Aretha with no goals, eternally single & one step soft of heaven/ let it be understood that she owns this melody along with her emotional diplomats & her earth & her musical secrets
Bob DylanRead
Bent out of shape from society's pliers, cares not to come up any higher, but rather get you down in the hole that he's in.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on how societal pressures can limit individual aspirations and encourage conformity.
Bob Dylan's quote suggests that individuals may become distorted by societal expectations and pressures, leading them to accept a lower state of being instead of striving for improvement. The imagery of being 'bent out of shape' conveys the idea that society can negatively impact a person's true self, making them resistant to change and content with their current struggles, ultimately pulling others down with them instead of uplifting them.
Themes
SocietyAspirationConformityPressureSelf-Improvement
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about overcoming societal challenges, this quote could illustrate the importance of individual resilience.
More from Bob Dylan
All quotes βIf I wasn't Bob Dylan, I'd probably think that Bob Dylan has a lot of answers myself.
Bob DylanRead
Some formulas are too complex and I don't want anything to do with them.
Bob DylanRead
I'm the oldest son of a crazy man, I'm in a cowboy band.
Bob DylanRead
My songs are personal music, they're not communal. I wouldn't want people singing along with me. It would sound funny. I'm not playing campfire meetings. I don't remember anyone singing along with Elvis, Carl Perkins or Little Richard.
Bob DylanRead
I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes. You'd know what a drag it is to see you.
Bob DylanRead
Similar quotes
Myth expresses in terms of the world - that is, of the other world or the second world - the understanding that man has of himself in relation to the foundation and the limit of his existence.
Paul RicoeurRead
War is the statesman's game, the priest's delight, the lawyer's jest, the hired assassin's trade.
Percy Bysshe ShelleyRead
I have concluded the evident existence of God, and that my existence depends entirely on God in all the moments of my life, that I do not think that the human spirit may know anything with greater evidence and certitude.
Rene DescartesRead
There is not a crime, there is not a dodge, there is not a trick, there is not a swindle, there is not a vice which does not live by secrecy.
Joseph PulitzerRead
This life of ours...human life is like a flower gloriously blooming in a meadow: along comes a goat, eats it up---no more flower.
Anton ChekhovRead
Far, far below the deepest delvings of the dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things.
J. R. R. TolkienRead