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
I've been writing a lot of road songs. Writing a lot of homesick songs. But once you start playing them out, it all ain't no secret anymore. Everyone knows how you feel.
Tyler ChildersRead
I always felt rock and roll was very, very wholesome music.
Aretha FranklinRead
If you started in New York you were dealing with the biggest guys in the world. You're dealing with Charlie Parker and all the big bands and everything. We got more experience working in Seattle.
Quincy JonesRead
They gave their money, and they gave their screams. But the Beatles kind of gave their nervous systems. They used us as an excuse to go mad, the world did, and then blamed it on us.
George HarrisonRead
Anybody with money can put on a KISS show, but they can't be KISS.
Paul StanleyRead
This banjo surrounds hate and forces it to surrender.
Pete SeegerRead