Every time you pick up your guitar to play, play as if it's the last time.
Eric ClaptonRead
I have always been resistant to doctrine, and any spirituality I had experienced thus far in my life had been much more abstract and not aligned with any recognized religion. For me, the most trustworthy vehicle for spirituality had always proven to be music. It cannot be manipulated, or politicized, and when it is, that becomes immediately obvious.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Eric Clapton believes that music is a pure and trustworthy form of spirituality, free from manipulation and politics.
In this quote, Eric Clapton expresses his resistance to structured doctrine and organized religion, instead finding a deeper connection to spirituality through the abstract and genuine qualities of music. He suggests that music serves as a reliable medium for spiritual experience, contrasting it with doctrines that can be easily corrupted or influenced by external factors, such as politics.
Themes
MusicSpiritualityDoctrineFreedomExpression
In practice
Example use cases
During a talk on the importance of creativity, I cited Clapton's view on music as a form of spirituality.
More from Eric Clapton
All quotes →There are people these days who can do things on the guitar which are beyond my reach. There's one guy who plays with Queen who can do things I would dream of doing. I sincerely mean that.
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My original interests and intentions in guitar playing were primarily created on quality of tone, for instance, the way the instrument could be made to echo or simulate the human voice.
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When I saw Jimi Hendrix I knew immediately that this guy was the real thing ... and when he played it was like a rough sketch of what he was going to become ... this guy was our generation, and he wasn't in a suit .. he played a Howlin' Wolf song 'Killing Floor', and then we (The Cream) had to carry on the set. It was pretty hard to follow.
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My definition of Blues is that it's a musical form which is very disciplined and structured coupled with a state of mind, and you can have either of those things but it's the two together that make it what it is. And you need to be a student for one, and a human being for the other, but those things alone don't do it.
Eric ClaptonRead
My selective memory of what drinking was like told me that standing at the bar in a pub, on a summer's evening with a long, tall glass of lager and lime was heaven, and I chose not to remember the nights on which I had sat with a bottle of vodka, a gram of coke and a shotgun, contemplating suicide.
Eric ClaptonRead
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