black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

My most cryptic, strange songs might be my most personal, but that isn’t how people are going to receive them, because they don’t know the code.

Black Francis

They’re pretty good actually, Hall & Oates. I gotta give them credit. They got a lot of toe-tappers.
BLACK FRANCIS

Credit Giving Toes
I can remember back as far as age 8, performing with the Boston Folk Song Society. It was a Woody Guthrie song.
BLACK FRANCIS

Age Boston Song
When you look at something that’s really good, it might be Iggy Pop or it might be Leonard Cohen. Whatever it is, you want it to be really good.
BLACK FRANCIS

Good might Real Really Something
One guy just kept asking me and asking me in an interview, and I kept saying, “I just got done telling you no, there’s nothing to report.”
BLACK FRANCIS

Asking Guy Interview Nothing One Report Tell
Who do sing SONGS. It’s like I never sang before; like I was – I don’t know – reading PROSE on my previous records and now I sing. EXCUUUUUUSE me for singing
BLACK FRANCIS

Exclusive Previous Prose Reading Sing
I don’t make records that way, where I’m trying to please the marketplace or anything. Not because I have anything against that, it’s just never been a part of my aesthetic, even when I was with the Pixies.
BLACK FRANCIS

Aesthetic Records Trying Way
I initially felt shy about doing painting because I wasn’t a professional painter. I almost felt like I didn’t deserve to paint. But I have gradually adopted a different kind of attitude about this.
BLACK FRANCIS

Artist Attitude Different Professional Shy
The first thing that inspires any song is a chord progression. When I have one I really like, I get into the lyrics even more.
BLACK FRANCIS

Firsts Inspire Song
There was a f**king review in f**king Melody Maker [of the first BOSSANOVA single, ‘Velouria’] – ‘Sounds like someone’s been taking singing lessons’. Like, motherf**king A! I am the singer.
BLACK FRANCIS

Kings Like Mother Reading Song
I’m always looking to rock out. But it isn’t really about rocking out versus being mellow, in terms of your personal satisfaction. In the end, you just want to be good.
BLACK FRANCIS

Looks Mellow Rocks Want Satisfaction
It’s sour grapes, I admit, I want to be more famous so people are examining my work couplet by couplet, you know what I mean? That’s the level where I want to go.
BLACK FRANCIS

Couplet Level Levels Mean People
That’s more important even then what their background is or what they’ve done before, how good they are, how new they are or whatever. All that stuff is really secondary to just getting along with the person.
BLACK FRANCIS

Along Background Before Getting Importance
I have always been a singer, a writer, and a musician, not as a prodigy or as in a trade handed to me by my parents, but because of an inner voice or maybe a command from beyond reality as it is usually defined.
BLACK FRANCIS

Parent Reality Voice
I’m really inspired by the interplay of visual art and music, a total artistic environment where there’s sound and visuals.
BLACK FRANCIS

Art Feelings Thinking
That’s the most important thing, to get along with people. When you feel like you click with them.
BLACK FRANCIS

Done Important People
There’s more to life than listening to rock music.
BLACK FRANCIS

Listening Rock Music Rocks

My most cryptic, strange songs might be my most personal, but that isn’t how people are going to receive them, because they don’t know the code.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

My most cryptic, strange songs might be my most personal, but that isn’t how people are going to receive them, because they don’t know the code.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Black Francis Quotes