Ian Anderson (musician) quotes

Ian Anderson is a British musician, best known as the lead vocalist, flautist, and primary songwriter of the progressive rock band Jethro Tull. His distinctive flute playing and eclectic musical style set the band apart in the world of rock music. He continues to inspire generations of musicians and fans worldwide. Here are 44 of his quotes:

The original Jethro Tull was a 19th century English agriculturist who invented a seed drill you see... the first automatic process where by small holes were made in Mother Earth and even smaller seeds were deposited one at a time and neetly covered over as a cat does after having been naughty.

Ian Anderson (musician)

As a musician, life is not over just because you are getting older, and so I find retirement a very frightening and dark thought.

Ian Anderson (musician)

We do hear perhaps too many accolades generally aimed at people like Steve Jobs. We have to remember that there are other classic things in life that we undervalue and take them for granted. If you think of the classic lines of the modern jet aircraft, it's really been there since early World War II.

Ian Anderson (musician)

I'm very much an observer and a conduit of thoughts and ideas.

Ian Anderson (musician)

If Jesus Christ came back today, He and I would get into our brown corduroys and go to the nearest jean store and overturn the racks of blue denim.

Ian Anderson (musician)

I was not a great guitarist, so I sold my 1960 Fender Stratocaster in exchange for a Shure Microphone, made in Chicago, and a flute.

Ian Anderson (musician)

I don't think it's very easy to make friends with musicians. We're all a bit paranoid. It soon becomes very heavy.

Ian Anderson (musician)

I may make you feel but I can't make you think Your sperm's in the gutter, your love's in the sink.

Ian Anderson (musician)

I can never make up my mind if I'm happy being a flute player, or if I wish I were Eric Clapton.

Ian Anderson (musician)

It's only the giving that makes you what you are.

Ian Anderson (musician)

Seek that which within lies waiting to begin the fight of your life that is everyday.

Ian Anderson (musician)

I make up my own mind in light of available facts, with my own experience and a sense of personal ethics.

Ian Anderson (musician)

A lot of pop music is about stealing pocket money from children.

Ian Anderson (musician)

I'm really terrible with small children; they're small, noisy, irritating, damp and soggy.

Ian Anderson (musician)

Our politicians may fail us, but Status Quo always delivers on the promise.

Ian Anderson (musician)

It was instilled in me that the money I was given was not to be lost or spent on any other purpose.

Ian Anderson (musician)

When I was a young boy, I preferred cats to dogs. From the age of seven or eight onwards I just felt more comfortable with cats. And I felt more comfortable with girls, I didn't really like hanging out with guys. When I was about ten or eleven, I was friendlier with the girls in my school than with the guys.

Ian Anderson (musician)

Classical music only really came into my life in 1969. I wish I had heard classical music and church music when I was a teenager or even as a child.

Ian Anderson (musician)

There's always going to be a little bit of autobiographical content to everything. It's how you lend some authority to what you write - you give it that weight by drawing on your direct experiences and indirect experiences from people that you know well, or a little.

Ian Anderson (musician)

In most cases, my favorite Jethro Tull songs will be determined by how I feel about them as live performance songs, not by the recorded identity.

Ian Anderson (musician)

I think it's really the job of the composer, the artist, the painter, the writer to present people with options. I'm just really reflecting the thoughts and actions around me.

Ian Anderson (musician)

When I was a teenager, I really didn't like loud rock music. I listened to jazz and blues and folk music. I've always preferred acoustic music. And it was only, I suppose, by the time Jethro Tull was getting underway that we did let the music begin to have a harder edge, in particular with the electric guitar being alongside the flute.

Ian Anderson (musician)