--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can play guitar and sing, you can…" description: "\"If you can play guitar and sing, you can probably get a gig down the road playing at a restaurant, but don't throw your life away chasing something tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/cliff-richard-13470_bitter_if-you-can-play-guitar-and-sing-you-can_1109625.jpg" --- # If you can play guitar and sing, you can probably get a… ![“If you can play guitar and sing, you can probably get a gig down the road playing at a restaurant, but don't throw your life away chasing something that is so elusive it will only lead you to regret and may turn you bitter.” quote by Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/cliff-richard-13470_bitter_if-you-can-play-guitar-and-sing-you-can_1109625.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/cliff-richard-13470_bitter_if-you-can-play-guitar-and-sing-you-can_1109625.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/cliff-richard-13470_bitter_if-you-can-play-guitar-and-sing-you-can_1109625.jpg) > “If you can play guitar and sing, you can probably get a gig down the road playing at a restaurant, but don't throw your life away chasing something that is so elusive it will only lead you to regret and may turn you bitter.” [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pursuing a music career is risky; chasing elusive fame can cause regret. **In simple terms:** Chasing fame may lead to bitterness. Key Takeaway Seek stable, realistic goals. Themes career music risk Mood cautious inspirational Type advice reflective When to use this quote - gig hunting - music education - career planning - financial budgeting Key Concepts artistic ambition financial stability personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What defines success for you? - How can you enjoy music without over‑committing? A Different Perspective Success is possible without sacrificing well‑being. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Down the road](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down-the-road/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ## Related quotes > [If you can't play guitar and sing in Nashville, you might as well just be a construction worker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-carney/if-you-can-t-play-guitar-and-sing-in-nashville-you-might-as-well-just/) [Patrick Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-carney/) > [I actually write my own music whenever I have a chance. I play guitar and sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-ludwig/i-actually-write-my-own-music-whenever-i-have-a-chance-i-play-guitar/) [Alexander Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-ludwig/) > [I never wanted to stop. I feel like to the day I die I'll play guitar and sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taryn-manning/i-never-wanted-to-stop-i-feel-like-to-the-day-i-die-i-ll-play-guitar/) [Taryn Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taryn-manning/) > [I play guitar and sing when I'm not busy with school and acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-play-guitar-and-sing-when-i-m-not-busy-with-school-and-acting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I do play the guitar, and I can sing, but just enough to carry a tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-monaghan/i-do-play-the-guitar-and-i-can-sing-but-just-enough-to-carry-a-tune/) [Cameron Monaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-monaghan/) > [Sometimes, I just play my guitar and sing to show the ones I love how much they mean to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-i-just-play-my-guitar-and-sing-to-show-the-ones-i-love-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I play guitar; I can sing a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-henry/i-play-guitar-i-can-sing-a-little-bit/) [Joshua Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-henry/) > [To have a man play guitar and sing to you is cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-harrison/to-have-a-man-play-guitar-and-sing-to-you-is-cool/) [Chris Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-harrison/) > [It is the doctrine of the popular music-masters, that whoever can speak can sing. So, probably, every man is eloquent once in his life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-the-doctrine-of-the-popular-music-masters-that-whoever-can/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [No one told me that if you can't sing, you probably won't be on Broadway. No one told me that!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-the-drag-queen/no-one-told-me-that-if-you-can-t-sing-you-probably-won-t-be-on/) [Bob the Drag Queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-the-drag-queen/) > [When I sing for myself, I probably sing for anyone who has any kind of hurt, any kind of bad feelings, good feelings, ups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etta-james/when-i-sing-for-myself-i-probably-sing-for-anyone-who-has-any-kind-of/) [Etta James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etta-james/) > [I cannot sing karaoke because it's hard and weird. If I actually tried to sing, I would probably sound good, and I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skylar-astin/i-cannot-sing-karaoke-because-it-s-hard-and-weird-if-i-actually-tried/) [Skylar Astin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skylar-astin/) > [I've really improved, I think, as far as just being able to get up onstage with my guitar and sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-simpson/i-ve-really-improved-i-think-as-far-as-just-being-able-to-get-up/) [Cody Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-simpson/) > [I think a "song" is, like, just play it on the guitar and sing it. You look out and see thousands of covers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wyatt/i-think-a-song-is-like-just-play-it-on-the-guitar-and-sing-it-you/) [Andrew Wyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wyatt/) > [I really wanted to approach performing live differently than most people who just play guitar and sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vincent-mcmorrow/i-really-wanted-to-approach-performing-live-differently-than-most/) [James Vincent McMorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vincent-mcmorrow/) ## More by Cliff Richard > [But if you have a solid walk with the Lord, then you wont fear that failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/but-if-you-have-a-solid-walk-with-the-lord-then-you-wont-fear-that/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [The more I read my Bible the more I veered away from the Jehovah's Witnesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/the-more-i-read-my-bible-the-more-i-veered-away-from-the-jehovah-s/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [It's important to put all I have into my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/it-s-important-to-put-all-i-have-into-my-career/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [The nice thing about having relatives' kids around is that they go home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/the-nice-thing-about-having-relatives-kids-around-is-that-they-go-home/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [The more we depend on God the more dependable we find He is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/the-more-we-depend-on-god-the-more-dependable-we-find-he-is/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [When you're out there with thousands of people it's probably better to have a bigger show to look at, and it turned out really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/when-you-re-out-there-with-thousands-of-people-it-s-probably-better/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [Of course, when I started my career, like anyone else who was 16 at the time, we were besotted by the rock-n-roll scene from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/of-course-when-i-started-my-career-like-anyone-else-who-was-16-at-the/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [The thrill of hearing your own voice recorded is still there, I still love it, going into the studio and thinking how can I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/the-thrill-of-hearing-your-own-voice-recorded-is-still-there-i-still/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [But if you have a solid walk with the Lord, then you won't fear that failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/but-if-you-have-a-solid-walk-with-the-lord-then-you-won-t-fear-that/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [And, of course, Barbados is the other place where I like to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/and-of-course-barbados-is-the-other-place-where-i-like-to-be/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [It's the business I'm in, I can't say that signing things is the favourite part of my career but you know that it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/it-s-the-business-i-m-in-i-can-t-say-that-signing-things-is-the/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [I can say I have become far more open about what I believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/i-can-say-i-have-become-far-more-open-about-what-i-believe/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [I've got two places I like to be. Portugal is one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/i-ve-got-two-places-i-like-to-be-portugal-is-one/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [I liked the Beatles but I wasn't mad on the Stones. I always thought they were a slight rip-off of Chuck Berry and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/i-liked-the-beatles-but-i-wasn-t-mad-on-the-stones-i-always-thought/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) > [The music industry has changed drastically and that damages young artists. They don't have the same support system that we had. They wanted us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/the-music-industry-has-changed-drastically-and-that-damages-young/) [Cliff Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) [Explore all 50 Cliff Richard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/) ## More Bitter quotes > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Troy was a sweet, good man. We just were never destined to be married. We just didn't have the same values. But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/) [Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [One may have been a fool, but there's no foolishness like being bitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/one-may-have-been-a-fool-but-there-s-no-foolishness-like-being-bitter/) [Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/) > [“I doubt taking in a sullen, bitter, teenage girl with more issues than National Geographic is at the center of the vision board for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katja-millay/i-doubt-taking-in-a-sullen-bitter-teenage-girl-with-more-issues-than/) [Katja Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katja-millay/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Life is too bitter already, without territories and wars and noble feuds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-too-bitter-already-without-territories-and-wars-and-noble/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [With every interview you feel like you lose a piece of yourself, and with every bad review you become just that little bit more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-march/with-every-interview-you-feel-like-you-lose-a-piece-of-yourself-and/) [Jane March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-march/) > [“Without the bitter, the sweet ain’t as sweet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/without-the-bitter-the-sweet-ain-t-as-sweet/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I refuse to be one of those artists who, 10 years from now, they're bitter about the rise and the fall of their career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-refuse-to-be-one-of-those-artists-who-10-years-from-now-they-re/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [“In these days in which we live, when existence has become a thing of infinite complexity and fate, if it slips us a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/in-these-days-in-which-we-live-when-existence-has-become-a-thing-of/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/if-a-sudden-jar-can-cause-me-to-speak-an-impatient-unloving-word-then/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) Browse all 1,923 Bitter quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you can play guitar and sing, you can probably get a gig down the road playing at a restaurant, but don't throw your life away chasing something that is so elusive it will only lead you to regret and may turn you bitter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cliff Richard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/if-you-can-play-guitar-and-sing-you-can-probably-get-a-gig-down-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bitter" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/if-you-can-play-guitar-and-sing-you-can-probably-get-a-gig-down-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/cliff-richard-13470_bitter_if-you-can-play-guitar-and-sing-you-can_1109625.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/cliff-richard-13470_bitter_if-you-can-play-guitar-and-sing-you-can_1109625.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/cliff-richard-13470_bitter_if-you-can-play-guitar-and-sing-you-can_1109625.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you can play guitar and sing, you can probably get a gig down the road playing at a restaurant, but don't…” — Cliff Richard", "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": "Cliff Richard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-richard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you can play guitar and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/if-you-can-play-guitar-and-sing-you-can-probably-get-a-gig-down-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-richard/if-you-can-play-guitar-and-sing-you-can-probably-get-a-gig-down-the/#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 } } ] } ```