I hadn't performed by myself in a while. It feels very natural to me, and I assume people come for the very same reasons as they do when I'm with the band: to be moved, for something to happen to them.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the deep connection between an artist and their audience, emphasizing the significance of genuine performance.
Bruce Springsteen expresses the essence of live performance, highlighting that both he and the audience seek a shared experience where emotions are stirred and profound moments are created. He acknowledges that whether performing solo or with a band, the goal remains the same: to evoke feelings and create a transformative experience for the listeners.
In practice
In a speech at a music festival, an artist might mention this quote to highlight the purpose of their performance.
I played in front of every conceivable audience you could face: an all-black audience, all-white, firemen's fairs, policemen's balls, in front of supermarkets, bar mitzvahs, weddings, drive-in theaters. I'd seen it all before I ever walked into a recording studio.
I imagined the hard things that pulled us apart _x000D_ _x000D_ Will never again, sir, tear us from each other's hearts.
Tonight this fool's halfway to heaven and just a mile outta hell_x000D_ And I feel like I'm comin' home.
The artists we love, they put their fingerprint on your imagination, and on your heart and your soul.
Well I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk.
I was always concerned with writing to my age at a particular moment. That was the way I would keep faith with the audience that supported me as I went along.
I prefer the old masters, by which I mean John Ford, John Ford, and John Ford.
One of the greatest things drama can do, at it's best, is to redefine the words we use every day such as love, home, family, loyalty and envy. Tragedy need not be a downer.
I never think about themes. I let the music create itself. I like it to be a potpourri of all kinds of sounds, all kinds of colors, something for everybody, from the farmer in Ireland to the lady who scrubs toilets in Harlem.
Every time I write something, I think, this is the most offensive thing I will ever write. But no. I always surprise myself.
I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music.
A method of painting is a natural growth out of a need. I want to express my feelings rather than illustrate them. Technique is just a means of arriving at a statement.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.