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Music

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“Those sweet, vague sounds are on the air, Half sleep, half song--half false, half true, As if the wind that brought them there Had touched them with its music too.”
Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–1838) said by 1838 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I think the music of the Fifties is really good. I suspect it’s much better musically than much of what’s available now. Not in terms of production, but in terms of content. One good believable song about some guy’s girlfriend and how they broke up — a sincere one — is better than twenty albums of English rock that’s ever been produced.”
Frank Zappa (1940–1993) said by 1993 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“That is no country for old men. The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees —Those dying generations—at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten, born, and dies. Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unaging intellect.”
William Butler Yeats (1865–1939) said by 1939 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Measure a man by his actions fully, from the beginning to the end. Don't take a piece out of my life or a song out of my music and say this is what I'm about, because you know better than that.”
Tupac Shakur (1971–1996) said by 1996 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In order for music to free itself, it will have to pass over to the other side — there where territories tremble, where the structures collapse, where the ethoses get mixed up, where a powerful song of the earth is unleashed, the great ritornelles that transmutes all the airs it carries away and makes return.”
Gilles Deleuze (1925–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Poetry which has decided to do without music, to divorce itself from song, has thrown away much of its reason for being...”
Robertson Davies (1913–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I've always been a painter. I didn't come to it late. I was always the school artist. I came to music late, you know, relatively. I mean, I picked up — I tried it at 8. I took a year of piano lessons and wrote my first song when I was 8, wrote it out in notes.”
Joni Mitchell (born 1943) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Ah, like a comet through flame she moves entranced Wrapt in her music no bird song, no, nor bough Breaking with honey buds, shall ever equal.”
Stephen Spender (1909–1995) first seen 1988 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Express" (l. 25–27) in Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry (1988) edited by Richard Ellmann and Robert O’Clair
“[Bai Juyi] utilized Confucianism to order his conduct, utilized Buddhism to cleanse his mind, and then utilized history, paintings, mountains, rivers, wine, music and song to soothe his spirit.”
Bai Juyi (772–846) said by 846 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Composition for his own tomb inscription, as quoted in Lin Yutang's The Importance of Living (1940), p. 411
“There is a similar kind of feel for rhythm and tone in comedy as there is in music, I think. You have to, you know, words - you use words in the same careful way in a song that you use them in a joke. Having just the right word in just the right place seems to make it work.”
Jerry Seinfeld (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If all the skies were sunshine, Our faces would be fain To feel once more upon them The cooling splash of rain.If all the world were music, Our hearts would often long For one sweet strain of silence. To break the endless song.If life were always merry, Our souls would seek relief, And rest from weary laughter In the quiet arms of grief.”
Henry van Dyke (1852–1933) said by 1933 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Before the days of television and mass media, the folksinger was often a traveling newspaper spreading tales through music.... There is an urgent need for Americans to look deeply into themselves and their actions, and musical poetry is perhaps the most effective mirror available. Every newspaper headline is a potential song.”
Phil Ochs (1940–1976) first seen 1963 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Article in the 22nd edition of the Broadside Magazine (1963)
“Science cannot tell us a word about why music delights us, of why and how an old song can move us to tears.”
Erwin Schrödinger (1887–1961) said by 1961 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To know how to suggest is the great art of teaching. To attain it we must be able to guess what will interest; we must learn to read the childish soul as we might a piece of music. Then, by simply changing the key, we keep up the attraction and vary the song.”
Henri-Frédéric Amiel (1821–1881) first seen 1864 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 16 November 1864
“She gets rock n roll, a rock n roll station And a rock n roll dream. She's making movies on location. She don't know what it means. But the music make her wanna be the story. And the story was whatever was the song, what it was. Rollergirl don't worry. D.J. plays the movies all night long.”
Mark Knopfler (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I suppose there's a certain way I like the music to be performed, and I feel I can capture it better than anyone else. I know every note in every song, the whole history of it, even parts that were there and are gone.”
Enya (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It's just rock and roll. A lot of times we get criticized for it. A lot of music papers come out with: 'When are they going to stop playing these three chords?' If you believe you shouldn't play just three chords it's pretty silly on their part. To us, the simpler a song is, the better, 'cause it's more in line with what the person on the street is.”
Angus Young (born 1955) first seen 1979 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview with the Atlanta Gazette in May 1979
“I want to write music. I want to sit down right now at the piano, and write a song that people will listen to and remember. And do the same thing every morning for the rest of my life.”
Jonathan Larson (1960–1996) said by 1996 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The need to make music, and to listen to it, is universally expressed by human beings. I cannot imagine, even in our most primitive times, the emergence of talented painters to make cave paintings without there having been, near at hand, equally creative people making song. It is, like speech, a dominant aspect of human biology.”
Lewis Thomas (1913–1993) said by 1993 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Music allows a person to express their deepest thoughts, thoughts that cannot be expressed with just words. I am often asked how I begin a song or develop a melody from nothing. That is the spiritual aspect of creating. Finding something deep within yourself that can only be created by you.”
Bradley Joseph (born 1965) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Music to me is spontaneous, writing is spontaneous and it's all based on not trying to do it. From beginning to end, whether it's writing a song, or playing guitar, or a particular chord sequence, or blowing a horn, it's based on improvisation and spontaneity.”
Van Morrison (born 1945) first seen 1978 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview by Dermot Stokes in Hot Press (March 1978)
“Open your arms in the early mornin' When the light comes shinin' through Can't you hear my heart beat just for you? It's beating so wild, honey. And light comes shinin' Singin' my song And the band is playin' And the music is tried and true.”
Van Morrison (born 1945) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Ho! then, the splendour And sheen of my ministry, Clothing the earth With a livery of lightnings! Ho! then, the music Of battles in onset And ruining armours, And God's gift returning In fury to God! Glittering and keen As the song of the winter stars, Ho! then, the sound Of my voice, the implacable Angel of Destiny!— I am the Sword.”
William Ernest Henley (1849–1903) first seen 1892 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Song of the Sword, and Other Verses (London: David Nutt, 1892), title poem
“With 'Abuse Me', I just wanted to get all the feelings off my chest, the feelings I'd had when I read all the negative commentary. The song is basically saying, 'Say what you like. We don't give a fuck what you think. We're just playing our music.”
Daniel Johns (born 1979) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among people, To make music in the heart.”
Howard Thurman (1899–1981) said by 1981 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Work of Christmas" in The Mood of Christmas & Other Celebrations (1985)
“When you listen to music, you can transcend your own pain and turn towards another and feel bonded with the whole of humanity because you know that they have felt that grief and love. By expressing it, by communing with that song or picture, you realize you are not alone.”
Susan Cain (born 1968) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Walker, Suzy (interviewer). "The Big Happiness Interview: Susan Cain on how embracing sadness can make us happier", Metro, June 5, 2022.
“Kierkegaard said that the only way we can be released from the enchantment, the siren song of the myths, is to play the music through backwards. To break the spell of the ego I must recover my personal and political history, I must demythologize the private, family, and public myths that have informed me.”
Sam Keen (1931–2025) said by 2025 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What a wonderful work Wagner has done for humanity in translating the toil of life into the readable script of music! For those who seek the tale of other worlds his magic is silent; but earth-travail under his wand becomes instinct with rhythmic song to an accompaniment of the elements, and the blare and crash of the bottomless pit itself.”
Margaret Barber (1869–1901) said by 1901 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To be without music was, for the ancient Greeks, to be already dead... Ancient Greece was a culture of song.”
Thomas Cahill (1940–2022) said by 2022 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As Scots our Celtic heritage ties us closely together. It binds us with our cousins in Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic and Wales. And with other Europeans lucky to blessed with good weather. We have Celtic cousins in Brittany, Galicia and Cornwall. Our is a heritage shared in a love of music and song, of poetry - and a special affinity with the sea and with nature.”
Alex Salmond (1954–2024) said by 2024 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As a tool for the activation of specific thoughts, music is as good as language. The combination of the two—as best exemplified in the love song—is the best courtship of all.”
Daniel Levitin (born 1957) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The musical note is the language of intelligence. Intelligence speaks wherever there is poetry, music and song. Colour is part of it. We love colours because we come from colour. Colour and sound.”
J. Posadas (1912–1981) first seen 1981 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the Socialist Future of Humanity (1981).
“The time I enjoy music most is when it’s not a performance. It’s just trading instrumentals and finding that part in the song that you feel best singing.”
Carly Simon (born 1943) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On how much she loves performing music with her family in “Carly Simon on Trolling Trump With ‘You’re So Vain,’ Lost Mick Jagger Duet” in Rolling Stone (29 Nov 2016)
“…I engage with poetry musically. I think I hear the music of the poem before I put words to it. The poem comes to me as it were a song more than a string of words or images. If I can’t transport that musical quality to the poem, then the poem doesn’t exist for me…”
Lucha Corpi (born 1945) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I write music with my mouth — first lyrics, then song, then rhythm.”
Tato Laviera (1950–2013) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On his creative process in “An Interview with Tato Laviera, the King of Nuyorican Poetical Migrations” in Latino Rebels (2012 Jul 11)
“People don't understand how important it is for funk to be funky, the only way to do that is to allow space to happen. Space is the most important part of music, it's the space that allows the song to breathe that's so important.”
Sheila E. (born 1957) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On her collaboration with Prince on the song “Erotic City” in “An Interview with the Legendary Sheila E” in Vice Magazine (2016 Dec 18)
“I have such a vivid memory of listening to this song ("Brooklyn Baby" by Lana Del Rey) with the top down of my dads 1960s car and just feeling like I was in a music video or something. My hair was blowing in the wind and all I could see was the palm trees above me. I seriously had never felt cooler in my life.”
Lilia Buckingham (born 2003) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Article in Notion (8 February 2019)
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t find “a good song” in your music. —Siri”
Ben Aaronovitch (born 1964) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When I make music, I get so blessed by the song that I look forward to putting it out there, so people are blessed in return.”
Mercy Chinwo (born 1990) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This is a feel good dance song that warns that a person cannot be trusted. Makhadzi contacted me for this collaboration and it was such an honour because we need to work as a team. We are growing as brands and music is richer when cultures blend. I was following the concept and guidelines she gave for the feature. She recorded her part in South Africa and I did my part here in July this year.”
Magdeline Lesolebe (born 1984) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Everyone loves this new music and is looking forward to our stage performance of the song, which is impossible for now, thanks to COVID-19 restrictions.”
Magdeline Lesolebe (born 1984) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The masses, lovers of song, inspirers of all the great music that has ever been written--it is for them that the great artists of the Moscow Opera vie with one another to give their best.”
Rose Pastor Stokes (1879–1933) said by 1933 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One of the reasons I didn't ever pursue a career - in the music world if you're black or mixed, you need to be able to belt a song or else you're not a singer, you know?”
Carmen Ejogo (born 1973) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Not at all. I only decided to put the message in a song because music is one of the easiest ways to reach out to the public.”
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)
“We are not talking about fund raising and that is not what we intend to do. We made it just to inspire music lovers, besides entertainment, they should take a look back and be informed that there are people around who need support nad be able to give a helping hand. I am confident that the message in this song will bring change and more will be more committed to help”
Kate Bashabe (born 1990) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Artistes bring hope to needy communities through musicThe New Times(May 31, 2019)
“I tend to use my dance moves to translate the music, so you’re going to see what the song says even if you don’t understand it,”
Uncle Waffles (born 2000) first seen 2023 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Meet Uncle Waffles, the Artist Bringing the South African Amapiano Genre to Coachella, Billboard, 31 March 2023,Heran Mamo, Retrieved: 4 November 2023.
“When I create music, it's not just about the song. I have to visually see something in my head too.”
Missy Elliott (born 1971) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Missy Elliott’s For You Page Looks a Lot Like Yours by Kyle Munzenrieder. November 22, 2022. Retrieved 5/11/2023.
“Nothing makes me feel the way football or music do. But you choose which song you want to put on… football is out of your control.”
Leah Williamson (born 1997) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Leah Williamson has goals by Hayley Campbell. November 9, 2022. Retrieved 13/11/2023.
“With this album, I desire to bless many people. As each song is released, I want to partner with others to discover and support new talent in gospel music. Together, it is possible.”
Aline Gahongayire (born 1986) first seen 2026 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Sing, Shine, Win: Aline Gahongayire Kicks Off “Yesu Ashimwe” Challenge for Rising Artists Inyarwanda.com ( 29/04/2026 )
“The process of making it was just joy,” said Gerwig. “I don’t know if it was the pink or the music but it was just infectious.” Yet the most gratifying aspect, she said, was seeing strangers watch the film and realising that “the song that’s in my heart is in other people’s hearts”.”
Greta Gerwig (born 1983) first seen 2023 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 'Just joy’: Greta Gerwig discusses reaction to Barbie at London film festival" The Guardian (October 8, 2023)