--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the Negro musician or dancer swings…" description: "\"When the Negro musician or dancer swings the blues, he is fulfilling the same fundamental existential requirement that determines the mission of the po..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/albert-murray-37953_blues_when-the-negro-musician-or-dancer-swings_2384844.jpg" --- # When the Negro musician or dancer swings the blues, he is… ![“When the Negro musician or dancer swings the blues, he is fulfilling the same fundamental existential requirement that determines the mission of the poet, the priest and the medicine man.” quote by Albert Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/albert-murray-37953_blues_when-the-negro-musician-or-dancer-swings_2384844.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/albert-murray-37953_blues_when-the-negro-musician-or-dancer-swings_2384844.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/albert-murray-37953_blues_when-the-negro-musician-or-dancer-swings_2384844.jpg) > “When the Negro musician or dancer swings the blues, he is fulfilling the same fundamental existential requirement that determines the mission of the poet, the priest and the medicine man.” [Albert Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-murray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Blues performance meets fundamental human need for expression, like poetry, priesthood, or healing. **In simple terms:** Blues satisfies deep human need for expression. Key Takeaway Recognize art as a vital existential outlet. Themes expression humanity spirituality Mood contemplative empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - performing music - teaching arts - personal reflection Key Concepts existential need cultural art healing power Questions to Reflect On - What does the blues reveal about your inner life? - How can you channel this need in daily tasks? A Different Perspective May romanticize suffering as necessary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) [Dancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancer/) [Existential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existential/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mission/) [Missions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missions/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priest/) [Priests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priests/) ## Related quotes > [“The approval of other is not a requirement for success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-tate/the-approval-of-other-is-not-a-requirement-for-success/) Danielle Tate > [There is no requirement that police stop a person who enters a police station and states that he wishes to confess a crime or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-warren/there-is-no-requirement-that-police-stop-a-person-who-enters-a-police/) [Earl Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-warren/) > [I see only one requirement you have to have to be a director or any kind of artist: rhythm. 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But in the future, I think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideo-kojima/i-believe-that-even-today-we-can-only-tell-a-simple-story-without/) [Hideo Kojima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideo-kojima/) > [In my opinion, it's only logical that you have to be on the pitch and playing as often as possible to develop further. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-kroos/in-my-opinion-it-s-only-logical-that-you-have-to-be-on-the-pitch-and/) [Toni Kroos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-kroos/) > [Self-care is a requirement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelela/self-care-is-a-requirement/) [Kelela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelela/) > [Requirement completeness: Requirements are sufficient to distinguish the desired behavior of the software from that of any other undesired program that might be designed. .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-leveson/requirement-completeness-requirements-are-sufficient-to-distinguish/) [Nancy Leveson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-leveson/) ## More by Albert Murray > [The United States is not a nation of black and white people. 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I guess we've graduated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/i-love-las-vegas-but-i-never-get-a-chance-to-play-a-club-like-the/) [Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/) > [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [I guess what I like is mostly country & western or else stuff that has a real blues feel to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-guess-what-i-like-is-mostly-country-western-or-else-stuff-that-has/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [I'm a rock/blues guitar player. I'm not wanting to be a pop star or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orianthi/i-m-a-rock-blues-guitar-player-i-m-not-wanting-to-be-a-pop-star-or/) [Orianthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orianthi/) > [An element I love about the blues is jamming with other musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hoey/an-element-i-love-about-the-blues-is-jamming-with-other-musicians/) [Gary Hoey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hoey/) > [Well, I don't know how they define that. But they have this Texas blues thing blown kinda out of proportion. I am a Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hunter/well-i-don-t-know-how-they-define-that-but-they-have-this-texas-blues/) [John Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hunter/) > [Since I was a kid, I've had an absolute obsession with particular kinds of American music. Mississippi Delta blues of the Thirties, Chicago blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/since-i-was-a-kid-i-ve-had-an-absolute-obsession-with-particular/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [James Cotton is a real blues guy, and he played with Muddy Waters, and it surprised me that they would want me to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-haden/james-cotton-is-a-real-blues-guy-and-he-played-with-muddy-waters-and/) [Charlie Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-haden/) > [When I discovered blues - I was 12-years-old - I didn't discover it in America where it was from; I discovered it from Fleetwood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/when-i-discovered-blues-i-was-12-years-old-i-didn-t-discover-it-in/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [Elvis deserves a lot of credit for bringing the blues to middle America, not the Vegas stuff. The early stuff, The Sun records, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tork/elvis-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-bringing-the-blues-to-middle/) [Peter Tork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tork/) > [Old-school rock bands, and blues bands, too, are kind of a dying breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-rossington/old-school-rock-bands-and-blues-bands-too-are-kind-of-a-dying-breed/) [Gary Rossington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-rossington/) > [My favorite moment of the whole thing was when John Belushi suggested that I get a hold of all the blues records I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-cropper/my-favorite-moment-of-the-whole-thing-was-when-john-belushi-suggested/) [Steve Cropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-cropper/) > [I listened to King Oliver and I listened to Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp... I listened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/i-listened-to-king-oliver-and-i-listened-to-louis-armstrong-jelly/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) [Browse all 1,026 Blues quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When the Negro musician or dancer swings the blues, he is fulfilling the same fundamental existential requirement that determines the mission of the poet, the priest and the medicine man.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Albert Murray" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-murray/when-the-negro-musician-or-dancer-swings-the-blues-he-is-fulfilling/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blues" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-murray/when-the-negro-musician-or-dancer-swings-the-blues-he-is-fulfilling/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/albert-murray-37953_blues_when-the-negro-musician-or-dancer-swings_2384844.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/albert-murray-37953_blues_when-the-negro-musician-or-dancer-swings_2384844.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/albert-murray-37953_blues_when-the-negro-musician-or-dancer-swings_2384844.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When the Negro musician or dancer swings the blues, he is fulfilling the same fundamental existential…” — Albert Murray", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Albert Murray", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-murray/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When the Negro musician or dancer...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-murray/when-the-negro-musician-or-dancer-swings-the-blues-he-is-fulfilling/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-murray/when-the-negro-musician-or-dancer-swings-the-blues-he-is-fulfilling/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```