---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was as if his eye were an ear and a…"
description: "\"“It was as if his eye were an ear and a crackle went through it each time he shot a look at the accordion. ... The notes fell, biting and sharp; it see..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/annie-proulx-6713_accordion_it-was-as-if-his-eye-were-an-ear-and-a-c_314314.jpg"
---

#  It was as if his eye were an ear and a crackle went…

![“It was as if his eye were an ear and a crackle went through it each time he shot a look at the accordion. ... The notes fell, biting and sharp; it seemed the tooth that bit was hollowed with pain.” quote by Annie Proulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/annie-proulx-6713_accordion_it-was-as-if-his-eye-were-an-ear-and-a-c_314314.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/annie-proulx-6713_accordion_it-was-as-if-his-eye-were-an-ear-and-a-c_314314.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/annie-proulx-6713_accordion_it-was-as-if-his-eye-were-an-ear-and-a-c_314314.jpg)

> ““It was as if his eye were an ear and a crackle went through it each time he shot a look at the accordion. ... The notes fell, biting and sharp; it seemed the tooth that bit was hollowed with pain. ””

[Annie Proulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-proulx/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The narrator describes an intense, painful sensory experience linked to music.

**In simple terms:** Music can evoke sharp, vivid sensations.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how art triggers deep emotions.

Themes

art perception emotion

Mood

reflective poetic

Type

literary descriptive

When to use this quote

- Music therapy
- creative writing
- emotional processing

Key Concepts

Synesthesia sensory metaphor

Questions to Reflect On

- How does music shape your emotions?
- Can pain be expressed through sound?

A Different Perspective

Interpretations may vary widely.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Accordion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accordion/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

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> [No, but a cello is the perfect string bass for an accordion. Works with it beautifully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-moon/no-but-a-cello-is-the-perfect-string-bass-for-an-accordion-works-with/)

[Elizabeth Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-moon/)

> [“Of my own accord I want to learn the accordion, according to a cord (not a chord).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/of-my-own-accord-i-want-to-learn-the-accordion-according-to-a-cord/)

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> [My first dream was to travel. I was attracted to different places, different colors of skin, different food. When I was 18 in 1977,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-laliberte/my-first-dream-was-to-travel-i-was-attracted-to-different-places/)

[Guy Laliberte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-laliberte/)

> [“Sometimes, I recall the little things in life that make the journey more joyful, like the cheerful guy playing the accordion in Paris, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-kalyana-mittata-iordache/sometimes-i-recall-the-little-things-in-life-that-make-the-journey/)

[Virgil Kalyana Mittata Iordache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-kalyana-mittata-iordache/)

> [My father played fiddle and the accordion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rabbitt/my-father-played-fiddle-and-the-accordion/)

[Eddie Rabbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rabbitt/)

> [Rosa Hubermann was sitting on the edge of the bed with her husband's accordion tied to her chest. Her fingers hovered above the keys.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/rosa-hubermann-was-sitting-on-the-edge-of-the-bed-with-her-husband-s/)

[Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/)

> [Do you know that my very first experience as a composer was a 'Concerto for Accordion?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-schnittke/do-you-know-that-my-very-first-experience-as-a-composer-was-a/)

[Alfred Schnittke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-schnittke/)

> [To sing you must first open your mouth. You must have a pair of lungs, and a little knowledge of music. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/to-sing-you-must-first-open-your-mouth-you-must-have-a-pair-of-lungs/)

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> [My father bought me a little cardboard accordion, and when I was three I got this little machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toots-thielemans/my-father-bought-me-a-little-cardboard-accordion-and-when-i-was-three/)

[Toots Thielemans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toots-thielemans/)

> [I'm a pretty good drummer. I'm pretty good at guitar, bass and piano. I can play accordion; I'm not virtuoso. I've played cello before.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendon-urie/i-m-a-pretty-good-drummer-i-m-pretty-good-at-guitar-bass-and-piano-i/)

[Brendon Urie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendon-urie/)

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[Les Claypool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-claypool/)

> [I play, like, 12 instruments. Guitar, piano, harmonica, African drums... I'm working on mastering the accordion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-grabeel/i-play-like-12-instruments-guitar-piano-harmonica-african-drums-i-m/)

[Lucas Grabeel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-grabeel/)

## More by Annie Proulx

> [Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/writing-comes-from-reading-and-reading-is-the-finest-teacher-of-how/)

[Annie Proulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-proulx/)

> [“A kind of joyous hysteria moved into the room, everything flying before the wind, vehicles outside getting dented to hell, the crowd sweaty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/a-kind-of-joyous-hysteria-moved-into-the-room-everything-flying/)

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> [“By January it had always been winter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/by-january-it-had-always-been-winter/)

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> [“.. that old, cold time on the mountain when they owned the world and nothing seemed wrong ..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/that-old-cold-time-on-the-mountain-when-they-owned-the-world-and/)

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> [“The mountain pine beetle is a tiny creature that chews through a lodgepole’s bark, gouges out a hollow in the wood and lays its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/the-mountain-pine-beetle-is-a-tiny-creature-that-chews-through-a/)

[Annie Proulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-proulx/)

> [“On the stairs an image came to him. Was love then like a bag of assorted sweets passed around from which one might choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/on-the-stairs-an-image-came-to-him-was-love-then-like-a-bag-of/)

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> [“They say that doing ten sums a day prevents you from becoming senile. But by that argument bankers should be geniuses. That's not right.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/they-say-that-doing-ten-sums-a-day-prevents-you-from-becoming-senile/)

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[Annie Proulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-proulx/)

> [You know, one of the tragedies of real life is that there is no background music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/you-know-one-of-the-tragedies-of-real-life-is-that-there-is-no/)

[Annie Proulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-proulx/)

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> [I play, like, 12 instruments. Guitar, piano, harmonica, African drums... I'm working on mastering the accordion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-grabeel/i-play-like-12-instruments-guitar-piano-harmonica-african-drums-i-m/)

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[Alfred Schnittke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-schnittke/)

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[Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/)

> [My father played fiddle and the accordion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rabbitt/my-father-played-fiddle-and-the-accordion/)

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[Virgil Kalyana Mittata Iordache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-kalyana-mittata-iordache/)

> [My first dream was to travel. I was attracted to different places, different colors of skin, different food. When I was 18 in 1977,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-laliberte/my-first-dream-was-to-travel-i-was-attracted-to-different-places/)

[Guy Laliberte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-laliberte/)

> [“Of my own accord I want to learn the accordion, according to a cord (not a chord).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/of-my-own-accord-i-want-to-learn-the-accordion-according-to-a-cord/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [No, but a cello is the perfect string bass for an accordion. Works with it beautifully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-moon/no-but-a-cello-is-the-perfect-string-bass-for-an-accordion-works-with/)

[Elizabeth Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-moon/)

> [He wanted to play accordion on something of mine and I said you can play accordion, but I want you to play piano and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-sweet/he-wanted-to-play-accordion-on-something-of-mine-and-i-said-you-can/)

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> [ The book itself \[The Thorn and The Blossom\] is bound accordion-style: it has no spine, so it can open in either direction, and it's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/the-book-itself-the-thorn-and-the-blossom-is-bound-accordion-style-it/)

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> [Since I play piano, I can play the right hand on the accordion, no problemo. It's the left hand with the buttons that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynne-champlin/since-i-play-piano-i-can-play-the-right-hand-on-the-accordion-no/)

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