--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rock and roll used to be for kicks, now a…" description: "\"Rock and roll used to be for kicks, now a days it's politics.\" — Billy Joel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/billy-joel-1000_politics_rock-and-roll-used-to-be-for-kicks-now-a_710860.png" --- # Rock and roll used to be for kicks, now a days it's… ![“Rock and roll used to be for kicks, now a days it's politics.” quote by Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/billy-joel-1000_politics_rock-and-roll-used-to-be-for-kicks-now-a_710860.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/billy-joel-1000_politics_rock-and-roll-used-to-be-for-kicks-now-a_710860.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/billy-joel-1000_politics_rock-and-roll-used-to-be-for-kicks-now-a_710860.png) > “Rock and roll used to be for kicks, now a days it's politics.” [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rock and roll once was for fun, now it's used for political messaging. **In simple terms:** Music shifted from fun to political tool. Key Takeaway Recognize music’s evolving role. Themes culture politics music Mood reflective analytical Type cultural social When to use this quote - concerts - campaigns - social media - public events Key Concepts artistic expression political activism media influence Questions to Reflect On - Should music stay apolitical? - How does politics affect artistic authenticity? A Different Perspective Political use can alienate some audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock/) [Rock and roll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-and-roll/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [Rock and roll just used to be for kicks, now a days it's politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/rock-and-roll-just-used-to-be-for-kicks-now-a-days-it-s-politics/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [Videos destroyed the vitality of rock and roll. Before that, music said, "Listen to me." Now it says, "Look at me."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/videos-destroyed-the-vitality-of-rock-and-roll-before-that-music-said/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [Hot funk, cold punk, even if it's old junk, it's still rock and roll to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/hot-funk-cold-punk-even-if-it-s-old-junk-it-s-still-rock-and-roll-to/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [Rock and roll, baby. Don't you know that we're all alone now? I need something to sing about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramore/rock-and-roll-baby-don-t-you-know-that-we-re-all-alone-now-i-need/) [Paramore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramore/) > [Rock and roll is based on pretty boys who look like little girls. The girls love them because they're not threatening. As someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-panozzo/rock-and-roll-is-based-on-pretty-boys-who-look-like-little-girls-the/) [Chuck Panozzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-panozzo/) > [Rock and Roll is simply an attitude. You don't have to play the greatest guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-thunders/rock-and-roll-is-simply-an-attitude-you-don-t-have-to-play-the/) [Johnny Thunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-thunders/) > [Rock music is important to people , because it allows them to escape this crazy world. It allows them not to run away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/rock-music-is-important-to-people-because-it-allows-them-to-escape/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Rock and roll ain't noise pollution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/acdc/rock-and-roll-ain-t-noise-pollution/) [ACDC](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/acdc/) > [Where is this great love for rock and roll that existed for 50 or 60 years?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/where-is-this-great-love-for-rock-and-roll-that-existed-for-50-or-60/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [Rock and roll and swing never quite mixed. Rock and roll came in and just blew everything out of the water. Big bands were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-setzer/rock-and-roll-and-swing-never-quite-mixed-rock-and-roll-came-in-and/) [Brian Setzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-setzer/) > [“Food is the new rock and roll.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/food-is-the-new-rock-and-roll/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [That rock and roll, eh? That rock and roll, it just won't go away. It might hibernate from time to time, sink back into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-turner/that-rock-and-roll-eh-that-rock-and-roll-it-just-won-t-go-away-it/) [Alex Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-turner/) > [I have a saying, which is, 'Crazy is good for business.' I think rock and roll really is about being a bit crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/i-have-a-saying-which-is-crazy-is-good-for-business-i-think-rock-and/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [Blues is a big part of rock and roll. The best rock and roll got its birth in the blues. You hear it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-young/blues-is-a-big-part-of-rock-and-roll-the-best-rock-and-roll-got-its/) [Angus Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-young/) > [“Rock and roll is simply an attitude. You con't have to play the greatest guitar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-thunders/rock-and-roll-is-simply-an-attitude-you-con-t-have-to-play-the/) [Johnny Thunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-thunders/) ## More by Billy Joel > [Everybody is different. Some writers can write reams of great books and then J. D. Salinger wrote just a few. 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But there is great fun in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/in-a-way-we-are-magicians-we-are-alchemists-sorcerers-and-wizards-we/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [I don't want some pretty face to tell me pretty lies, all I want is someone to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/i-don-t-want-some-pretty-face-to-tell-me-pretty-lies-all-i-want-is/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [I've always said about 50% of what happens at a concert has to do with the audience. 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