--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would dream. I focused all my attention…" description: "\"I would dream. I focused all my attention on going to America. The subculture, James Dean, the rock n' roll, the beat writers.\" — David Bowie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/645/david-bowie-508_america_i-would-dream-i-focused-all-my-attention_2052683.jpg" --- # I would dream. I focused all my attention on going to… ![“I would dream. I focused all my attention on going to America. The subculture, James Dean, the rock n' roll, the beat writers.” quote by David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/645/david-bowie-508_america_i-would-dream-i-focused-all-my-attention_2052683.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/645/david-bowie-508_america_i-would-dream-i-focused-all-my-attention_2052683.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/645/david-bowie-508_america_i-would-dream-i-focused-all-my-attention_2052683.jpg) > “I would dream. I focused all my attention on going to America. The subculture, James Dean, the rock n' roll, the beat writers.” [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dreams of America and its subcultures inspired his artistic vision, reflecting a yearning for cultural immersion. **In simple terms:** He imagined America’s culture to fuel his art. Key Takeaway Explore diverse cultures for inspiration. Themes dreams culture inspiration Mood curious imaginative Type artistic inspirational When to use this quote - travel planning - creative brainstorming - cultural study Key Concepts American mythos rock n roll beat literature Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of a culture truly inspire you? - How do you avoid romanticizing foreign cultures? A Different Perspective Idealizing places can overlook complexities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The American Dream has always focused on building a better life for yourself and your family, striving for success, and even fleeing from religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-veasey/the-american-dream-has-always-focused-on-building-a-better-life-for/) [Marc Veasey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-veasey/) > [I like a lot of classic movies, like, for example, 'Citizen Kane', James Dean movies, etc, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-wiseau/i-like-a-lot-of-classic-movies-like-for-example-citizen-kane-james/) [Tommy Wiseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-wiseau/) > [I'd say James Dean is someone that's really inspired me. Just the fact that he did only three movies before he died at such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tye-sheridan/i-d-say-james-dean-is-someone-that-s-really-inspired-me-just-the-fact/) [Tye Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tye-sheridan/) > [I looked at all the superstars. What is their different thing? Their hair. Beatles, Elvis, James Dean, James Brown, Marilyn Monroe. I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-pilatus/i-looked-at-all-the-superstars-what-is-their-different-thing-their/) [Rob Pilatus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-pilatus/) > [Anyone can be James Dean for a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bastian/anyone-can-be-james-dean-for-a-day/) [Michael Bastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bastian/) > [James Dean and Dennis Hopper were members of the health club I went to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-vaughn/james-dean-and-dennis-hopper-were-members-of-the-health-club-i-went-to/) [Robert Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-vaughn/) > [The first time I met James Franco, he was dressed like James Dean. He was James Dean, literally, filming a biopic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/the-first-time-i-met-james-franco-he-was-dressed-like-james-dean-he/) [Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/) > [I myself am a great James Dean fan. He had this aura and enigma about him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranbir-kapoor/i-myself-am-a-great-james-dean-fan-he-had-this-aura-and-enigma-about/) [Ranbir Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranbir-kapoor/) > [I went and got a tattoo of James Dean on my shoulder without actually seeing him in any movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-went-and-got-a-tattoo-of-james-dean-on-my-shoulder-without-actually/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [There are so many great actors, but I really have a lot of respect for Johnny Depp. I've seen a lot of movies with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-speleers/there-are-so-many-great-actors-but-i-really-have-a-lot-of-respect-for/) [Ed Speleers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-speleers/) > [Going to America is the best prize, so fingers crossed it will work out on Broadway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-corden/going-to-america-is-the-best-prize-so-fingers-crossed-it-will-work/) [James Corden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-corden/) > [In going to America one learns that poverty is not a necessary accompaniment to civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/in-going-to-america-one-learns-that-poverty-is-not-a-necessary/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [When I moved to America, everybody was asking, 'Why the hell are you going to America? It's over; you should be going east.' But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjarke-ingels/when-i-moved-to-america-everybody-was-asking-why-the-hell-are-you/) [Bjarke Ingels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjarke-ingels/) > [I used to say to my mom and dad all the time, 'I'm going to move to America.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-royce/i-used-to-say-to-my-mom-and-dad-all-the-time-i-m-going-to-move-to/) [Peyton Royce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-royce/) > [There's no way that you're going to please all of America, or all of the fans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristin-milioti/there-s-no-way-that-you-re-going-to-please-all-of-america-or-all-of/) [Cristin Milioti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristin-milioti/) ## More by David Bowie > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [No more free steps to heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/no-more-free-steps-to-heaven/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I'm not sure whether it is me changing my mind, or whether I lie a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-not-sure-whether-it-is-me-changing-my-mind-or-whether-i-lie-a-lot/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I do some kind of work, whether writing or painting or recording, on a daily basis. And it's so essential that when I'm involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-do-some-kind-of-work-whether-writing-or-painting-or-recording-on-a/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [To not be modest about it, you'll find that with only a couple of exceptions, most of the musicians that I've worked with have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/to-not-be-modest-about-it-you-ll-find-that-with-only-a-couple-of/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I went mainstream in a major way with the song "Let's Dance." And what I found I had done was put a box around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-went-mainstream-in-a-major-way-with-the-song-let-s-dance-and-what-i/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [“Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe Put your ray gun to my head Press your space face close to mine, love Freak out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/keep-your-lectric-eye-on-me-babe-put-your-ray-gun-to-my-head-press/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I'm in awe of the universe, but I don't necessarily believe there's an intelligence or agent behind it. I do have a passion for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-in-awe-of-the-universe-but-i-don-t-necessarily-believe-there-s-an/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [TV has eaten up everything else, and Warhol films are all that are left, which is fabulous. Pork could become the next I Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/tv-has-eaten-up-everything-else-and-warhol-films-are-all-that-are/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [“My brain hurt like a warehouse It had no room to spare I had to cram so many things to store everything in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/my-brain-hurt-like-a-warehouse-it-had-no-room-to-spare-i-had-to-cram/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I suppose for me as an artist it wasn't always just about expressing my work; I really wanted, more than anything else, to contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-suppose-for-me-as-an-artist-it-wasn-t-always-just-about-expressing/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [... And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/and-these-children-that-you-spit-on-as-they-try-to-change-their/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I think the first song I ever wrote ... was called "Can't Help Thinking About Me." That's an illuminating little piece, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-think-the-first-song-i-ever-wrote-was-called-can-t-help-thinking/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I've come to the realizations that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing half the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-ve-come-to-the-realizations-that-i-have-absolutely-no-idea-what-i-m/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I never really felt like a rock singer or a rock star or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-never-really-felt-like-a-rock-singer-or-a-rock-star-or-whatever/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) [Explore all 508 David Bowie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would dream. I focused all my attention on going to America. 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