"The game is never won by standing in any one place too long" - Nick Cave
Thirteen words for the ages, if ever there were. I hope Nick Cave will forgive me for suggesting an edit - ever so slight - to his phrase from 2008's Jesus of the Moon. I would have omitted just two words - "by" and "any" - only in the interest of greater concision.
My quibbling aside, have you ever come across a more succinct lyric that better nails the risk of inertia? I'm certain I haven't. I'm also pleased to report Cave is slightly younger than the great majority of tunesmiths that have dominated this series since its inception in 2017. So far, if not for the help of my son-in-law - who directed me to a tasty morsel by Frank Ocean - this series could be subtitled "An Old White Fart Quotes Lyrics of Old White Fart Tunesmiths". Dear readers: Please direct me to some terse, stand-alone, pithy lyrics by younger non-white songwriters.
In the meanwhile Nick, I apologize for the editing. It's infinitely easier to edit someone else's work - no matter how elegant the original words - than it is to edit one's own. If you happen to stumble across my blog, feel free to return my "favor". I won't be offended, promise.
https://reflectionsfromthebellcurve.blogspot.com/2021/02/words-for-ages-line-seventeen.html
"Let me tell you what I wish I'd known when I was young and dreamed of glory: You have no control who lives, who dies who tells your story." - Lin Manuel Miranda
ReplyDeleteAnonymous; Very nice; thanks so much for jumping in. My only quibble with this excellent lyric - and it's a small "q" quibble - is that it is a little too long (29 words) for the average person to easily recall without flubbing. The longest phrase I've used in this series to date has been fifteen words. However, the glory/story rhyme that Miranda uses to end each phrase could help people who want to commit this gem to memory. Thanks again. .
DeleteGood morning, Pat. Another very thought provoking post. There's one saying that I recall from years ago. I admit that I forgot the exact wording and needed to look that up rather than paraphrase ... but ... “Nothing happens until something moves." - Albert Einstein.
ReplyDeleteBe well,
Bob
hey Bob; That Einstein quote is an even more terse expression about inertia than Nick Cave's lyric. Too bad Albert didn't put it in a song. Then, I could have used it in my series.
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