--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The guitar. Rubbing the gentle polish On…" description: "\"“The guitar. Rubbing the gentle polish On Every smooth contour. On the lap. Knowing every curve As the light shines from it. On stage a planned metamor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/david-morrell-15198_last-minute_the-guitar-rubbing-the-gentle-polish-on_1493433.jpg" --- # The guitar. Rubbing the gentle polish On Every smooth… ![“The guitar. Rubbing the gentle polish On Every smooth contour. On the lap. Knowing every curve As the light shines from it. On stage a planned metamorphosis Takes places as the hours go by and the Space is transformed to a concert hall. The energetic nemesis has struck. The risers are transformed…” quote by David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/david-morrell-15198_last-minute_the-guitar-rubbing-the-gentle-polish-on_1493433.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/david-morrell-15198_last-minute_the-guitar-rubbing-the-gentle-polish-on_1493433.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/david-morrell-15198_last-minute_the-guitar-rubbing-the-gentle-polish-on_1493433.jpg) > ““The guitar. Rubbing the gentle polish On Every smooth contour. On the lap. Knowing every curve As the light shines from it. On stage a planned metamorphosis Takes places as the hours go by and the Space is transformed to a concert hall. The energetic nemesis has struck. The risers are transformed into a stage And black boxes turned into powerful Pieces of sound equipment. The spring is taut. Backstage while pandemonium Sweeps the hall and people Crowd the arena as ants flow to a cake. The stage is set, the Instruments tuned and placed. The musicians work out last minute Kinks as the lights dim. An intense force hits the spectators. Energy is released in every form. A power rage beyond comprehension.”” [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage describes the transformation of a space into a concert venue, highlighting the meticulous preparation and the intense, almost primal energy released during a live performance. **In simple terms:** A concert is built from careful setup and raw, shared energy. Key Takeaway Appreciate the craft behind performances. Themes creativity performance energy transformation Mood excited reflective Type descriptive inspirational When to use this quote - musicians rehearsing - stage setup - audience anticipation - live concert dynamics Key Concepts aesthetic appreciation collective experience Questions to Reflect On - How does preparation affect your experience of live music? - What role does audience energy play in performance? A Different Perspective The description may romanticize chaos, overlooking logistical challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Last minute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-minute/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I love being on stage if I'm not on a set. If I'm at home, I'm usually in my office editing or reconstructing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/i-love-being-on-stage-if-i-m-not-on-a-set-if-i-m-at-home-i-m-usually-2/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [There are many, many, actors with whom I'd like to share a stage or a set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-malina/there-are-many-many-actors-with-whom-i-d-like-to-share-a-stage-or-a/) [Joshua Malina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-malina/) > [Something that had the quality of a dimly lit stage set just before the curtains rise on opening night. There was a rhythm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-abani/something-that-had-the-quality-of-a-dimly-lit-stage-set-just-before/) [Chris Abani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-abani/) > [After you've seen behind the facade of a stage set you can't take the play seriously any more. You can't go backwards and regain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeena-schreck/after-you-ve-seen-behind-the-facade-of-a-stage-set-you-can-t-take-the-2/) [Zeena Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeena-schreck/) > [For me, you have to do as much work as you can beforehand and, once you get on stage or set, throw it out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-gleeson/for-me-you-have-to-do-as-much-work-as-you-can-beforehand-and-once-you/) [Brian Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-gleeson/) > [When I was little, all I could think about was just being on some kind of stage, whether it be on a live stage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-rodriguez/when-i-was-little-all-i-could-think-about-was-just-being-on-some-kind/) [Mj Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-rodriguez/) > [Playing a show is a monumental hassle. You've got to schlep all your heavy equipment into the van, then you've got to drive for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-hatfield/playing-a-show-is-a-monumental-hassle-you-ve-got-to-schlep-all-your/) [Juliana Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-hatfield/) > [National parks, zoos, protected areas, polluted seas - using the whole world as a readymade, I thought about it as a stage set. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandra-mir/national-parks-zoos-protected-areas-polluted-seas-using-the-whole/) [Aleksandra Mir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandra-mir/) > [“Our stage is set by love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-chouette/our-stage-is-set-by-love/) [Laura Chouette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-chouette/) > [A stage set should not make a pretty picture of its own. The empty stage should look formal and pleasing, but should seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-wilson-knight/a-stage-set-should-not-make-a-pretty-picture-of-its-own-the-empty/) G. Wilson Knight > [“Even on the highest levels it was smoke and mirrors; everyone was furnishing a stage set.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/even-on-the-highest-levels-it-was-smoke-and-mirrors-everyone-was/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [After you've seen behind the facade of a stage set you can't take the play seriously any more. In other words, you can't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeena-schreck/after-you-ve-seen-behind-the-facade-of-a-stage-set-you-can-t-take-the/) [Zeena Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeena-schreck/) > [I have come to think that life is a far more limited thing than those in the midst of its maelstorm realize. That light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-have-come-to-think-that-life-is-a-far-more-limited-thing-than-those/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Your journey through life and self-discovery is much like the start of a new day. As you grow, develop, and reinvent yourself, the tendrils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-narofsky/your-journey-through-life-and-self-discovery-is-much-like-the-start/) [Thomas Narofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-narofsky/) > [“Hear me Isis as I pray. See her pain and take it all away. Let the heaven's light shine bright from above. And wrap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/hear-me-isis-as-i-pray-see-her-pain-and-take-it-all-away-let-the/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) ## More by David Morrell > [My son died from cancer. My granddaughter died from cancer. I have a lot of reasons to think that reality is not a friendly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/my-son-died-from-cancer-my-granddaughter-died-from-cancer-i-have-a/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [Before I start a project, I always ask myself the following question. Why is this book worth a year of my life? There needs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/before-i-start-a-project-i-always-ask-myself-the-following-question/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [“Just because somebody smiles when he hands me a bag of shit, that doesn't mean I have to take it. I don't give a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/just-because-somebody-smiles-when-he-hands-me-a-bag-of-shit-that/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [If you chase the market, it's not going to come to you. You have to have faith in yourself. I think one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/if-you-chase-the-market-it-s-not-going-to-come-to-you-you-have-to/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [I have a graduate degree from Penn State. I studied at Penn State under a noted Hemingway scholar, Philip Young. I had an interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/i-have-a-graduate-degree-from-penn-state-i-studied-at-penn-state/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [“the anxiety of the unpredictable came only when you dealt with amateurs”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/the-anxiety-of-the-unpredictable-came-only-when-you-dealt-with/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [One generation's idea of fast pace might be different from a later generation's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/one-generation-s-idea-of-fast-pace-might-be-different-from-a-later/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [To all librarians everywhere, God bless you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/to-all-librarians-everywhere-god-bless-you/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [A thriller becomes great when it carries a feeling of reality and truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/a-thriller-becomes-great-when-it-carries-a-feeling-of-reality-and/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [Anybody who sits down to write, and they think 'thriller,' maybe shouldn't be thinking that way. Maybe we should be thinking 'novel,' maybe 'thriller'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/anybody-who-sits-down-to-write-and-they-think-thriller-maybe-shouldn/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [My world view is that it can all go to hell in an instant, and you have to be ready for it. That's pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/my-world-view-is-that-it-can-all-go-to-hell-in-an-instant-and-you/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [When I started 'First Blood,' back in 1968, I was deeply influenced by Geoffrey Household's 'Rogue Male.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/when-i-started-first-blood-back-in-1968-i-was-deeply-influenced-by/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [Writers need to be tough. This is not for the weak of will. And we have to realize that, yeah, it's never good enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/writers-need-to-be-tough-this-is-not-for-the-weak-of-will-and-we-have/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [A thriller must be thrilling. A mystery may or may not be a thriller depending on how much breathless emotion it has, as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/a-thriller-must-be-thrilling-a-mystery-may-or-may-not-be-a-thriller/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [The flaw of an amateur is to assume what's in our head is what's on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/the-flaw-of-an-amateur-is-to-assume-what-s-in-our-head-is-what-s-on/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) [Explore all 43 David Morrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) ## More Last minute quotes > [It's a sport about risk and reward. It's a sport about becoming a legend. You look at guys that have stepped up on last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyron-woodley/it-s-a-sport-about-risk-and-reward-it-s-a-sport-about-becoming-a/) [Tyron Woodley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyron-woodley/) > [Basically, Pizza Hut just backed out on the ad agency at the last minute. They got fired and we got fired. It was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-ween/basically-pizza-hut-just-backed-out-on-the-ad-agency-at-the-last/) [Gene Ween](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-ween/) > [The Mayans have predicted the world is supposed to end on December 21. If the world doesn't end on December 21, you can bet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-mayans-have-predicted-the-world-is-supposed-to-end-on-december-21/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Dictators always look good until the last minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-garrigue-masaryk/dictators-always-look-good-until-the-last-minutes/) [Tomas Garrigue Masaryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-garrigue-masaryk/) > [The hardest thing to get is true emotion. I always believe you need to earn that with the audience. You can't just tell them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/the-hardest-thing-to-get-is-true-emotion-i-always-believe-you-need-to/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [“To kill for murder is a punishment incomparably worse than the crime itself. Murder by legal sentence is immeasurably more terrible than murder by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/to-kill-for-murder-is-a-punishment-incomparably-worse-than-the-crime/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“(Group~ OFFER) Does American offer assistance for group travel planning? Planning travel ((800))\*301((46@29)) for a large group can be a complex undertaking, but American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/air/group-offer-does-american-offer-assistance-for-group-travel-planning/) air > [Pilot season tends to be grueling, because you can be thrown all of these auditions at once - last-minute, always - and you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-dickens/pilot-season-tends-to-be-grueling-because-you-can-be-thrown-all-of/) [Kim Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-dickens/) > [The more you remember, the more you are able to experience, the more you know, so to speak. And the more you know, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/the-more-you-remember-the-more-you-are-able-to-experience-the-more/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [I always try to do the most important or urgent tasks first, I avoid waiting till the last minute to finish things, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeet-banerjee/i-always-try-to-do-the-most-important-or-urgent-tasks-first-i-avoid/) [Jeet Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeet-banerjee/) > [“At the last minute, she bobbed left so that he stabbed the wall she'd hit, trapping the blade in the Sheetrock. As he went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/at-the-last-minute-she-bobbed-left-so-that-he-stabbed-the-wall-she-d/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“Dr. Urbino caught the parrot around the neck with a triumphant sigh: ça y est. But he released him immediately because the ladder slipped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/dr-urbino-caught-the-parrot-around-the-neck-with-a-triumphant-sigh-a/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [I'm so busy and there's so much going on, that the gym or a workout can't be a last minute thought, like, 'I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sweeney/i-m-so-busy-and-there-s-so-much-going-on-that-the-gym-or-a-workout/) [Alison Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sweeney/) > [“Aye, a man’d be a fool to lose his head twice over the same thing,” Thomas mused, still looking more than half stubborn. “Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/aye-a-man-d-be-a-fool-to-lose-his-head-twice-over-the-same-thing/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“If a cat falls out of a high-rise building or a tall tree, it has another trick available: forming a “parachute” by spreading all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/if-a-cat-falls-out-of-a-high-rise-building-or-a-tall-tree-it-has/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) [Browse all 297 Last minute quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-minute/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The guitar. Rubbing the gentle polish On Every smooth contour. On the lap. Knowing every curve As the light shines from it. On stage a planned metamorphosis Takes places as the hours go by and the Space is transformed to a concert hall. The energetic nemesis has struck. The risers are transformed into a stage And black boxes turned into powerful Pieces of sound equipment. The spring is taut. Backstage while pandemonium Sweeps the hall and people Crowd the arena as ants flow to a cake. The stage is set, the Instruments tuned and placed. The musicians work out last minute Kinks as the lights dim. An intense force hits the spectators. Energy is released in every form. A power rage beyond comprehension.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Morrell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/the-guitar-rubbing-the-gentle-polish-on-every-smooth-contour-on-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Last minute" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/the-guitar-rubbing-the-gentle-polish-on-every-smooth-contour-on-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/david-morrell-15198_last-minute_the-guitar-rubbing-the-gentle-polish-on_1493433.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/david-morrell-15198_last-minute_the-guitar-rubbing-the-gentle-polish-on_1493433.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/david-morrell-15198_last-minute_the-guitar-rubbing-the-gentle-polish-on_1493433.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The guitar. Rubbing the gentle polish On Every smooth contour. On the lap. Knowing every curve As the light…” — David Morrell", "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": "David Morrell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The guitar. Rubbing the gentle polish...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/the-guitar-rubbing-the-gentle-polish-on-every-smooth-contour-on-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/the-guitar-rubbing-the-gentle-polish-on-every-smooth-contour-on-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 } } ] } ```