'Peace Train' is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions. There is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again.
Cat StevensRead
Because I don't play guitar any more, African harmonies and rhythms have been an inspiration to me. I love the raw origin of the sound. It complements my voice and words naturally.
Interpretation
Reflecting on the influence of African music, Cat Stevens emphasizes its natural harmony with his own artistic expression.
In this quote, Cat Stevens expresses how the African musical traditions of harmonies and rhythms have inspired him, especially now that he has stepped away from playing the guitar. He appreciates the primal and authentic qualities of this music, noting how it beautifully complements his voice and lyrics, showcasing the deep connection between different forms of musical expression.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of diverse musical influences in art.
'Peace Train' is a song I wrote, the message of which continues to breeze thunderously through the hearts of millions. There is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again.
If you want to be free, be free, because there's a million things to be.
I always knew looking back on my tears would bring me laughter, but I never knew looking back on my laughter would make me cry.
Music can be healing, and with my history and my knowledge of both sides of what looks like a gigantic divide in the world, I feel I can point a way forward to our common humanity again.
I let my music take me where my heart wants to go.
Music satisfies and nourishes the hunger within ourselves for connection and harmony.
Objective painting is not good painting unless it is good in the abstract sense. A hill or tree cannot make a good painting just because it is a hill or tree. It is lines and colors put together so that they may say something.
Even when I'm writing plays I enjoy having company and mentally I think of that company as the company I'm writing for.
Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation are directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry.
I don't think it's about playing and singing, to be honest. That seems like old news, you know? I wasn't thinking about that. I just think that's in my body now. Dancers don't think about their legs moving one way and their arms moving another. Over time, you incorporate that into your instrument.
I want my buildings to take root and look as if they've always been there. It isn't about pastiche or adapting what's already there. It's about trying to blend the future and the past.
I can get excitement watching rain on a puddle. And then I paint it. Now, I admit, there are not too many people who would find that exciting. But I would. And I want life thrilling and rich. And it is. I make sure it is.
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