It's a privilege to serve the poor, to be servants of noble Africans, but I better belong in the rehearsal room or in the studio with my band. That's where I want to be and I still wake up in the morning with melodies in my head.
BonoRead
The great moments of rock 'n' roll were never off in some corner of the music world, in a self-constructed ghetto.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Rock 'n' roll's most significant moments emerged from mainstream culture, not isolated subcultures.
Bono emphasizes that the defining moments of rock 'n' roll music have always been intertwined with the broader cultural landscape, rather than being confined to niche or isolated communities. This notion speaks to the idea that influential art forms often gain their power and impact through connection and engagement with the wider world, rather than existing in solitude or obscurity.
Themes
RockMusicCultureMomentsInfluence
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a music festival to emphasize the impact of collaborative musical experiences.
More from Bono
All quotes βPerspective is the cure for depression.
BonoRead
At a certain point, I just felt, you know, God is not looking for alms, God is looking for action.
BonoRead
It's much easier to be successful than it is to be relevant. The tricks won't keep you relevant. Tricks might keep you popular for a while, but in all honesty, I don't know how U2 will stay relevant. I know we've got a future. I know we can fill stadiums. And yet with every record, I think, 'Is this it? Are we still relevant?'
BonoRead
God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.
BonoRead
Hanging out with politicians and corporations is very unhip work. But I think that the U2 audience have turned out to be incredibly subtle in their understanding.
BonoRead
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The idea of being a rock and roll musician sort of suited my talents and mentality. The freedom was great, but then I found out I wasn't free. I'd got boxed in...The whole Beatle thing is just beyond comprehension ... subconsciously I was crying for help.
John LennonRead
Like family, we are tied to each other. This is what all good musicians understand.
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Silence ought also to be the core of each concert. Remember the anagram: listen = silent.
Alfred BrendelRead
The blues. It runs through all American music. Somebody bending the note. The other is the two-beat groove. It's in New Orleans music, it's in jazz, it's in country music, it's in gospel.
Wynton MarsalisRead
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
When I'm on stage, I'm trying to do one thing: bring people joy. Just like church does. People don't go to church to find trouble, they go there to lose it.
James BrownRead