We're all just animals. That's all we are, and everything else is just an elaborate justification of our instincts. That's where music comes from. And romantic poetry. And bad novels.
Elvis CostelloRead
There are five things to write songs about: I'm leaving you. You're leaving me. I want you. You don't want me. I believe in something. Five subjects, and 12 notes. For all that, we musicians do pretty well.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the simplicity of songwriting by reducing it to fundamental themes of love and belief.
Elvis Costello succinctly captures the essence of songwriting in this quote, emphasizing that the emotional experiences of love—whether it’s about separation, desire, or belief—are the driving forces behind most music. He suggests that despite the limited range of musical notes, creativity allows musicians to express a vast array of emotions and stories, proving that art can thrive in simplicity.
Themes
MusicSongwritingLoveEmotionCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech at a music festival, one could use this quote to inspire budding songwriters about the beauty of simplicity in music.
More from Elvis Costello
All quotes →It's the damage that we do and never know. It's the words that we don't say that scare me so.
Elvis CostelloRead
And I don't feel any form of music is beyond me in the sense of that I don't understand it or I don't have some love for some part of it.
Elvis CostelloRead
Happiness isn't a fortune in a cookie. It's deeper, wider, funnier, and more transporting than that.
Elvis CostelloRead
I've had a lot of different experiences in music over the years.And not everything you do can satisfy everybody's idealised version of you.
Elvis CostelloRead
I believe that music is connected by human passions and curiosities rather than by marketing strategies.
Elvis CostelloRead
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