"I never paid attention to what was contemporary or what was commercial, it didn't mean anything to me."
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Quote collection
Van Morrison quotes (page 4 of 13)
259 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Being famous was extremely disappointing for me. When I became famous it was a complete drag and it is still a complete drag."
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"Even today, skiffle is a defining part of my music. If I get the opportunity to just have a jam, skiffle is what I love to play."
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"I've got love in my life, as well as trouble and strife."
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"You learn to read the audiences after a while, and there are all different kinds of gigs."
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"There's always stress involved in any genre or art form, there's always going to be a struggle. If there's no struggle, you wouldn't do anything. What are you going do? Retire?"
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"I just need somewhere to dump all my negativity."
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"My responsibility is to fulfil what that natural thing is. The thing that I dislike about pop rock Top 40 music is that it's not natural."
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"I like to see people reaching back for the roots and for the reason why. Not intellectually, but just for the gut feeling of what it's all about."
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"In order to win you must be prepared to lose sometime. And leave one or two cards showing."
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"You can't stay the same. If you're a musician and a singer, you have to change, that's the way it works."
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"Skiffle was a name that was attached to what was, in essence, American folk music with a beat."
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"And I shall watch the ferry boats, and they'll get high, on a bluer ocean against tomorrow's sky. and i will never grow so old again, and i will walk and talk, in gardens all wet with rain."
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"I write songs. Then I record them. And later, maybe I perform them on stage. That's what I do. That's my job. Simple. I don't feel comfortable doing interviews. My profession is music, and writing songs. I like to do it, but I hate to talk about it...Music is spiritual. The music business is not. Being famous was extremely disappointing for me. When I became famous it was a complete drag and it is still a complete drag."
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"Won't You guide me through the dark night of the soul That I may better understand Your way... Let me purify my thoughts and words and deeds That I may be a vehicle for Thee... Give me my rapture today."
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"I was just getting tired of the image bullshit...that man of mystery trip and what have you. What's that all about?"
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"I forgot that love existed, troubled in my mind. Heartache after heartache, worried all the time. I forgot that love existed Then I saw the light Everyone around me make everything alright."
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"I'm talking about noise rock. I don't think that noise rock element belongs in jazz. It's not for me anyway; it just doesn't fit."
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"The trip had become boring. It wasn't exciting anymore to totally be a singer/songwriter because it wasn't working for me."
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"When I first started drinking, everybody was doing it. That was before they discovered marijuana and all that. It was the late 50s, early 60s - it was the beginnings of the rock 'n' roll era. The main drink was like wine. And even that was a romantic throwback to something."
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