All art really does is keep you focused on questions of humanity, and it really is about how do we get on with our maker.
David BowieRead
When I'm stuck for a closing to a lyric, I will drag out my last resort: overwhelming illogic.
Interpretation
What this quote means
David Bowie expresses the creative struggle of finding closure in songwriting, resorting to illogical ideas when necessary.
In this quote, David Bowie shares a glimpse into the creative process of songwriting, highlighting the moments of difficulty when one is unsure how to conclude a lyric. The mention of 'overwhelming illogic' suggests that in times of creative blockage, unconventional or nonsensical ideas can serve as a last resort, ultimately fostering creativity and encouraging artistic expression even in the face of uncertainty.
Themes
CreativitySongwritingArtistic ProcessLyricImprovisation
In practice
Example use cases
During a songwriting workshop to encourage creativity.
More from David Bowie
All quotes βI guess, taking away all the theatrics or the costuming and the outer layers of what I do, I'm a writer... I write.
David BowieRead
I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human.
David BowieRead
Nothing prepared me for your smile
David BowieRead
But I've got to think of myself as the luckiest guy. Robert Johnson only had one album's worth of work as his legacy. That's all that life allowed him.
David BowieRead
I'm an early riser. I get up between five and six, have coffee, and read for a couple of hours before everyone else gets up.
David BowieRead
Similar quotes
The publicity image steals her love of herself as she is, and offers it back to her for the price of the product.
John BergerRead
Why would somebody just read a novel when they can see it on TV or in the cinema? I really have to think of the things fiction can do that film can't and play to the strengths of the novel. With a novel, you can get right inside somebody's head.
Kazuo IshiguroRead
A successful novel should interrupt the readerβs life, make him or her miss appointments, skip meals, forget to walk the dog.
Stephen KingRead
In the early days, Porter Wagoner would not exactly scold me, but he's say, 'You're writing too many damn verses. You're makin' these songs too damn long.' And I'd say, 'Yeah, but I'm tellin' a story. I have a story to tell.' And he'd say, 'Well, you're not going to get it on the radio.' If I start writing a song, I'm writing it for a reason. People would say that I had to have two verses, and a chorus, and a bridge. I tried to learn that formula.
Dolly PartonRead
To the children who loved Harry Potter, I want to say your enthusiasm was the real magic. I so enjoyed being on the journey with you. And to the adults who bought the Harry Potter books and devoured them, I just want to say, those books were for children.
Daniel RadcliffeRead
To my mind, it is the duty of the younger Negro artist, if he accepts any duties at all from outsiders, to change through the force of his art that old whispering 'I want to be white,' hidden in the aspirations of his people, to 'Why should I want to be white? I am a Negro - and beautiful!'
Langston HughesRead