These are the sort of things that push you on in music - the curiosity, a passion for new ideas. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
[Commercial] radio is absolutely the enemy of music. They are my sworn and mortal enemy, and I will have nothing to do… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Certain songs have been written years apart, but they have a natural continuity to my mind. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Morrissey writes wonderful song titles, but sadly he often forgets to write the song. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
I can write orchestrations, but I can't sight-read music and play at the same time. I don't have enough facility. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
I believe that music is connected by human passions and curiosities rather than by marketing strategies. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Music is more like water than a rhinoceros. It doesn't charge madly down one path. It runs away in every direction. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Writing about music is like dancing about architecture - it's really a stupid thing to want to do. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Obviously I got known for some other songs early on, and some of those were rock'n'roll songs. Some of them were melodic… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
My grandfather and my father disagreed about music, not least of all because my dad wanted to improvise. It wasn't just that… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Well, I've had a lot of different experiences in music over the years. And not everything you do can satisfy everybody's idealised… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
[Commercial radio] is owned by one or two corporations now, and they're not in the music business. They're in the advertising business…… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
And obviously, when I started out, I had a little bit more curiosity than some, and went seeking out the original artists,… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
People think it is all about country music, and I know a lot of country music has come out of there, but… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Mention Hubert Sumlin, as well, because Hubert's a great man, and again, you know, I don't play the guitar very good, but… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
It's what I do. I don't deserve any awards for this, it's just music. It's just writing songs. You sit down, you… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
You must hold on to the sort of finger-painting aspect of music. That's something I learned, particularly from listening to Neil Young.… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
I'm drawing from two generations back how to think about music, how to think about why you travel to make music, what… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
I just got into it like a lot of people through the rock 'n' roll bands in the late '60s that turned… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
I don't think I was ever particularly mean. I can certainly think of some idiotic exchanges I've had. I was accused of… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
There are five things to write songs about: I'm leaving you. You're leaving me. I want you. You don't want me. I… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
It's not crazy to want to have certain songs be developed harmonically and still want to make noise with the guitar. And… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
And I don't feel any form of music is beyond me in the sense of that I don't understand it or I… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
I started with rock n' roll and...then you start to take it apart like a child with a toy and you see… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
I mistrust these people in music industry who can be everybody. This is where technology dictates to them. I mistrust that, that… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
My dad had a steady job with a really major dance band from '54 till '68, and then quit because he wanted… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
We're all just animals. That's all we are, and everything else is just an elaborate justification of our instincts. That's where music… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
The theme of exile is attractive to me, because it's sort of like the family business. Not just music, but travel. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Smokey Robinson writes the heartfelt songs, whereas it was my job to write the songs about weakness and failure in love. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Obviously the people that I admired, like the Beatles, were really into rock'n'roll, but it was already a little past rock'n'roll when… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
The Internet is overrated. It's much smaller an innovation than people think it is. I don't think it's changed the way anybody… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
History repeats the old conceits, the glib replies, the same defeats. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
People think it is all about country music, and I know a lot of country music has come out of there, but like Blonde… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
I get very frustrated by this term 'genre exercise.' I mean, what exactly is that? Genre is not really relevant when you are writing… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal. I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Somebody should clip Sting around the head and tell him to stop using that ridiculous Jamaican accent. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
There is something wrong with you if you don't get angry about something. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
“Was it a millionaire who said "imagine no possessions?" A poor little schoolboy who said "we don't need no lessons?” — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Though the passion still flutters and flickers, it never got into our knickers. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
My dad's father was a White Star Line trumpet player in the '20s. It shaped the way that I think about music. My grandfather… — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
Maybe I just never learned my harmony part, because what everybody says sounds odd to them sounds perfectly natural to me. — Elvis Costello Copy Share Image
![“[Commercial] radio is absolutely the enemy of music. They are my sworn and mortal enemy, and I will have nothing to do with them.” quote by Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/59e/elvis-costello-1931_enemy_commercial-radio-is-absolutely-the-enemy_2980072.jpg)
![“[Commercial radio] is owned by one or two corporations now, and they're not in the music business. They're in the advertising business… So let's not kid ourselves. If you want to hear music, go buy a guitar.” quote by Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/285/elvis-costello-1931_advertising_commercial-radio-is-owned-by-one-or-two_2337993.jpg)
