Every time you pick up your guitar to play, play as if it's the last time.
When I saw Jimi Hendrix I knew immediately that this guy was the real thing ... and when he played it was like a rough sketch of what he was going to become ... this guy was our generation, and he wasn't in a suit .. he played a Howlin' Wolf song 'Killing Floor', and then we (The Cream) had to carry on the set. It was pretty hard to follow.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Eric Clapton reflects on Jimi Hendrix's authenticity and talent, indicating the impact Hendrix had on his generation.
In this quote, Eric Clapton shares his awe of Jimi Hendrix's unique style and musical prowess, recognizing that Hendrix embodied the spirit of their generation. Clapton's admiration highlights how Hendrix's authenticity and raw expression set a high standard for other musicians, making it challenging for them to follow his powerful performance. The quote encapsulates the essence of true artistry and the profound influence one musician can have on others.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a music documentary about the 60s, one might use this quote to highlight the impact of artists like Hendrix.
More from Eric Clapton
All quotes →There are people these days who can do things on the guitar which are beyond my reach. There's one guy who plays with Queen who can do things I would dream of doing. I sincerely mean that.
My original interests and intentions in guitar playing were primarily created on quality of tone, for instance, the way the instrument could be made to echo or simulate the human voice.
My definition of Blues is that it's a musical form which is very disciplined and structured coupled with a state of mind, and you can have either of those things but it's the two together that make it what it is. And you need to be a student for one, and a human being for the other, but those things alone don't do it.
My selective memory of what drinking was like told me that standing at the bar in a pub, on a summer's evening with a long, tall glass of lager and lime was heaven, and I chose not to remember the nights on which I had sat with a bottle of vodka, a gram of coke and a shotgun, contemplating suicide.
Leave bands, go back to obscurity if I choose to, without a great sense of loss of security because it's all been based on the fact that I did it on my own or was doing, enjoying doing it on my own in the first place.
Similar quotes
I never sang for a Grammy, for money, for fame. That's my whole purpose for singing: for people, for the fans.
I always say, you gotta play a dive bar like you play an arena, and you play an arena like you play a dive bar.
Blues is like the roux in a gumbo. People ask me if jazz always has the blues in it. I say, if it sounds good it does.
Relax, ease back in your seats and let the music take you wherever it does.
I was looking for some way to put my music to some service on a nightly basis. You go into a town, you play a little music, you leave something behind. That idea connected us to the local community. It was a very simple idea, but it really resonated with me.
I got a chance to work with Miles Davis, and that changed everything for me, 'cause Miles really encouraged all his musicians to reach beyond what they know, go into unknown territory and explore. It's made a difference to me and the decisions that I've made over the years about how to approach a project in this music.