You've got your passion. You've got your pride. But don't you know that only fools are satisfied? Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true.
Billy JoelRead
I consider myself to be an inept pianist, a bad singer, and a merely competent songwriter. ... I'm probably writing music now for the same reason as I started writing songs when I was 14-to meet women. ... If you make music for the human needs you have within yourself, then you do it for all humans who need the same things. You enrich humanity with the profound expression of these feelings. ... My songs are like my kids.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the idea that creating music is a deeply personal endeavor that resonates with universal human experiences.
In this quote, Billy Joel expresses his humble view of his musical talents while emphasizing the fundamental reason behind his songwriting: the need for connection and expression. He suggests that by tapping into his own emotions and experiences, he crafts music that speaks to shared human feelings, essentially enriching humanity through his art. This duality of self-reflection and broader human connection highlights the power of music as a medium of expression.
Themes
MusicExpressionHuman ConnectionFeelingsSongwriting
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about the impact of art, you could use this quote to illustrate the emotional journey of musicians.
More from Billy Joel
All quotes →Well I never had a place that I could call my very own/That's all right, my love, 'cause you're my home.
Billy JoelRead
If it seems like I've been lost in 'lets remember', If it seems I'm gettin' older and missin' my younger days, well you shoulda known me much better, cause the past is something that never got in my way.
Billy JoelRead
No matter what culture you're from, everyone loves music.
Billy JoelRead
Sweetness flows from your appearance and your beauty makes me fall more in love with you. Anytime I feel low, I think about the good times you have given me and everything seems good again.
Billy JoelRead
I don't care what consequence it brings, I have been a fool for lesser things.
Billy JoelRead
Similar quotes
So I asked him to play "Trav'lin' All Alone." That came closer than anything to the way I felt. And some part of it must have come across. The whole joint quieted down. If someone had dropped a pin, it would have sounded like a bomb. When I finished, everybody in the joint was crying in their beer, and I picked thirty-eight bucks up off the floor. . . . When I showed Mom the money for the rent and told her I had a regular job singing for eighteen dollars a week, she could hardly believe it.
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A young tenor player was complaining to me that Coleman Hawkins made him nervous. Man, I told him Hawkins was supposed to make him nervous! Hawkins has been making other sax players nervous for forty years!
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Making a record? You've got to have the song, then you create a record. I think it's the same with a live performance. If the material is strong, you're already 90% there. I always tell young people it's all about the music, the songs. Work on the songs, work on the songs, work on the songs.
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I started speaking about what I was dealing with through my music, and 4 million women responded and said, 'Us too, Mary.' And I didn't know that everyone was hurting like I was hurting. I had no idea.
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Orchestras are like people. They're the sonic embodiment of their community.
Simon RattleRead