sense of inspiration and aspiration and these are the exact qualities I felt during your performance. The way you sang the song”
Salma Agha (born 1956) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Not just the words in a song but the entire song itself is a part of speech.”
“You want there to be moments [in a song] where something unexpected hits you. They’ve done studies on this. What is it in a song that makes people cry? What is it that moves you? It’s something unexpected.”
Dean Wareham (born 1963) first seen 2025 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted by Ryan Reed of (February 20, 2025)
“My favourite song is Freweini. It is a song about Eritrea, but it also tells about a mother. Love is always loved, one doesn’t forget it. But love for one country is incomparable. A mother and your own country is basically the same.”
Tsehaytu Beraki (1939–2018) said by 2018 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I can't explain how I was feeling but I was at my lowest. And right there and then, I heard this song [by Shirley Caesar titled 'He'll Do It Again] in my mind. I have sung that song so many times but this time the words were louder.”
Irene Logan (born 1984) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I always say that a song really makes itself; you have to allow a song to speak to you and just follow its calling. An idea will come to you as just an idea”
Zakes Bantwini (born 1981) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You are known for having written and composed the song ‘Come as you are’. What is the back story to this song?”
Deidre Brown (born 1970) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To record the patriotic song Ako Ay Pilipino, a powerful anthem that expresses the deep pride of being Filipino. The song resonated with people from all walks of life and, over time, became like a second national anthem, embraced by Filipinos regardless of political affiliation.”
Kuh Ledesma (born 1955) first seen 2025 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Kuh Ledesma at 70: A look back on the OPM icon’s career-defining moments, Jerry Donato - The Philippine Star 29 March 2025.
“(About Alida Chelli) She rose to fame singing in a film by Pietro Germi, Un maledetto imbroglio, a song written by her father Carlo Rustichelli. The song was called Sinnò me moro and was a huge hit. She was a talented singer and dancer. She was absolutely the greatest Rosetta in Rugantino. However, she was always unsure of her abilities. Everyone wanted her, but she turned down the parts.”
Pippo Baudo (1936–2025) said by 2025 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“(About the Sanremo Festival) It has gone from being a song festival to a product festival. This is a consequence of the rapid obsolescence of lyrics: once upon a time, an artist dreamed of finding a song that would remain in their repertoire forever. Today, what matters is doing something that works immediately.”
Peppe Vessicchio (1956–2025) said by 2025 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Interviewer: What is song for you today, deep down? De André: Song is an old girlfriend with whom I would still very much like to spend a good part of my life, always and only if I am welcome.”
Fabrizio De André (1940–1999) said by 1999 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Don't ask a songwriter what he thought or felt before writing a song: it's precisely because he doesn't want to tell you that he started writing. The answer is in the song.”
Fabrizio De André (1940–1999) said by 1999 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone's singing our song and all the Korean lyrics. I'm so proud. The song, this award is not about success; it's about resilience.”
Ejae (born 1991) first seen 2026 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Grein, Paul; Atkinson, Katie (March 15, 2026). "‘Golden’ From ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Wins Best Original Song at 2026 Oscars, But Speech Is Cut Short". Billboard.
“The night that we wrote the song was kind of this feverish catch-up about our lives. And I think our friendship fostered an environment for a very dramatic song to come about, which is fun.”
Gracie Abrams (born 1999) first seen 2024 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Collins, Riyah (June 27, 2024). "Gracie Abrams storms charts after Taylor Swift duet at Wembley". BBC News.
“My first song was my worst. My last song will be my best. Everything in between is just the sound of me refusing to quit.”
Play House (born 1993) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I don't know how to write a stand-alone song; for me, a song is part of a bigger picture, part of a musical comedy, in short.”
Armando Trovajoli (1917–2013) said by 2013 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The song sounded familiar and I remember we actually did our research on it. I was actually supposed to perform it at one festival, and [Hoobastank] was actually there, and I was so excited, but I ended up not being able to go. I think they loved the song. So it was a cool little moment to cross over.”
“I told God, for long i have worshipped you. I have a song yet to be released and i cannot use my cancer to minister the song.So please come to my aid.”
Diana Hamilton (musician) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I felt the original song was a story of someone lonely and missing happy days. So when I went to record the vocals, I wanted to infuse a memory and feelings of the sunny days in this song to make it more beautiful, uplifting, and soulful.”
“Game Time” is the woman’s perspective of the football, basketball and baseball season. Women enjoy sports as well, we enjoy having a light beer and watching the game! But you never hear from the female perspective, so it’s a really fun song. There’s a great drum line in there, it’s a really fun song.”
Trina Braxton (born 1974) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Every time I write a song, or like most of the times when I write a song, and I’m like, ‘Oh no, hindi ko ito matatapos.’ But eventually, you have to trust the universe that matatapos mo rin siya eventually.”
Clara Benin (born 1994) first seen 2026 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Passion, Persistence, and a Promising Era: Clara Benin Reflects on a Decade-Long Career in Music, Lance Joseph Martinez 7 March 2026.