Keith Richards Quotes That Directly Apply To My Life
Keith Richards is one of my biggest musical influences. I fell in love with the Rolling Stones when I was 14, and they (and Keith in particular) seriously changed my life. Through the Stones, I was introduced to the blues, and that is something I am eternally grateful for. They were my gateway band.
Earlier today I was searching for a quote that Ronnie Wood said about playing with the Stones. I thought I found it online, but I just realized it’s in a book I have called According to the Rolling Stones. The quote is, “I think it was important for the others to have a sense that someone would be able to live and survive with them through all the ups and downs of being out on tour along the long road ahead.” I was particularly interested in the “be able to live and survive with them” part.
Anyway, while I was searching for that, I found these three gems from Keith:
“Good music comes out of people playing together, knowing what they want to do and going for it. You have to sweat over it and bug it to death. You can’t do it by pushing buttons and watching a TV screen.”
This is one of the truest things I’ve ever read. I’ve got a new band, and this is going to be written on the whiteboard in our rehearsal space every time we practice.
“I look for ambiguity when I’m writing because life is ambiguous.”
I really, really, really like this quote. When I write, I don’t always have a specific thing in mind. The other night I was showing my sister a song of mine, and she asked me what it was about, and I hadn’t really thought about what the song is about. A friend of mine had one interpretation of it, my sister had another. I like that.
“If you don’t know the blues… there’s no point in picking up the guitar and playing rock and roll or any other form of popular music.”
I’d seen this one before, and Keith is dead on. The blues are the roots of everything. Everything…Everything! I was watching the 2010 Crossroads Festival DVD (Ronnie Wood’s in it! prior to writing this, and it really rekindled my love for the blues. That and Jeff Beck. I’ve become obsessed with his and Eric Clapton’s version of You Need Love from the Ronnie Scott’s DVD.
These little nuggets from Keith remind me of how it all began and how much I owe to him, the Stones, and the blues.
It’s always good to get a little reminder because for me it turns into a little inspiration. That being said, I’m gonna go play guitar.
