What is the quote regarding someone's unavoidable career path in music?

September 9, 2008 4:56 PM

Looking for a quote where a rock star(?) says that he became a musician because he couldn't do anything else. Or wasn't good at anything else. Or had no other option/choice. Or something to that effect. Help?
posted by unknowncommand to media & arts (22 comments total)

Ricky Gervais' character on Extras says something similar in a monologue in the series finale. You can find it on YouTube here. The bit I'm thinking of starts around 2:55.

Rough transcript:

And shame on me. I'm the worst of all 'cause I'm one of these people that goes "Oh, I'm an entertainer. It's in my blood." Yeah, it's in my blood 'cause a real job's too hard. I would loved to have been a doctor. Too hard. Didn't want to put the work in. Loved to be a war hero. I'm too scared. So I go, "Oh, it's what I do.". And I have someone bollocked if my capuccino's cold or if they look at me the wrong way.

posted by mhum at 5:30 PM on September 9, 2008

Not a rock star, but writer Nick Hornby (High Fidelity) on why he writes:

"I write because I can't do any of the following: paint, sculpt, sing, take photos, play an instrument, commute, wear a suit, remember appointments, return phone calls, work for a boss, concentrate in a meeting, serve food and drink, teach, or do anything else at all, really. Nor can I ever ignore the urge to try and get out what's in, however hard I try." -- Nick Hornby
posted by sharkfu at 5:31 PM on September 9, 2008

Video killed the radio star?
posted by Dumsnill at 5:55 PM on September 9, 2008

"I'm not qualified for anything else, so I would imagine I'd either be doing something larcenous or I would have already been caught."
Don Johnson
posted by lee at 6:00 PM on September 9, 2008

"I came into music just because I wanted the bread. It's true. I looked around and this seemed like the only way I was going to get the kind of bread I wanted."
Mick Jagger
posted by lee at 6:07 PM on September 9, 2008

Hm, also, maybe it was REM or Michael Stipe. Dammit, this is killing me.
posted by unknowncommand at 6:15 PM on September 9, 2008

Or maybe it was something to the effect of "I would be doing this anyway" or "I would be doing this no matter what".
posted by unknowncommand at 6:17 PM on September 9, 2008

I think you'll find that this is a pretty common sentiment among artists in general.

Here's another: "If it wasn't for hip-hop I would be dead, in jail or on dope."--Coolio
posted by box at 6:37 PM on September 9, 2008

Oh yes, box, I would actually be happy with any quote approximating it. Yours is the closest here, though for boring reasons, I would prefer it to be more life-affirming or something. Or at least have less to do with drugs.
posted by unknowncommand at 6:42 PM on September 9, 2008

I'll poke around a little more--I was trying Google searches for, say, "'if it wasn't for' 'i'd either be'," and, y'know, phrases along those lines.
posted by box at 6:46 PM on September 9, 2008

It seems like there's also a similar thought along the lines of 'I do it because I couldn't imagine not doing it.' Just out of curiosity, are you trying to find a quote to express your feelings toward libraries/librarianship? I totally hope so.

"If it wasn't for libraries, I would be dead, in jail or on dope." I must admit I like the sound of that.
posted by box at 6:49 PM on September 9, 2008 [1 favorite]

As box said, you should spend more time coming up with some really forceful Google searches. Think in terms of exact phrases.

"couldn't do anything else" rock musician

You can find lots of examples in there.

I'd like to have a list of all the AskMe questions that could have been answered by simply plugging a crucial bit of text from the question itself into Google.
posted by Jaltcoh at 7:00 PM on September 9, 2008

There's Bowie at 1:16 in this video
posted by merocet at 7:20 PM on September 9, 2008

warren zevon said that on letterman once, which I am sure you can find on youtube. the line has also been used by hunter thompson, who wasn't the kind of rock star you're talking about but a rock star regardless, on charlie rose, who has all his shows online as well.
posted by krautland at 7:22 PM on September 9, 2008

Prince has said this a variety of different ways over the years, most notably, "I make music because if I don't, I'd die. I record because it's in my blood. I hear sounds all the time. It's almost a curse: to know you can always make something new."
posted by anildash at 7:55 PM on September 9, 2008

Eerily good guess, box. That is exactly it (I'm writing a manifesto). I'm trying to remember a quote which reflects that I am doing this because I would be doing this anyway and that it is just a weird and unintended bonus that I get paid. The music thing needs to be tied in, otherwise I would be totally happy with the Nick Hornby quote.

Jaltcoh, your search is good, though I'm looking for someone famous-er. Although I have the sentiment, I feel like I'm lacking the exact phrase to make a search helpful. I was hoping this would instantly ring a bell with someone, but maybe not.

I'm exploring the Warren Zevon thing right now. Hunter Thompson would be more than acceptable.
posted by unknowncommand at 8:00 PM on September 9, 2008

"Do something you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life". - John Lennon
posted by docmccoy at 10:03 PM on September 9, 2008

"I was a terrible waitress, so I learned to write songs." --Ani DiFranco
posted by Violet Hour at 1:56 AM on September 10, 2008

"It's either this or prison" - Morrissey on Live at Earls Court

posted by Sitegeist at 2:50 AM on September 10, 2008

Pretty sure there's a clip somewhere of Joe Strummer saying just about this exact thing, but trying to put my finger on it is failing me at the moment.
posted by pupdog at 5:30 AM on September 10, 2008

Mark Kozelek says pretty much the same thing in this interview at 1:20
posted by Scoo at 7:00 AM on September 10, 2008

This is actually a fairly common sentiment not restricted to music. It's not quite clear if you're looking for a particular quote you remember or a quote that generally fits the idea.

Geoff Barrow of Portishead, from RS in 1991:

Were you ever worried about not having more than one good record in you?

No, no we never thought that, because music is the only thing we do. It's the only thing that I'm good at. It's totally my life. I think it's all our lives, so we have to do it. It was going to work one way or the other. And being that depressed for so long actually helped. After a successful record, you can sit on your laurels a bit. For us we had to go through hell to make another record that actually meant something to us.

Richard Ashcroft

We all have our daily prescription of yoga, football, religion, or whatever gets us through that day. My thing is music. It's the only thing that gives me a sense of calm and balance. It's the thing I know I'm good at.
posted by dhartung at 3:24 PM on September 10, 2008