Malik Bendjelloul Quotes

All of the musicians when I was young used to always say you had to tell a story when you're a musician.

I was a storyteller for The Band. It was never, 'Hey guys, here's a song about what happened to me.' I was always more comfortable writing fiction.

I actually write my own music whenever I have a chance. I play guitar and sing.

I'll take a certain concern of my own or a situation and try to frame it around a fictional story, but sometimes just straight-up autobiographical songs work well, and sometimes a story is better. I like stories. I like to hear them. I don't think there are enough of them in songs anymore.

I came into music because I thought the presentation of poetry wasn't vibrant enough. So I merged improvised poetry with basic rock chords. That was my original mission.

I write a lot of rhymes, but I don't really end up using them a lot of times, and I end up just freestyling. I like to write music, though, more than I like to freestyle, to be honest.

I really, really like writing songs.

There's a few times in the past when I wrote a song, and I put the words together, and they were very clear pictures, and I felt like I was putting together a really good story. But I don't think I was ever really able to stay on that. What I've sort of developed lyrically is more about the sound of the vocals and what they are.

I keep a guitar around while writing and will improvise music. I do this for several reasons, such as that it's fun, and sometimes it helps me with the meter.

To me, all writing is like music. And especially dialogue. I studied music in college; that is what I wanted to be, a composer. Acting got me sidetracked.

I enjoy songwriting. It's slow-motion improvising.

I've always said that music is like literature.

I'm very strong creatively, in my music.

Each song, you're telling a story and acting.

I'm much more of a musician than a poet. I just feel much more confident about my musical abilities.

I like being a storyteller. I'm bored with myself; I like to write about others. I have a lot of names in my songs: Karen, Margaret, Mary Kay. Even if it's about me, I want to put it through someone else. The music is the soundtrack to the story.

I've always wanted to be a songwriter and a storyteller and somebody who conveys a feeling to the listener or the viewer.

I'm definitely still putting effort into my lyrics, for them to be emotional and tell a story.

I'm working on my life story. I'm not decided if it's going to be a musical or a movie with music in it.

When I became more involved in music, I had to give up some of my writing in the literary sense. However, on occasion, I would write something for my own pleasure or I would write notes and introductory remarks in the songbooks I put together.

I always enjoyed singing; I played guitar.

Originally, I wanted to be a composer. I always tell people, 'I think of myself as a composer.'

I don't miss television. It's too much hurry up and sit around, wait till they do this and do that, and get the lighting just right. I'd much rather go out on a stage anywhere and just play and sing for an hour.

At the end of the day, I'm a fan of great stories and great songs.

Essentially, I'm a storyteller, and I make my living by telling stories, be they music or nonfiction or fiction.