I never considered myself part of rock 'n' roll. My stuff was more adult. It was more difficult for teenagers to relate to; my stuff was filled with more despair than anything you'd associate with rock 'n' roll. Since I couldn't see people dancing, I didn't write jitterbugs or twists. I wrote rhythms that moved me. My style requires pure heart singing.
Interpretation
Ray Charles expresses that his music is deeper and more complex than typical rock 'n' roll, focusing on emotional truths.
In this quote, Ray Charles reflects on his unique position as an artist who doesn't identify with the mainstream rock 'n' roll scene. He believes that his music resonates with more serious themes of despair and emotional depth, which may not be easily accessible to teenagers or the typical rock audience. Rather than creating music for dancing, he composes rhythms that genuinely move him, emphasizing the importance of heartfelt expression in his artistry.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the role of emotion in music during a seminar.
I suppose I've always done my share of crying, especially when there's no other way to contain my feelings. I know that men ain't supposed to cry, but I think that's wrong. Crying's always been a way for me to get things out which are buried deep, deep down. When I sing, I often cry. Crying is feeling, and feeling is being human. Oh yes, I cry.
I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.
To me, music is entertainment - what else can it be? In fact, it's the only language I know of that's universal.
Just because you can't see anything , doesn't mean you should shut your eyes.
Any artist, when he goes in to record, should have the feeling that any song he records can be a hit. This may sound egotistical, but it makes sense.
When I started to sing like myself - as opposed to imitating Nat Cole, which I had done for a while - when I started singing like Ray Charles, it had this spiritual and churchy, this religious or gospel sound. It had this holiness and preachy tone to it. It was very controversial. I got a lot of criticism for it.
It's great when you play to an audience that knows the words to all your songs, and sings them back to you.
We are the same. There is no difference anywhere in the world. People are people. They laugh, cry, feel, and love, and music seems to be the commons denomination that brings us all together. Music cuts through all boundaries and goes right to the soul.
True country music is honesty, sincerity, and real life to the hilt.
Whenever I'm in Kansas City, I think back to all the jazz-blues greats who played the blues here - like Count Basie, Charlie Parker and Jay McShann. I watched those guys jam in different places and heard a lot of things - but I couldn't do what they did. They were too good.
When Van Halen started out, there was no path to fame. We just played what we liked. Even today it always comes down to the simplicity of rock and roll.
When everything is together - the band, me, the audience, it's boss! It's just like magic.
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