Quotes about song
page 18

Sarojini Naidu photo
M. S. Subbulakshmi photo

“Sarojini Naidu repositioned her own title of Nightingale of India on to Subbalakshmi’s avian frame, it was because that daughter of Bengal saw the gift of song arriving and alighting on this daughter of India’s south, like a migratory bird from the collective genius of our music.”

M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916–2004) singer,Carnatic vocalist

Gopal Gandhi in his book [Gandhi, Gopal, Of a Certain Age: Twenty Life Sketches, http://books.google.com/books?id=Inp4jPFUHUkC&pg=PA164, 2011, Penguin Books India, 978-0-670-08502-6, 166]
About M.S.

M. S. Subbulakshmi photo

“Even if Subbalakshmi merely recited the words of her songs without singing them, he would prefer to hear them than anybody else.”

M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916–2004) singer,Carnatic vocalist

Mahatma Gandhi quoted here.[Johri, Meera, Greatness of Spirit: Profiles of Indian Magsaysay Award Winners, http://books.google.com/books?id=j1iegDJAYakC&pg=PA55, 2010, Rajpal & Sons, 978-81-7028-858-9, 58]
About M.S.

Aretha Franklin photo

“What made her talent so great was her capacity to live what she sang. Her music was deepened by her connection to the struggles and the triumphs of the African American experience growing up in her father’s church, the community of Detroit, and her awareness of the turmoil of the South. She had a lifelong, unwavering commitment to civil rights and was one of the strongest supporters of the movement. She was our sister and our friend. Whenever I would see her, from time to time, she would always inquire about the well-being of people she met and worked with during the sixties.When she sang, she embodied what we were fighting for, and her music strengthened us. It revived us. When we would be released from jail after a non-violent protest, we might go to a late night club and let the music of Aretha Franklin fill our hearts. She was like a muse whose songs whispered the strength to continue on. Her music gave us a greater sense of determination to never give up or give in, and to keep the faith. She was a wonderful, talented human being. We mourn for Aretha Franklin. We have lost the Queen of Soul.”

Aretha Franklin (1942–2018) American musician, singer, songwriter, and pianist

John Lewis, "Congressman John Lewis on Aretha Franklin: ‘One of God’s precious gifts’" https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/congressman-john-lewis-aretha-franklin-one-god-precious-gifts/PRXHP5dgRpjhhuIUdjGEsO/, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (August 16, 2018)

Rufus Wainwright photo
John Fante photo

“Tonight there was music in the saloon, a piano and a violin; two fat women with hard masculine faces and short haircuts. Their song was Over the Waves.”

Ta de da da, and I watched Camilla dancing with her beer tray. Her hair was so black, so deep and clustered, like grapes hiding her neck. This was a sacred place, this saloon. Everything here was holy, the chairs, the tables, that rag in her hand, that sawdust under her feet. She was a Mayan princess and this was her castle. I watched the tattered huaraches glide across the floor, and I wanted those huaraches. I would like them to hold in my hands against my chest when I fell asleep. I would like to hold them and breathe the odor of them.
Ask the Dust (1939)

Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira photo
Natalie Merchant photo

“I think many people have been made curious about Henry Darger because of the song on my album Motherland.”

Natalie Merchant (1963) American singer-songwriter

Henry Darger (1892-1973) was the author and illustrator of what could possibly be the longest unfinished fictional work of all time. His towering hand-bound manuscript of 17,000 pages was found in this obscure retired hospital janitor’s apartment after his death. Henry worked in obsessed isolation for six decades on his saga entitled, The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion.
Quotes from NatalieMerchant.com

Joan Baez photo

“Lyrics for songs written for the film; the music for the songs composed by Ennio Morricone.”

Joan Baez (1941) American singer

Sacco e Vanzetti (1971)

Jack White photo

“Is this some kind of fucking radio promotion? What the fuck is this? Let me just say that if whatever said radio station tries to blacklist us for my comments about their balloons, I would like them to know I want a written apology tomorrow for interrupting my song.”

Jack White (1975) American musician and record producer

AT The Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California after some balloons bearing a radio station's logo floated on stage.
Chonin, Neva (2005). "White Stripes huge but not bloated" http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/15/DDGTAE7B261.DTL&type=music SFGate.com (accessed June 19, 2007)
2010

Khalil Gibran photo
W. H. Auden photo
Peter Hammill photo
Joseph Goebbels photo
Thich Nhat Hanh photo
Marilyn Ferguson photo
Antoinette Brown Blackwell photo

“Nature's sturdiest buds and her best-fed butterflies belong to this sex; her female spiders are large enough to eat up a score of her little males; some of her mother-fishes might parody the nursery-song, "I have a little husband no bigger than my thumb."”

Antoinette Brown Blackwell (1825–1921) American minister

September 1874, Popular Science Monthly Vol. 5, Article: The Alleged Antagonism Between Growth and Reproduction , p. 608
The Alleged Antagonism Between Growth and Reproduction (1874)

Ounsi el-Hajj photo
William Wordsworth photo

“Yet was Rob Roy as wise as brave;
Forgive me if the phrase be strong;—
A Poet worthy of Rob Roy
Must scorn a timid song.”

William Wordsworth (1770–1850) English Romantic poet

Rob Roy's Grave, st. 3
Memorials of a Tour in Scotland (1803)

Bill Withers photo
John Prine photo
Roberta Flack photo

“I know what it is to go over the same songs over and over again, and to try to make them perfect. It’s interesting and it’s hard and it’s difficult at the same time…You have to stay on top of things.”

Roberta Flack (1937) American singer

On staying in top form despite suffering a stroke in 2016 in “Roberta Flack Ready to Sing Again at Jazz Foundation of America Honors” https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8479635/roberta-flack-ready-to-sing-again-jazz-foundation-of-america-honors in Billboard (2018 Oct 12)

Roberta Flack photo

“I sang it about soldiers, then, later, about gay men. It touches me deeply every time. I used to perform this song at Mr Henry’s and people would be totally silent. I knew it moved them.”

Roberta Flack (1937) American singer

On the song “Ballad of the Sad Young Men” in “Roberta Flack: 'My music is my expression of what I feel in a moment'” https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/21/roberta-flack-interview-music-grammys in The Guardian (2020 Jan 21)

Roger Waters photo
Sting photo

“…I engage with poetry musically. I think I hear the music of the poem before I put words to it. The poem comes to me as it were a song more than a string of words or images. If I can’t transport that musical quality to the poem, then the poem doesn’t exist for me…”

Lucha Corpi (1945)

On how she favors a musical quality to her poetry in the book Truthtellers of the Times: Interviews with Contemporary Women Poets https://books.google.com/books?id=LkVO9mmfwZYC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq

Ana Castillo photo

“Black Dove [“Paloma Negra”] is a mariachi song, and we Mexicans love our mariachis; we'd go celebrate Mother's Day or a birthday or something and ask for a song that brings a great deal of sentimental feeling to us individually or the table. That's how I feel with Black Dove.”

Ana Castillo (1953) novelist, poet, essayist, short story writer

In the book I explain that it's a song that my mother actually sang as I left home as a young woman. My mother was very traditional, and in her mind, the way a girl leaves home is through marriage—me going out with my little satchel was not how they imagined it. They imagined the worst, that I was going to end up in a cabaret as one of those that dances for a few fellas.

On how she chose the title of her 2016 memoir in “'Write What's Tearing at Your Heart': Feminist Ana Castillo on Writing Her Rape” https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d7anqq/write-whats-tearing-at-your-heart-feminist-ana-castillo-on-writing-her-rape in Vice (2016 May 10)

“I write music with my mouth — first lyrics, then song, then rhythm.”

Tato Laviera (1950–2013) Puerto Rican writer

On his creative process in “An Interview with Tato Laviera, the King of Nuyorican Poetical Migrations” https://www.latinorebels.com/2012/07/11/an-interview-with-tato-laviera-the-king-of-nuyorican-poetical-migrations/ in Latino Rebels (2012 Jul 11)

Alex Grey photo

“Godself sings one song
moment by moment
with infinite variations”

Alex Grey (1953) American artist

uni : one
verse : poem or song
Art Psalms (2008), Universe

Ronnie James Dio photo
Carly Simon photo

“The time I enjoy music most is when it’s not a performance. It’s just trading instrumentals and finding that part in the song that you feel best singing.”

Carly Simon (1943) American singer-songwriter, musician and author

On how much she loves performing music with her family in “Carly Simon on Trolling Trump With ‘You’re So Vain,’ Lost Mick Jagger Duet” https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/carly-simon-on-trolling-trump-with-youre-so-vain-lost-mick-jagger-duet-118291/ in Rolling Stone (29 Nov 2016)

Carly Simon photo

“I pretended I was Cat Stevens. I started out with very Cat Stevensy chords, very abrupt. I was so stuck in the moment of being fearful so as a lesson to myself I said: ‘but we can never know about the days to come’. I didn’t know when the door-bell was going to ring. I liked that. It was all of a sudden a quarter to eight and I had written the whole song.”

Carly Simon (1943) American singer-songwriter, musician and author

On her song “Anticipation” in “Carly Simon explains ‘Anticipation’ was about Cat Stevens” http://www.music-news.com/news/Underground/101225/Carly-Simon-explains-Anticipation-was-about-Cat-Stevens in Music-News.com (31 Oct 2016)

Paulinus of St. Bartholomew photo
John Keats photo
George Eliot photo

“I see a face of love,
Fair as sweet music when my heart was strong:
Yea — art thou come again to me, great Song?”

George Eliot (1819–1880) English novelist, journalist and translator

The face bent over him like silver night
In long-remembered summers; that calm light
Of days which shine in firmaments of thought,
That past unchangeable, from change still wrought.
The Legend of Jubal (1869)

Prevale photo

“Fashion will never give you as much emotion as your song.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: (it) La moda non ti darà mai emozione quanto una tua canzone.
Source: prevale.net

Prevale photo

“It's Christmas every time you smile at a child, holding his hand. It's Christmas every time you recognize your limits, your mistakes. It's Christmas every time you stay silent to hear each other. It's Christmas every time you give your sweetness with love. It's Christmas every time you listen to the song of the heart.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: (it) È Natale ogni volta che sorridi a un bimbo, tenendogli la mano. È Natale ogni volta che riconosci i tuoi limiti, i tuoi errori. È Natale ogni volta che rimani in silenzio per ascoltare l'altro. È Natale ogni volta che doni con amore la tua dolcezza. È​ Natale ogni volta che ascolti la canzone del cuore.
Source: prevale.net

“The best parts of this book grow out of poems and song lyrics.”

Comment on the scene in which Baoyu meets Hsiao-hung for the second time in chapter 25, as reported and quoted in Enchantment and Disenchantment: Love and Illusion in Chinese Literature by Wai-yee Li (Princeton University Press, 1993), footnote on p. 168

Sheila E. photo

“People don't understand how important it is for funk to be funky, the only way to do that is to allow space to happen. Space is the most important part of music, it's the space that allows the song to breathe that's so important.”

Sheila E. (1957) American singer and percussionist

On her collaboration with Prince on the song “Erotic City” in “An Interview with the Legendary Sheila E” https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/z4ngbx/an-interview-with-the-legendary-sheila-e in Vice Magazine (2016 Dec 18)

Pierre Bouvier photo
Thao Nguyen photo

“I wanted to try to be a real live person, rather than just singing songs about them.”

Thao Nguyen (1984) American singer-songwriter

As quoted in "The Rumpus Interview with Thao Nguyen" in The Rumpus (5 August 2013) https://therumpus.net/2013/08/the-rumpus-interview-with-thao-nguyen/

Marie of Edinburgh, Queen of Romania photo

“Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song,
A medley of extemporanea,
And love is a thing that can never go wrong
And I am Marie of Roumania.”

Marie of Edinburgh, Queen of Romania (1875–1938) last Queen consort of Romania as the wife of King Ferdinand I

Dorothy Parker, "Comment"

Martin Luther King, Jr. photo
M. S. Subbulakshmi photo

“Oh! Who am I; a mere Prime Minister before the queen of song.”

M. S. Subbulakshmi (1916–2004) singer,Carnatic vocalist

Once Pandit Jawhar Lal Nehru heard Subbalakshmi when he could not help exclaiming, as quoted here in "Greatness of Spirit: Profiles of Indian Magsaysay Award Winners", page=58.
About M.S.

Prevale photo

“Being a music producer is a mission. It does not mean creating music to keep up with the times, but creating songs to convey emotions.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: (it) Essere un produttore musicale è una missione. Non vuol dire creare musica per stare al passo con i tempi, ma ideare canzoni per trasmettere emozioni.
Source: prevale.net

Prevale photo

“Love exists. It's in the little things: simple, spontaneous and concrete. It's in a smile, in a job, in a song…. Love is all that is given without asking any question.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: (it) L'amore esiste. È nelle piccole cose: semplici, spontanee e concrete. È in un sorriso, in un lavoro, in una canzone... . L'amore, è tutto ciò che si dona senza porsi alcuna domanda.
Source: prevale.net

J. Posadas photo

“... Female song is uncommon in birds.”

David Lack (1910–1973) British ornithologist and biologist

[The Life of the Robin, https://books.google.com/books?id=wZs_AAAAYAAJ, 1943, H.F. & G. Witherby Limited] p. 28
The Life of the Robin (1943)

Example (musician) photo

“A song in my head and it won't leave me alone,
I should have followed my friends,
by now they're probably at home
all warm and tucked up in bed
Instead I'm stumbling home on my own
with no charge on my phone
in the east end of London”

Example (musician) (1982) English rapper and singer

"Wrong in the Head" (song)
("Wrong in the Head" on YouTube (with lyrics)) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvZSPl7QYto
Studio albums, Playing in the Shadows (2011)

Bill Maher photo
Thao Nguyen photo

“You know, what's so funny is that I actually feel lighter than I ever have in my life — outside of what's happening. But sometimes I think the service of a song is just to capture a moment or an emotion, and I really loved the catharsis of a more plaintive and plain statement.”

Thao Nguyen (1984) American singer-songwriter

As quoted in "On 'All This And More,' Thao Nguyen Tackles Post-Apocalyptic Omens" in NPR (11 November 2020) https://www.npr.org/2020/11/11/933419872/on-all-this-and-more-thao-nguyen-tackles-post-apocalyptic-omens

Sathya Sai Baba photo
Sébastien Lefebvre photo

“It all starts with a good song. You can look cool and work hard, but that won’t be enough. People will get into your coolness once they like the song. That’s when people want to find out more about an artist.”

Sébastien Lefebvre (1981) French Canadian musician

Interview with Simple Plan’s Sebastien Lefebvre https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/latest-updates/interview-with-simple-plans-sebastien-lefebvre

Alfred Noyes photo
Alfred Noyes photo
Dolly Parton photo

“My nails are my rhythm section, when I'm writing a song all alone. Some day, I may cut an album, just me and my nails.”

Dolly Parton (1946) American singer-songwriter and actress

As quoted in "Dolly Parton: Gee, She’s So Nice" https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/dolly-parton-gee-shes-really-nice (7 December 1980), by Roger Ebert, Roger Ebert
1980s

Niniola photo

“During secondary school days, I started entertaining my friends during lunchtime...I had a sort of request songs and I would sing.”

Niniola (1986) Nigerian singer-songwriter

Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/niniola-femi-kuti-958136/amp/ Niniola speaking at an interview about her journey into music.

“For me it's important to make great dance songs, growing up as a dancer. You know, not only just getting lost in the beat but getting lost in the lyrics whether it’s about having a great time or having lyrics with more of a purposeful meaning.”

Victoria Duffield (1995) Canadian actor, singer and dancer

Source: Interview with Victoria Duffield http://www.liveinlimbo.com/2011/09/24/interviews/888-interview-victoria-duffield.html (24 September 2011)

Norman Lindsay photo
Kate Bush photo
Ricky Nelson photo
Ronnie James Dio photo
Susan Cain photo
Philip Doddridge photo

“Hark, the glad sound! The Savior comes,
The Savior promised long;
Let every heart exult with joy,
And every voice be song!”

Philip Doddridge (1702–1751) English Nonconformist leader, educator, and hymnwriter

Published 1755, Hymns, "Hark, the Glad Sound", Chambers Dictionary of Quotations, p. 278

Steve Forbert photo
John Prine photo
Alfred, Lord Tennyson photo
Margaret Cho photo

“You will never make love, laugh, fight, eat, go to the movies, kiss, smile, dance, sing, run, skate, play the piano, buy candy for, argue jokingly, tell stories, look longingly at, jump on the bed with, pet the dogs with your faces, sing along with the song in the car and get the words wrong, share a secret, gossip, cop a feel, go hear a band that you both love, share a really good meal, carpool with people you don't like and make fun of them secretly later, cry, comfort, scratch backs, insist on pizza, catch them staring at you, put your arms around them, stay up too late, lean against warm bodies, feel safe with their feet sliding next to yours in bed, raise your children, go to boring dinner parties and get too drunk to drive home so you sleep in the car, spend alternate holidays with each others families, have uncontrollable lust with, followed by mind blowing fuck sessions lasting for hours and hours at a time, take a bath so hot one of you has to get out, all naked and wet and red and dizzy but not embarrassed because this is who you love and rarely are you shy with them, watch a TV show you both hate because the remote control is broken--merely happily, and maybe sometimes unhappily, share your life, and be with them, but you can't, because they're dead. Suddenly, unjustly, untimely, irretrievably--unconscionably dead.”

Margaret Cho (1968) American stand-up comedian

From Her Books, I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight, DEATH

Alexis Karpouzos photo
Prevale photo

“Make of your life an ever-evolving work of art, and of your trauma, a sacred song that cannot be forgotten.​​”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: Fate della vostra vita un'opera d’arte in continua evoluzione, e del vostro trauma, un canto sacro che non si dimentica.
Source: prevale.net

Prevale photo

“One of the wonders of life is seeing the emotion in a person's eyes as they listen to a profound song.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: Una delle meraviglie della vita è vedere l'emozione negli occhi di una persona mentre ascolta una profonda canzone.
Source: prevale.net