English Quotes

Without philosophy man cannot know what he makes; without religion he cannot know why.

Art is skill, that is the first meaning of the word.

Science is analytical, descriptive, informative. Man does not live by bread alone, but by science he attempts to do so. Hence the deadliness of all that is purely scientific.

Yes, there was a sort of underground cult following, which came from nowhere, and grew, and grew. It was quite surprising to us all, because all of us had spent probably the previous five to ten years without it. So it was quite overwhelming. Overwhelming and humbling.

We didn't go for music that sounded like blues, or jazz, or rock, or Led Zeppelin, or Rolling Stones. We didn't want to be like any of the other bands.

These tapes have been found, which were taken from the desk and various bootlegs. At the time we never got to hear them, they didn't seem to be available or they just got put to one side.

The rise of King Crimson was so fast that, to me, it felt as if it was going out of control. And it was going so fast that I couldn't keep up with what was happening.

If anything's progressive, then we make progress.

I'm amazed at how adventurous and how dangerous the music was, and still is. I haven't heard anything like it since. I'm quite surprised, because a lot of the music on there we never heard at the time.

I think we were just coming out and being ourselves, instead of operating within boundaries that other people had created. We decided to do away with those boundaries.

I think that what I'm interested with is the creative side of music-making, rather than all the travelling.

I still don't know anything about drugs, or who takes them, or what happens.

I did quite a lot of the arranging, fitting different sections together, tempo changes, all sorts of things like that. I actually acted as a bridge between Robert and Ian. Not so much composing, rather presenting musical ideas at each rehearsal.

When every one is somebody, Then no one's anybody!

We are as near to heaven by sea as by land.

These people are headstrong and if they feel the curb loosed but one link they will with bit in the teeth in one month run further out of the career of good order than they will be brought back in three months.

Before you can do something you must first be something.

Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself.

Your English style will no doubt put all the other gentlemen to bed. I speak figuratively, of course.

The blessings we evoke for another descend upon ourselves.

The silver swan, who, living had no note, When death approached unlocked her silent throat.

It is proportion that beautifies everything, the whole universe consists of it, and music is measured by it.

You feel the music needs something but you don't know what. So you start searching, fitting, measuring, trying. Every time you try another angle. And sometimes that's frustrating, especially if you don't come up with something for three days.

We're thinking about printing the lyrics with the next record so that people can find their own meaning in them. But then they would start having a life of their own, and I think the Portishead music should stay a whole in which the lyrics come second, actually.

There's not only emotion in the way you sing but also in what you sing. That way I can compensate it.

The music comes first. When Geoff has made something the inspiration comes automatically. His music is very expressive. But still is is a very difficult process: I have to add something to his music, not push it away. It has to be equal, and I find that very difficult.

Most of the lyrics are over a year old, and it doesn't feel like it's about me. Time created a distance.

Let's get one thing straight: there's no such thing as the Bristol sound.

I've just put my heart and soul in a song and need at least a week to recover.

I've had a wordless phase, and that's still not entirely over: what I sing is not always literally meant that way, and you can hear that in the way it is sung.