We're all just animals. That's all we are, and everything else is just an elaborate justification of our instincts. That's where music comes from. And romantic poetry. And bad novels.
Elvis CostelloRead
And I'm up while the dawn is breaking, even though my heart is aching. I should be drinking a toast to absent friends instead of these comedians.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a sense of longing for absent friends, highlighting the solitude felt in their absence during moments of celebration.
In this quote, Elvis Costello reflects on the bittersweet experience of being awake and aware of the dawn, a time often associated with new beginnings and celebrations. Despite the rising sun, his heart feels heavy with the absence of friends who are no longer present, and instead of reveling in joy, he finds himself surrounded by comedians, perhaps serving as a reminder of the joy that once existed. This juxtaposition of celebration and sorrow encapsulates the deep emotional connections we have with our friends and the impact of their absence in our lives.
Themes
FriendshipLossAbsenceCelebrationNostalgia
In practice
Example use cases
In a toast to friends during a gathering, you might say, 'As the dawn breaks, let's remember those who can't be with us today.'
More from Elvis Costello
All quotes βThere are five things to write songs about: I'm leaving you. You're leaving me. I want you. You don't want me. I believe in something. Five subjects, and 12 notes. For all that, we musicians do pretty well.
Elvis CostelloRead
It's the damage that we do and never know. It's the words that we don't say that scare me so.
Elvis CostelloRead
And I don't feel any form of music is beyond me in the sense of that I don't understand it or I don't have some love for some part of it.
Elvis CostelloRead
Happiness isn't a fortune in a cookie. It's deeper, wider, funnier, and more transporting than that.
Elvis CostelloRead
I've had a lot of different experiences in music over the years.And not everything you do can satisfy everybody's idealised version of you.
Elvis CostelloRead
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