If you want to be a good blues singer, people are going to be down on you, so dress like you're going to the bank to borrow money.
B. B. KingRead
Do I love the road? Honestly? No - but it's how I earn my living. I also don't have the blues, like it's some kind of fever. The blues is my job. It's what I do.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker expresses a complicated relationship with their profession, acknowledging that while they don't love it, it is essential for their livelihood.
In this quote, B. B. King articulates a nuanced perspective on his career as a musician. He admits that he doesn't have a deep emotional attachment to the road, which signifies the harsh realities of constant touring; however, he accepts it as part of his job. Furthermore, he redefines the notion of 'the blues' as not merely an emotional state but as a profession, emphasizing that his music and experiences are integral to who he is and how he earns a living.
Themes
MusicLivelihoodBluesJobTouring
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a panel discussion about the struggles of touring artists.
More from B. B. King
All quotes βThe way I feel today, as long as my health is good and I can handle myself well and people still come to my concerts, still buy my CDs, I'll keep playing until I feel like I can't.
B. B. KingRead
Everything I record, I just try to sound like me and come up with songs that suit what I do and then just go for it. I never know what the public's going to like, anyway.
B. B. KingRead
A guitar is like an old friend that is there with me.
B. B. KingRead
I have not been a good father, but no father has loved his children more. Like my father, I decided the best thing I could do for my kids was work and provide. Fortunately, I've been able to do that. Unfortunately, my work was on the road, and that's meant a life of one-nighters.
B. B. KingRead
People all over the world have problems. And as long as people have problems, the blues can never die.
B. B. KingRead
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