Maynard James Keenan quotes

Maynard James Keenan is an American singer, songwriter, and musician, most famous as the lead vocalist for the bands Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer. His distinctive voice and unconventional artistic approach have earned him a dedicated following in the alternative and progressive rock scenes. He is also known for his ventures into winemaking and his enigmatic stage presence. Here are 62 of his quotes:

I can't be a legend yet. I'm not dead.

Maynard James Keenan

After all, in today's music scene every band seems to steal from other bands.

Maynard James Keenan

One of my biggest heroes in music has been David Bowie. He's said, `I'm going to be a painter now, or I'm going to do some films,' and his audience is very forgiving, because they understand him as an artist. Whether you agree or like the result, you respect that he's expressing his artistic feelings.

Maynard James Keenan

The process that we go through in recording with Tool is very organic, but at the same time it is very thought out. There is a very left-brain process of dissecting what we're doing and drawing from source material; it's very research oriented and esoteric.

Maynard James Keenan

A circle is the reflection of eternity. It has no beginning and it has no end - and if you put several circles over each other, then you get a spiral.

Maynard James Keenan

I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes on that I just assume you can hear.

Maynard James Keenan

Because artists can be extremely eccentric and insane, and unfortunately, the people they hurt the most are the people that are closest to them.

Maynard James Keenan

I think there's a reason why wine figures into so many religions. There's something transcendent about it. It's sort of the way that music is more than the sum of its parts. You have all these elements that make up the terroir that wine can communicate.

Maynard James Keenan

It's in my blood. My great-grandfather made wine and it's a tradition I want to pass on to my son.

Maynard James Keenan

Every now and then, you get people who tend to forget what this country is about, which is a melting pot of races and cultures and freedom of speech.

Maynard James Keenan

You really should be able to feel the higher power of music and be moved by it, rather than listening to me waffle on and having to explain it.

Maynard James Keenan

It's a purging of sorts. Like, when you're all done doing your laundry and it's fresh and bright, but washing the clothes, you wouldn't want to get in while it's spinning around.

Maynard James Keenan

And if you don't live, you have nothing to write about.

Maynard James Keenan

The record company's worst fear is that you'll fall in love or get rich.

Maynard James Keenan

Reading is more of a left-brain process, and listening to music is a right-brain function.

Maynard James Keenan

It's the role of us to run our government, the government by the people, for the people, and I don't think our government is listening to the people. It's our role as patriots to question them, because we elected them. And if they're not fairly and accurately representing us, it's the job of the people, the patriots, to take their country back.

Maynard James Keenan

The army influences everything I do. Certainly it teaches you discipline, which is a necessary element of development. I think there's more of a collaborative understanding in the band because of that.

Maynard James Keenan

I'm a pessimist. But I'm a pessimist with a sense of responsibility.

Maynard James Keenan

For the music, it's not about the individual - so the more you let the music speak for yourself, the more powerful the music will be.

Maynard James Keenan

Because as an only child, you have your own little world.

Maynard James Keenan

I'm a lot easier to work with now than I have been in the past, for sure.

Maynard James Keenan

If the education of our kids comes from radio, television, newspapers - if that's where they get most of their knowledge from, and not from the schools, then the powers that be are definitely in charge, because they own all those outlets.

Maynard James Keenan