Music blows lyrics up very quickly, and suddenly they become more than art. They become pompous and they become self-conscious ... I firmly believe that lyrics have to breathe and give the audience's ear a chance to understand what's going on. Particularly in the theater, where you not only have the music, but you've got costume, story, acting, orchestra. There's a lot to take in. Stephen Sondheim
About This Quote

The world of art has become more and more saturated with music. As technology advances, we are able to create and share our art and music on a larger scale than ever before. With the rise of internet and social media sites such as YouTube, we can now share and create our own unique pieces of art at the touch of a button. When we say we don’t understand a specific piece of art, we generally mean that we didn’t understand what it was trying to tell us.

This is similar to the statement made by Shakespeare in the quote above. In both cases, we are meant to feel something from the work that is being presented to us. If we don’t feel something from the art, then it becomes pompous and self-conscious.

Some Similar Quotes
  1. This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. - William Shakespeare
  2. And, in the end The love you takeis equal to the love you make. - Paul Mccartney
  3. Life, he realize, was much like a song. In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it's in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile. - Nicholas Sparks
  4. You're like a song that I heard when I was a little kid but forgot I knew until I heard it again. - Maggie Stiefvater
  5. Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. - Steve Maraboli
More Quotes By Stephen Sondheim
  1. One difference between poetry and lyrics is that lyrics sort of fade into the background. They fade on the page and live on the stage when set to music.
  2. Music straightjackets a poem and prevents it from breathing on its own, whereas it liberates a lyric. Poetry doesn't need music; lyrics do.
  3. The worst thing you can do is censor yourself as the pencil hits the paper. You must not edit until you get it all on paper. If you can put everything down, stream-of-consciousness, you'll do yourself a service.
  4. I prefer neurotic people. I like to hear rumblings beneath the surface.
  5. Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.
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