Steve Forbert Quotes

Everybody is so talented nowadays that the only people I care to honor as deserving real distinction are those who remain in obscurity.

What is 'cool,' anyway? Maybe it's Warne Marsh, almost totally obscure and penniless, coming in late to a fourth-rate Hollywood nightclub, playing like an angel with a couple of sidemen, but never speaking to or even acknowledging another human being.

I always sang in English. It's just that nobody heard me.

The world knows nothing of its greatest men.

I love writing about unknown people.

I sometimes feel I want to release an album without people knowing it is me.

I've been in the shadows my whole career.

Writing songs has always been my first and foremost love, and, you know, whether I continue to have success as an artist or not, I will always write songs.

It's great to compose music just for my own enjoyment, but that I have been able to make a lot of new friends, have shows everywhere, and get to know so many places all thanks to music is impressive to me.

Taking on music that's not played very much is a contribution I can give. There's so much I feel that needs more attention.

I had to start all the way down the divisions and that is really difficult. You might be playing well and having great performances - but nobody ever watched us.

I'm the guy that no one knows, but everyone's like, "You're that guy in that film thing."

Whether I'm writing scripts or prose, the goal is identical. To give pleasure. Now whether I succeed or not is up for debate, and, mostly, I fail. But I try. I like to make things. It's a way to stay busy during one's ephemeral and confusing life.

Happy is he who looks only into his work to know if it will succeed, never into the times or the public opinion; and who writes from the love of imparting certain thoughts and not from the necessity of sale - who writes always to the unknown friend.

Most people don't find their creativity. There are more unsung geniuses that don't even know they have great talent.

I'm not done writing songs about you yet.

Nobody writes a book to get rich. It's like speaking.

Musicians have to suffer to a certain degree in order to obtain their outlet.

I will not go so far as to say, with a living poet, that the world knows nothing of its greatest men; but there are forms of greatness, or at least of excellence, which "die and make no sign"; there are martyrs that miss the palm, but not the stake; heroes without the laurel, and conquerors without the triumph.

I could always write songs, act, get into politics, or stay home with the kids. But I've got to have some fun.

I like the process of writing songs. It makes me feel good.

I'm a failed pop star. I always sneak a song into everything I do.

I decided I needed something that I could feel as passionate about as acting, and something in which I could completely lose myself. I started painting, and I'm still doing it.

It's not a lot, but we have 8,000 people following us. I get the biggest kick out of it, to hear words that I wrote and chords that I wrote being sung by somebody else. It's a true honor, and it might sound intense, but it's one of the most rewarding parts of the songwriting experience.

I'm blessed, because I enjoy every part of my life. I enjoy writing songs. I've been trying to write songs since I was five years old.