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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 Ellington
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Maintaining a group requires an incentive; in this case, money is the motivator.

Duke Ellington humorously expresses the idea that the cohesion of a band depends not on artistry or camaraderie, but rather on financial incentives. He underscores the reality that practicalities, like paying musicians, often take precedence over the romanticized notion of artistic unity and collaboration.

Themes

BandMoneyGimmickMotivationMusic

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about teamwork during a music festival.

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