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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Not every artistic endeavor will meet everyoneβs expectations or ideals.
Elvis Costello reflects on his diverse experiences in music, acknowledging that no matter how hard one tries, it is impossible to please everyone consistently. This insight reveals the complexities of creative expression, where personal authenticity often conflicts with public perception and expectation.
Themes
MusicExperienceAuthenticityExpectationsCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at an artist's gathering, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of staying true to oneself.
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 believe that music is connected by human passions and curiosities rather than by marketing strategies.
Elvis CostelloRead
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I'm not a star. I'll never be a Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley or a Ray Charles. I'm just an imitator, man. I'm doing a very bad imitation on the bass of Jerry Jemmott, Bernard Odum, Jimmy Fielder, Jimmy Blanton, Igor Stravinsky, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, James Brown, Charlie Parker... the cats, man. I'm just backing up the cats.
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