I'm a musician at heart, I know I'm not really a singer. I couldn't compete with real singers. But I sing because the public buys it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker identifies as a musician but acknowledges that public demand drives their singing.
- In plain terms
- I sing because the public buys it, not just because I am a singer.
- What can you take from it?
- Public demand often shapes artistic choices more than passion.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What drives your work?
- How much does audience demand matter?
Another view
Passion can exist alongside commercial motives.
More from Nat (King) Cole
I'm a businessman. I work for business people. The kind of thing they say is: Now we've sold a lot of records, let's sell some more.
Permalink to quote #5 Critics don't buy records. They get 'em free.
Permalink to quote #7 Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark.
Permalink to quote #4
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