One Tree Hill quote: “People want to hear songs with the words they are afraid to say.”

“A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That's why they don't get what they want.”

Madonna (1958) American singer, songwriter, and actress

From Sex book
Variant: A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That's why they don't get what they want.

“The pleasing part is not that you say things that people want to hear but that your message is attractive to people and they want to engage it.”

Christopher J. Coyne (1958) Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop in the United States

A Bishop Who Tweets, Podcasts and Talks to the Flock From His Car https://aleteia.org/2016/02/01/a-bishop-who-tweets-podcasts-and-talks-to-the-flock-from-his-car/ (2016)

“I told him I just want to write some more songs and put them on tape. I figure the content of the songs and how I choose to answer for myself is my business. He says he is sorry, even cut to the heart, but he cannot and will not sign me, as, alas, I cannot say the things he wanted to hear. I say I am sorry he cannot hear the things I'm trying to say.”

Mark Heard (1951–1992) American musician and record producer

Life in the Industry: A Musician's Diary

“I first listen to someone who speaks the language and who reads the lyrics to me. I pay great attention to pronunciation. Once I hear the words spoken, I write the song lines phonetically in Hindi and then sing. By the grace of god, my songs in other languages – including Bengali – have been appreciated. People say they are good and the words have been correctly pronounced.”

Lata Mangeshkar (1929) Indian singer

Above two quotes about her singing in Urdu and other languages in Lata Mangeshkar has to thank Dilip Kumar for her Urdu skills!, 29 Npvember 2013, India Today http://www.deccanherald.com/content/10118/,

“Clive [Davis] tried to tell me that saying certain words in a song- or as he says, ‘putting some balls into it'- isn't bad, it's just strong emotion. Well, there are certain words and emotions I don't want kids hearing, and I'm not changing because they think it's going to sell better. This is going to sound horrible, but I got 12 million votes doing what I did.”

Clay Aiken (1978) singer-songwriter, actor, record producer

“I want him to see the flowers in my eyes and hear the songs in my hands.”

Francesca Lia Block book Dangerous Angels

Source: Dangerous Angels

“If you're going to say what you want to say, you're going to hear what you don't want to hear.”

Roberto Bolaño book The Insufferable Gaucho

Source: The Insufferable Gaucho

“Are you afraid of a song, of a picture?”

Richard Wagner (1813–1883) German composer, conductor

Senta, to Erik
Quotes from his operas, Der fliegende Holländer
Original: (de) "Fürchtest du ein Lied, ein Bild?"

“People can choose between the sweet lie or the bitter truth. I say the bitter truth, but many people don't want to hear it.”

Avigdor Lieberman (1958) Israeli politician

Answer to "Why are you always perceived as the bad guy?" "Spiegel Interview" http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,684789-4,00.html

“My mother used to say that my tones are all crooked: it’s like hearing a song sung out of tune.”

Madeleine Thien (1974) Canadian writer

On her limited Cantonese skills in “Madeleine Thien: ‘In China, you learn a lot from what people don’t tell you’” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/oct/08/madeleine-thien-interview-do-not-say-we-have-nothing in The Guardian (2016 Oct 8)

“People want to hear songs with the words they are afraid to say.”

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