QuoteProject
Music is my mistress and she plays second fiddle to no one.
Duke Ellington
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Duke Ellington expresses his devotion to music, prioritizing it above all else.

In this quote, Duke Ellington personifies music as his mistress, implying a deep and passionate relationship. He emphasizes that music holds a paramount place in his life, indicating that no other interest or commitment can overshadow his dedication to it, reflecting the profound impact art has on one's existence.

Themes

MusicDevotionPassionArtLife

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about creativity, one might say, 'As Duke Ellington once put it, Music is my mistress and she plays second fiddle to no one, emphasizing the importance of following one's passion.'

More from Duke Ellington

I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
Duke EllingtonRead
Tomorrow is in the wings waiting for you to sound her entrance fanfare.
Duke EllingtonRead
There is no art without intention.
Duke EllingtonRead
There is nothing to keeping a band together. You simply have to have a gimmick, and the gimmick I use is to pay them money!
Duke EllingtonRead
Gray skies are just clouds passing over.
Duke EllingtonRead
Playing 'bop' is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
Duke EllingtonRead

Similar quotes

Authorities in Rabat believe that if we create a Moroccan character, even in a work of fiction, we are responsible for the image of Moroccan women.
Leila SlimaniRead
Performance has to be mainstream art. This is what I'm fighting for.
Marina AbramovicRead
I make it clear why I write as I do and why other poets write as they do. After hundreds of experiments I decided to go my own way in style and see what would happen.
Carl SandburgRead
Without foundations, there can be no fashion.
Christian DiorRead
The effect of sincerity is to give one's work the character of a protest. The painter, being concerned only with conveying his impression, simply seeks to be himself and no one else.
Claude MonetRead
Stories are there to be told, and each story changes with the telling. Time changes them. Logic changes them. Grammar changes them. History changes them. Each story is shifted side-ways by each day that unfolds. Nothing ends. The only thing that matters, as Faulkner once put it, is the human heart in conflict with itself. At the heart of all this is the possibility, or desire, to create a piece of art that talks to the human instinct for recovery and joy.
Colum MccannRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.

Quote by Duke Ellington | QuoteProject