---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Words are the children of reason and…"
description: "\"Words are the children of reason and, therefore, can't explain it. They really can't translate feeling because they're not part of it. That's why it bu..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91e/bill-evans-51896_analyze_words-are-the-children-of-reason-and-the_1274111.jpg"
---

#  Words are the children of reason and, therefore, can't…

![“Words are the children of reason and, therefore, can't explain it. They really can't translate feeling because they're not part of it. That's why it bugs me when people try to analyze jazz as an intellectual theorem. It's not. It's feeling.” quote by Bill Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91e/bill-evans-51896_analyze_words-are-the-children-of-reason-and-the_1274111.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91e/bill-evans-51896_analyze_words-are-the-children-of-reason-and-the_1274111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91e/bill-evans-51896_analyze_words-are-the-children-of-reason-and-the_1274111.jpg)

> “Words are the children of reason and, therefore, can't explain it. They really can't translate feeling because they're not part of it. That's why it bugs me when people try to analyze jazz as an intellectual theorem. It's not. It's feeling.”

[Bill Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-evans/)

## About This Quote

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

Reason cannot fully capture feeling; analytical approaches miss the essence of music, which is felt rather than explained.

**In simple terms:** Reason can't explain feeling.

Key Takeaway

Trust feeling over analysis.

Themes

music feeling analysis

Mood

contemplative thoughtful

Type

philosophical musical

When to use this quote

- listening to music
- teaching
- creative writing
- critical discussion

Key Concepts

epistemology subjectivity

Questions to Reflect On

- When does analysis enhance understanding?
- How can you balance intellect and feeling?

A Different Perspective

Over‑analysis can stifle spontaneity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Analyze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analyze/) [Analyze Jazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analyze-jazz-4095118/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Bugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bugs/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Explain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explain/) [Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Jazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jazz/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Part](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/part/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Theorem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theorem/) [Theorem Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theorem-feeling-4095117/) [Therefore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therefore/) [Translate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/translate/) [Translate Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/translate-feeling-582743/) [Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try/) [Why](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/)

## Related quotes

> [I like to make little movies or fake stories about something that happened in my life. I will make a movie in my mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-vanderwaal/i-like-to-make-little-movies-or-fake-stories-about-something-that/)

[Grace VanderWaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-vanderwaal/)

> [“Neither one of them hesitated to translate feeling into action, when an opportunity arose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/neither-one-of-them-hesitated-to-translate-feeling-into-action-when/)

[Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/)

> [I am unable to make any distinction between the feeling I get from life and the way I translate that feeling into painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/i-am-unable-to-make-any-distinction-between-the-feeling-i-get-from/)

[Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/)

> [There's no answer for my offense, just like the polythagorean theorem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/there-s-no-answer-for-my-offense-just-like-the-polythagorean-theorem/)

[Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/)

> [“I carried this problem around in my head basically the whole time. I would wake up with it first thing in the morning, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-carried-this-problem-around-in-my-head-basically-the-whole-time-i/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Science is the one culture that's truly global - protons, proteins and Pythagoras's Theorem are the same from China to Peru. It should transcend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/science-is-the-one-culture-that-s-truly-global-protons-proteins-and/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [“One may characterize physics as the doctrine of the repeatable, be it a succession in time or the co-existence in space. The validity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-hund/one-may-characterize-physics-as-the-doctrine-of-the-repeatable-be-it/)

[Friedrich Hund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-hund/)

> [A theorem is a proposition which is a strict logical consequence of certain definitions and other propositions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/a-theorem-is-a-proposition-which-is-a-strict-logical-consequence-of/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [Murphy's Law, that brash proletarian restatement of Godel's Theorem ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/murphy-s-law-that-brash-proletarian-restatement-of-godel-s-theorem/)

[Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/)

> [Our offense is like the pythagorean theorem: There is no answer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/our-offense-is-like-the-pythagorean-theorem-there-is-no-answer/)

[Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/)

> [The Limbaugh Theorem is the way Obama gets away with no accountability for anything he's done is he never was perceived as governing. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-limbaugh-theorem-is-the-way-obama-gets-away-with-no/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [It gives me the same pleasure when someone else proves a good theorem as when I do it myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-landau/it-gives-me-the-same-pleasure-when-someone-else-proves-a-good-theorem/)

[Edmund Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-landau/)

> [No matter how correct a mathematical theorem may appear to be, one ought never to be satisfied that there was not something imperfect about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-boole/no-matter-how-correct-a-mathematical-theorem-may-appear-to-be-one/)

[George Boole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-boole/)

> [“Why fit in someones equation when you can create your own theorem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nivesh-raj/why-fit-in-someones-equation-when-you-can-create-your-own-theorem/)

[Nivesh Raj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nivesh-raj/)

> [I loved doing problems in school. I'd take them home and make up new ones of my own. But the best problem I ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wiles/i-loved-doing-problems-in-school-i-d-take-them-home-and-make-up-new/)

[Andrew Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wiles/)

## More by Bill Evans

> [I dance because it makes me want to explode.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-evans/i-dance-because-it-makes-me-want-to-explode/)

[Bill Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-evans/)

> [We use the people who are in the bullpen producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-evans/we-use-the-people-who-are-in-the-bullpen-producing/)

[Bill Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-evans/)

> [“If you want to see the key to success, look into the mirror. You are the key to your own success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-evans/if-you-want-to-see-the-key-to-success-look-into-the-mirror-you-are/)

[Bill Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-evans/)

> [“Materials Needed: Epsom”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-evans/materials-needed-epsom/)

[Bill Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-evans/)

> [“When you play music you discover a part of yourself that you never knew existed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-evans/when-you-play-music-you-discover-a-part-of-yourself-that-you-never/)

[Bill Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-evans/)

> [Casey was the better team and the better team won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-evans/casey-was-the-better-team-and-the-better-team-won/)

[Bill Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-evans/)

[Explore all 7 Bill Evans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-evans/)

## More Analyze quotes

> [We look at the world and analyze the world, and see what we can do that is in line of our mutual interest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-macapagal-arroyo/we-look-at-the-world-and-analyze-the-world-and-see-what-we-can-do/)

[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-macapagal-arroyo/)

> ['Life's That Way' was an extraordinarily difficult book to write, because it wasn't written as a book. It was written as a journal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-beaver/life-s-that-way-was-an-extraordinarily-difficult-book-to-write/)

[Jim Beaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-beaver/)

> [My job is to analyze our data set to understand it and build products on it. I look at raw data, do the math…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/my-job-is-to-analyze-our-data-set-to-understand-it-and-build-products/)

[Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/)

> [Love does not analyze its object.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/love-does-not-analyze-its-object/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [When I make a movie, I don't break it down and analyze it. I could but it would get in the way of doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/when-i-make-a-movie-i-don-t-break-it-down-and-analyze-it-i-could-but/)

[Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/)

> [I have made sense of my life by developing an ability to analyze Mainstream American Cultural Artifacts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-s-trow/i-have-made-sense-of-my-life-by-developing-an-ability-to-analyze/)

[George W. S. Trow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-s-trow/)

> [You have to be able to analyze yourself and critique yourself from every which way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-scherzer/you-have-to-be-able-to-analyze-yourself-and-critique-yourself-from/)

[Max Scherzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-scherzer/)

> [“Understand more. Analyze less.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-truong/understand-more-analyze-less/)

[Brian Truong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-truong/)

> [I never analyze it. Analyzing it would just be a waste of time. I just go out and do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/i-never-analyze-it-analyzing-it-would-just-be-a-waste-of-time-i-just/)

[Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/)

> [War is not a petri dish to examine and analyze our emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/war-is-not-a-petri-dish-to-examine-and-analyze-our-emotions/)

[Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/)

> [Most executives, many scientists, and almost all business school graduates believe that if you analyze data, this will give you new ideas. Unfortunately, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/most-executives-many-scientists-and-almost-all-business-school/)

[Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/)

> [In actual fact, I've never been one, even from childhood, to kind of analyze myself very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/in-actual-fact-i-ve-never-been-one-even-from-childhood-to-kind-of/)

[Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/)

> [A short story is something that you can hold in your mind. You can really analyze how the entire thing works, like a machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/a-short-story-is-something-that-you-can-hold-in-your-mind-you-can/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [I watch a lot of games and analyze a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howland/i-watch-a-lot-of-games-and-analyze-a-lot/)

[Ben Howland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howland/)

> [“The best way to analyze anyone consists in mirroring their behaviors and words, as when you do it they reveal their real intentions. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/the-best-way-to-analyze-anyone-consists-in-mirroring-their-behaviors/)

[Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/)

[Browse all 129 Analyze quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analyze/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Words are the children of reason and, therefore, can't explain it. They really can't translate feeling because they're not part of it. That's why it bugs me when people try to analyze jazz as an intellectual theorem. It's not. It's feeling.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bill Evans"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-evans/words-are-the-children-of-reason-and-therefore-can-t-explain-it-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Analyze"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-evans/words-are-the-children-of-reason-and-therefore-can-t-explain-it-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91e/bill-evans-51896_analyze_words-are-the-children-of-reason-and-the_1274111.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91e/bill-evans-51896_analyze_words-are-the-children-of-reason-and-the_1274111.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91e/bill-evans-51896_analyze_words-are-the-children-of-reason-and-the_1274111.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Words are the children of reason and, therefore, can't explain it. They really can't translate feeling…” — Bill Evans",
                "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": "Bill Evans",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-evans/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Words are the children of reason...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-evans/words-are-the-children-of-reason-and-therefore-can-t-explain-it-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-evans/words-are-the-children-of-reason-and-therefore-can-t-explain-it-they/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
