--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not the side-effects of the cocaine…" description: "\"It's not the side-effects of the cocaine - I'm thinking that it must be love. It's too late to be grateful, It's too late to be hateful, It's too late ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13a/david-bowie-508_be-grateful_it-s-not-the-side-effects-of-the-cocaine_3049540.jpg" --- # It's not the side-effects of the cocaine - I'm thinking… ![“It's not the side-effects of the cocaine - I'm thinking that it must be love. It's too late to be grateful, It's too late to be hateful, It's too late to be late again, The European cannon is here.” quote by David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13a/david-bowie-508_be-grateful_it-s-not-the-side-effects-of-the-cocaine_3049540.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13a/david-bowie-508_be-grateful_it-s-not-the-side-effects-of-the-cocaine_3049540.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13a/david-bowie-508_be-grateful_it-s-not-the-side-effects-of-the-cocaine_3049540.jpg) > “It's not the side-effects of the cocaine - I'm thinking that it must be love. It's too late to be grateful, It's too late to be hateful, It's too late to be late again, The European cannon is here.” [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. A paradoxical reflection on love and its consequences, mixing urgency with fatalism. **In simple terms:** Love feels like a dangerous, inevitable force. Key Takeaway Accept love’s intensity, act before it’s too late. Themes love urgency fatalism paradox Mood intense reflective Type lyilosophical lyational When to use this quote - relationships - personal crises - creative decisions Key Concepts existentialism psychology romanticism Questions to Reflect On - What are you willing to risk for love? - How does urgency shape your choices? A Different Perspective Love can blind judgment and cause regret. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cocaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cocaine/) [Grateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grateful/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Side effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/side-effects/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [“It's not the side-effects of the cocaine - I'm thinking that it must be love. It's too late to be grateful, It's too late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/it-s-not-the-side-effects-of-the-cocaine-i-m-thinking-that-it-must-be/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [It's not the side effects of the cocaine. . . . I'm thinking that it must be love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/it-s-not-the-side-effects-of-the-cocaine-i-m-thinking-that-it-must-be-2/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [ One of the effects it \[cocaine\] had on my personality - my moods, my behaviors - was that it inhibited me a lot. It… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/one-of-the-effects-it-cocaine-had-on-my-personality-my-moods-my/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [The Anti-Vivisector does not deny that physiologists must make experiments and even take chances with new methods. He says that they must not seek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-anti-vivisector-does-not-deny-that-physiologists-must-make/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Decoration Day is the most beautiful of our national holidays… The grim cannon have turned into palm branches, and the shell and shrapnel into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bailey-aldrich/decoration-day-is-the-most-beautiful-of-our-national-holidays-the/) [Thomas Bailey Aldrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bailey-aldrich/) > [You can't fire a cannon, from a canoe!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-poliquin/you-can-t-fire-a-cannon-from-a-canoe/) [Charles Poliquin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-poliquin/) > [With a rasping cough, the vampire shakes its head. "It was you who called us. All of you, with your war. The roar of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mignola/with-a-rasping-cough-the-vampire-shakes-its-head-it-was-you-who/) [Mike Mignola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mignola/) > [It really is a choice between division or unity, between an economy that works for everyone or one that is stacked for those at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-really-is-a-choice-between-division-or-unity-between-an-economy/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Seasons pursuing each other the indescribable crowd is gathered, it is the fourth of Seventh-month, (what salutes of cannon and small arms!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/seasons-pursuing-each-other-the-indescribable-crowd-is-gathered-it-is/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [No conjunction can possibly occur, however fearful, however tremendous it may appear, from which a man by his own energy may not extricate himself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/no-conjunction-can-possibly-occur-however-fearful-however-tremendous/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Yes, I am a pirate, two hundred years to late. Cannons don't thunder, there's nothing to plunder, I'm an over forty victim of fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/yes-i-am-a-pirate-two-hundred-years-to-late-cannons-don-t-thunder/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [Working on television is like being shot out of a cannon. They cram you all up with rehearsals, then someone lights a fuse and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tallulah-bankhead/working-on-television-is-like-being-shot-out-of-a-cannon-they-cram/) [Tallulah Bankhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tallulah-bankhead/) > [Hurrah for revolution and more cannon-shot! A beggar upon horseback lashes a beggar on foot. Hurrah for revolution and cannon come again! The beggars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/hurrah-for-revolution-and-more-cannon-shot-a-beggar-upon-horseback/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [We study health, and we deliberate upon our meats and drink and air and exercises, and we hew and we polish every stone that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/we-study-health-and-we-deliberate-upon-our-meats-and-drink-and-air/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) ## 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 Be grateful quotes > [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/) > [Man has an almost infinite capacity for taking things and people for granted and thereby missing out on the pleasure of being grateful that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/man-has-an-almost-infinite-capacity-for-taking-things-and-people-for/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Kenny G, I have to be grateful to him for proving that the instrument can be played all different kinds of ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lacy/kenny-g-i-have-to-be-grateful-to-him-for-proving-that-the-instrument/) [Steve Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lacy/) > [Often I'm told I'm an inspiration to people which I will forever be grateful for. But the reality is that I'm only able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzie-velasquez/often-i-m-told-i-m-an-inspiration-to-people-which-i-will-forever-be/) [Lizzie Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzie-velasquez/) > [Focus on being grateful for what you have already .. enjoy it!! Then release into the universe. The universe will manifest it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/focus-on-being-grateful-for-what-you-have-already-enjoy-it-then/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [The Americans say that we are ungrateful-but I ask them for heaven's sake, what should we be grateful to them for-for murdering our fathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-walker/the-americans-say-that-we-are-ungrateful-but-i-ask-them-for-heaven-s/) [David Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-walker/) > [My first encounter with yoga was in 1969 with my older brother Doug. I was thirteen years old, and he was eighteen. He'd learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-f-swensen/my-first-encounter-with-yoga-was-in-1969-with-my-older-brother-doug-i/) [David F. Swensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-f-swensen/) > [Just remember: to be grateful and thank the people who are there and support you along the way is a great start to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-davis/just-remember-to-be-grateful-and-thank-the-people-who-are-there-and/) [Meryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-davis/) > [Be calm, be strong, be grateful, and become a lamp full of light, that the darkness of sorrows be annihilated, and that the sun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdu-l-bah/be-calm-be-strong-be-grateful-and-become-a-lamp-full-of-light-that/) [Abdu'l-Bahá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdu-l-bah/) > [Enjoy your own life without comparing it with that of another for there will always be others whose lives on the face of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-de-caritat-marquis-de-condorcet/enjoy-your-own-life-without-comparing-it-with-that-of-another-for/) [Nicolas de Caritat, marquis de Condorcet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-de-caritat-marquis-de-condorcet/) > [Speak what I have to be grateful for when I get up and when I lie down to sleep. Meditation and prayer. I pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-taylor/speak-what-i-have-to-be-grateful-for-when-i-get-up-and-when-i-lie/) [Regina Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-taylor/) > [Be grateful for the love you have to share-share it, and it will return to you ten times over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-praagh/be-grateful-for-the-love-you-have-to-share-share-it-and-it-will/) [James Van Praagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-praagh/) > [There are those who say that trees shade the garden too much, and interfere with the growth of the vegetables. There may be something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dudley-warner/there-are-those-who-say-that-trees-shade-the-garden-too-much-and/) [Charles Dudley Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dudley-warner/) > [Kids aint supposed to be grateful! They're supposed to eat your food, break your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kripke/kids-aint-supposed-to-be-grateful-they-re-supposed-to-eat-your-food/) [Eric Kripke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kripke/) > [...Be grateful for what you have to be thankful for instead of complaining about the little things that annoy you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/be-grateful-for-what-you-have-to-be-thankful-for-instead-of/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) Browse all 602 Be grateful quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not the side-effects of the cocaine - I'm thinking that it must be love. 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