When I die, they'll bury the blues with me. But the blues will never die.
John Lee HookerRead
You can go to Europe, and there's no turnin' back - any parts of Europe. Wherever you are, there is no stop and go for the blues. The blues go but it don't stop.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The blues are an enduring part of life, and once you experience them, there's no returning to ignorance.
In this quote, John Lee Hooker reflects on the profound nature of the blues as a genre and an emotional experience. He implies that immersing oneself in the blues is a journey that irrevocably alters one's perspective and that the essence of the blues is a constant presence in life, representing struggles and emotions that persist regardless of one's physical location or circumstances.
Themes
BluesMusicEmotionExperienceJourneyLife
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about the significance of music in expressing human emotions.
More from John Lee Hooker
All quotes →The blues tells a story. Every line of the blues has a meaning.
John Lee HookerRead
Like you and your woman ain't gettin' along and you're in love. You can't sleep at nights. Your mind is on her - on whatever. You know, that's the blues. You can't hug that money at night. You can't kiss it.
John Lee HookerRead
I don't play a lot of fancy guitar. I don't want to play it. The kind of guitar I want to play is mean, mean licks.
John Lee HookerRead
They wasn't gonna give you nothin'. I didn't care as long as they let me play my music. Cash on the spot... You cheat me and I'm gonna get me some money, too.
John Lee HookerRead
I don't think about time. You're here when you're here. I think about today, staying in tune.
John Lee HookerRead
Similar quotes
It's funny: Your relationship changes with a song over time. After a year or so, you're a different person, so your songs, you don't connect with them like you did.
HozierRead
I could beat my mike stand into the stage, but I was still in pain. Maybe fans liked it, but sometimes people forget you're a person and they're more into the entertainment value. It's taken a long time to turn that around and give a strong show without it being a kamikaze show.
Axl RoseRead
I've never thought about songwriting as a weapon. I've only thought about it as a way to help me get through love and loss and sadness and loneliness and growing up.
Taylor SwiftRead
I felt very proud to be part of a music scene that was changing the face of commercial music and rock music internationally, but I also felt like it was necessary for Soundgarden - as it was for all of these Seattle bands - to prove that we deserve to be on an international stage, and we weren't just part of a fad that was based on geography.
Chris CornellRead
I don't believe people playing rock n' roll should have crowns. We're not kings and queens. Anybody can play it.
Patti SmithRead
Ultimately, to insist that rock criticism be political is first to insist that the humans who make and enjoy music are embroiled in politics whether they like it or not - and whether they know it or not.
Robert ChristgauRead