---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For myself, I can only say that I am…"
description: "\"For myself, I can only say that I am astonished and somewhat terrified at the results of this evening's experiments. Astonished at the wonderful power ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/arthur-sullivan-101657_astonished_for-myself-i-can-only-say-that-i-am-asto_707037.jpg"
---

#  For myself, I can only say that I am astonished and…

![“For myself, I can only say that I am astonished and somewhat terrified at the results of this evening's experiments. Astonished at the wonderful power you have developed, and terrified at the thought that so much hideous and bad music may be put on record forever.” quote by Arthur Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/arthur-sullivan-101657_astonished_for-myself-i-can-only-say-that-i-am-asto_707037.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/arthur-sullivan-101657_astonished_for-myself-i-can-only-say-that-i-am-asto_707037.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/arthur-sullivan-101657_astonished_for-myself-i-can-only-say-that-i-am-asto_707037.jpg)

> “For myself, I can only say that I am astonished and somewhat terrified at the results of this evening's experiments. Astonished at the wonderful power you have developed, and terrified at the thought that so much hideous and bad music may be put on record forever.”

[Arthur Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-sullivan/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker is amazed by new musical power but fears it could be used to produce endless terrible music

**In simple terms:** Amazed by power, fearing terrible music forever

Key Takeaway

Beware of technology’s dark side

Themes

astonishment fear technology music ethics

Mood

anxious concerned reflective

Type

critical cautionary

When to use this quote

- Composing music
- producing recordings
- media distribution
- public consumption

Key Concepts

Power of creation potential for misuse cultural impact

Questions to Reflect On

- How will we regulate harmful art?
- What responsibilities do creators have?

A Different Perspective

Even great power can be misused, leading to cultural degradation

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Astonished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonished/) [Astonished Somewhat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonished-somewhat-5584959/) [Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) [Bad music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-music/) [Evening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evening/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Experiments Astonished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments-astonished-5584960/) [Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever/) [Hideous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hideous/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [Somewhat Terrified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somewhat-terrified-5434610/) [Terrified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrified/) [Terrified Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrified-results-5584958/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/)

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> [I am terrified at the thought that so much hideous and bad music will be put on records forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-sullivan/i-am-terrified-at-the-thought-that-so-much-hideous-and-bad-music-will/)

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> [I've always believed in good music over bad music. I believe in two sorts of musics. And the lines that separate us, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-ve-always-believed-in-good-music-over-bad-music-i-believe-in-two/)

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> [Bad music disturbs me, but wonderful music disturbs me even more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arturo-benedetti-michelangeli/bad-music-disturbs-me-but-wonderful-music-disturbs-me-even-more/)

[Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arturo-benedetti-michelangeli/)

> [Music is neither old nor modern: it is either good or bad music, and the date at which it was written has no significance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-warlock/music-is-neither-old-nor-modern-it-is-either-good-or-bad-music-and/)

[Peter Warlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-warlock/)

> [Pop music is a difficult term to define. I think about good music and bad music. Good music is good music whatever origin it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-persson/pop-music-is-a-difficult-term-to-define-i-think-about-good-music-and/)

[Nina Persson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-persson/)

> [I like to make films, but the only reason I do is because I'm a very bad musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-like-to-make-films-but-the-only-reason-i-do-is-because-i-m-a-very/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [You know what, the drummer is my manager. He's busy. And I'm busy. I don't need the dough, though. But having said that, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-mann/you-know-what-the-drummer-is-my-manager-he-s-busy-and-i-m-busy-i-don/)

[Aimee Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-mann/)

> [“There's work to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alien-ant-farm/there-s-work-to-do/)

[Alien Ant Farm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alien-ant-farm/)

> [If one plays good music, people don't listen and if one plays bad music people don't talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-one-plays-good-music-people-don-t-listen-and-if-one-plays-bad/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [In a way, to have whatever people talk about as "crossover success," I think it means you start making bad music. I mean, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/in-a-way-to-have-whatever-people-talk-about-as-crossover-success-i/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

## More by Arthur Sullivan

> [I am terrified at the thought that so much hideous and bad music will be put on records forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-sullivan/i-am-terrified-at-the-thought-that-so-much-hideous-and-bad-music-will/)

[Arthur Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-sullivan/)

[Explore all 2 Arthur Sullivan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-sullivan/)

## More Astonished quotes

> [There are times when phrases such as 'totally astonished' just don't do the job. I am of course delighted and honoured and, needless to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-are-times-when-phrases-such-as-totally-astonished-just-don-t-do/)

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> [I am astonished, disappointed, pleased with myself. I am distressed, depressed, rapturous. I am all these things at once and cannot add up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/i-am-astonished-disappointed-pleased-with-myself-i-am-distressed/)

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> [In Tasmania, an island the size of Ireland whose primeval forests astonished 19th-century Europeans, an incomprehensible ecological tragedy is being played out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/in-tasmania-an-island-the-size-of-ireland-whose-primeval-forests/)

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> [In literature as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/in-literature-as-in-love-we-are-astonished-at-what-is-chosen-by-others/)

[Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/)

> [Do you know what astonished me the most in this world? The inability of force to create anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/do-you-know-what-astonished-me-the-most-in-this-world-the-inability/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

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[Robin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lim/)

[Browse all 104 Astonished quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonished/)

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