David Byrne Quotes

A collection of quotes by David Byrne.

David Byrne is a Scottish-American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, born on May 14, 1952, in Dumbarton, Scotland. He is best known as the frontman and creative force behind the influential new wave band Talking Heads. Byrne formed Talking Heads in 1975 with Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, eventually adding Jerry Harrison to the lineup. The band's innovative blend of post-punk, funk, and world music, along with Byrne's eccentric and captivating stage presence, gained them widespread acclaim and commercial success during the 1980s.

Throughout his career, Byrne has continuously pushed musical boundaries and embraced various genres, collaborating with artists from diverse backgrounds. He is a versatile musician, proficient in guitar, percussion, and keyboards, and has explored styles like world music, electronic, and art pop. Aside from his work with Talking Heads, Byrne has released numerous solo albums, earning critical acclaim for his distinctive sound and thought-provoking lyrics.

In addition to his musical career, Byrne has involved himself in various creative endeavors. He has written and directed films, composed soundtracks for theatrical productions and movies, and authored books on music and culture. His artistic achievements have earned him multiple accolades, including Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe nomination, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Talking Heads.

David Byrne's enduring impact on the music industry, innovation, and his constant exploration of different artistic mediums have solidified his status as an icon in the world of music and beyond.

I like to combine the dramatic emotional warmth of strings w

I like to combine the dramatic emotional warmth of strings with the grooves and body business of drums and bass.

Architecture theory is very interesting.

Architecture theory is very interesting.

I'm not suggesting people abandon musical instruments and st

I'm not suggesting people abandon musical instruments and start playing their cars and apartments, but I do think the reign of music as a commodity made only by professionals might be winding down.

To some extent I happily don't know what I'm doing. I feel t

To some extent I happily don't know what I'm doing. I feel that it's an artist's responsibility to trust that.

It seems almost backwards to me that my music seems the more

It seems almost backwards to me that my music seems the more emotional outlet, and the art stuff seems more about ideas.

There's something about music that encourages people to want

There's something about music that encourages people to want to know more about the person that made it, and where it was recorded, what year it was done, what they were listening to, and all this kind of stuff. There's something that invites all this obsessive behavior.

We tend to mistake music for the physical object.

We tend to mistake music for the physical object.

It's a fundamental, social attitude that the 1% supports sym

It's a fundamental, social attitude that the 1% supports symphonies and operas and doesn't support Johnny learning to program hip-hop beats. When I put it like that, it sounds like, 'Well, yeah,' but you start to think, 'Why not, though?' What makes one more valuable than another?

The making of music is profoundly affected by the market.

The making of music is profoundly affected by the market.

If anything, a lot of electronic music is music that no one

If anything, a lot of electronic music is music that no one listens to at home, hardly. It's really only to be heard when everyone's out enjoying it.

I've rarely kept my distance from kind of - I don't know if

I've rarely kept my distance from kind of - I don't know if we can call it politics, but kind of, civic engagement and that kind of thing, except I tended to think, 'Well, do it yourself before you start telling other people what they should be doing.'

We don't make music - it makes us.

We don't make music - it makes us.

My favorite time of day is to get up and eat leftovers from

My favorite time of day is to get up and eat leftovers from dinner, especially spicy food.

I never listen to the radio unless I rent a car.

I never listen to the radio unless I rent a car.

It didn't even occur to me that I'm the last person in the w

It didn't even occur to me that I'm the last person in the world who should play salsa or Brazilian music.

With music, you often don't have to translate it. It just af

With music, you often don't have to translate it. It just affects you, and you don't know why.

So there's no guarantee if you like the music you will empat

So there's no guarantee if you like the music you will empathize with the culture and the people who made it. It doesn't necessarily happen. I think it can, but it doesn't necessarily happen. Which is kind of a shame.

People are already finding ways to make their music and play

People are already finding ways to make their music and play it in front of people and have a life in music, I guess, and I think that's pretty much all you can ask.

As I define it, rock and roll is dead. The attitude isn't de

As I define it, rock and roll is dead. The attitude isn't dead, but the music is no longer vital. It doesn't have the same meaning. The attitude, though, is still very much alive -- and it still informs other kinds of music.

To shake your rump is to be environmentally aware.

To shake your rump is to be environmentally aware.