It's a folk singer's job to comfort disturbed people and to disturb comfortable people
Interpretation
Folk singers play a dual role by soothing those in distress and challenging the complacency of those who are comfortable.
This quote by Woody Guthrie highlights the unique responsibility of folk singers and artists in society. They provide solace to individuals who are facing turmoil and, at the same time, provoke thought and reflection amongst those who may be too comfortable in their lives. This duality emphasizes the power of music and art as tools for social commentary and emotional support.
In practice
During a community event focused on social justice, this quote could set the tone for the importance of music in activism.
A folk song is what's wrong and how to fix it or it could be _x000D_ who's hungry and where their mouth is or _x000D_ who's out of work and where the job is or _x000D_ who's broke and where the money is or _x000D_ who's carrying a gun and where the peace is.
The world is filled with people who are no longer needed -- and who try to make slaves of all of us -- and they have their music and we have ours.
Nobody living can ever stop me. As I go walking my freedom highway. Nobody living can make me turn back. This land was made for you and me.
It's round the world I've traveled; it's round the world I've roamed; but I've yet to see an outlaw drive a family from its home
I hate a song that makes you think that you are not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody. No good for nothing. Because you are too old or too young or too fat or too slim too ugly or too this or too that.
Do Re Mi_x000D_ California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see,_x000D_ But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot_x000D_ If you ain't got the do re mi
There's a new hit rock group or singer every five minutes, but with country music, you have one hit and those people love you forever.
I come to sing for the people, not for the government. God made the sunshine for everyone and made the moon for everyone. We have to follow his example so we have to play music for everyone too. We have a message, and in order for our message to reach the people, we have to play.
I'm really glad we came up when we did. When we got started, the record companies were concerned with building careers. They made sure you could put on a live show before you put a record out. And if your first album sold 100,000 to 200,000 copies, they were happy, because they figured you had your foot in the door on a way to a long career.
This is the thing about hip-hop music and where people get it most misconstrued: It's all hip-hop. You can't say that just what I do is hip-hop, because hip-hop is all energies. James Brown can get on the track and mumble all day. But guess what? You felt his soul on those records.
If you've got a problem, take it out on a drum.
Nobody could have predicted the effect of John Bonham's drum introduction on 'Good Times, Bad Times,' because no matter what he'd played in before, he'd never had the chance to flex his muscles and play like John Bonham.
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