--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How can music without any words make you…" description: "\"How can music without any words make you think? I listen to jazz when I'm doing something else. I use it for background music, I don't just sit down an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99a/eddie-murphy-7566_background-music_how-can-music-without-any-words-make-you_2820117.jpg" --- # How can music without any words make you think? I listen… ![“How can music without any words make you think? I listen to jazz when I'm doing something else. I use it for background music, I don't just sit down and concentrate on it. Lyrics, words - that's what makes me think.” quote by Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99a/eddie-murphy-7566_background-music_how-can-music-without-any-words-make-you_2820117.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99a/eddie-murphy-7566_background-music_how-can-music-without-any-words-make-you_2820117.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99a/eddie-murphy-7566_background-music_how-can-music-without-any-words-make-you_2820117.jpg) > “How can music without any words make you think? I listen to jazz when I'm doing something else. I use it for background music, I don't just sit down and concentrate on it. Lyrics, words - that's what makes me think.” [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He observes that instrumental music like jazz can stimulate thought without lyrics, while words tend to dominate mental focus. **In simple terms:** Instrumental music sparks thought; lyrics dominate attention. Key Takeaway Use instrumental music for background cognition. Themes music cognition attention Mood curious analytical Type psychological creative When to use this quote - studying - writing - design tasks Key Concepts psychology of music creative work Questions to Reflect On - When does music enhance focus? - Do certain genres work better? A Different Perspective Lyrics can be distracting for some tasks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Background music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/background-music/) [Jazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jazz/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“What makes you think of me? Don’t say nothing. The answer is I make you think of me. And I’ll make you do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/what-makes-you-think-of-me-don-t-say-nothing-the-answer-is-i-make-you/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Peter to Austin: "Hard-ons don't make you think less. They make you think stupid. Which makes me think you must have one 24/7.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-alexander/peter-to-austin-hard-ons-don-t-make-you-think-less-they-make-you/) [Dani Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-alexander/) > [And it makes you think. Even things that have been the same for years and years can change. Maybe I can change. I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-earl/and-it-makes-you-think-even-things-that-have-been-the-same-for-years/) [Rae Earl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-earl/) > [I think dissonance in music makes you think. It isn't, 'Oh, that's a pretty melody I can whistle.' You have to sit down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-chadbourne/i-think-dissonance-in-music-makes-you-think-it-isn-t-oh-that-s-a/) [Eugene Chadbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-chadbourne/) > [Architecture falls between art and airports. It's pragmatic-it helps you get from point A to point B. But it also works as art. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-van-berkel/architecture-falls-between-art-and-airports-it-s-pragmatic-it-helps/) [Ben van Berkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-van-berkel/) > [Everything you see that makes you think about the comics, I think you should read into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi-arad/everything-you-see-that-makes-you-think-about-the-comics-i-think-you/) [Avi Arad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi-arad/) > [When people are watching you, it makes you think twice about what you do, and the things you say, and the people you hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-manning/when-people-are-watching-you-it-makes-you-think-twice-about-what-you/) [Peyton Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-manning/) > [The best advertising and the best communication when it comes to business is that which makes you smile, that which makes you think, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/the-best-advertising-and-the-best-communication-when-it-comes-to/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [When you have been close to death it makes you think about life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dixon/when-you-have-been-close-to-death-it-makes-you-think-about-life/) [Patrick Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dixon/) > [One of the things I've always liked about science fiction is the way it makes you think about things, and look at things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-walton/one-of-the-things-i-ve-always-liked-about-science-fiction-is-the-way/) [Jo Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-walton/) > [A book is less important for what it says than for what it makes you think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/a-book-is-less-important-for-what-it-says-than-for-what-it-makes-you/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mccosh/the-book-to-read-is-not-the-one-which-thinks-for-you-but-the-one-2/) [James McCosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mccosh/) > [I like when something makes you think after you stop watching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dice-clay/i-like-when-something-makes-you-think-after-you-stop-watching/) [Andrew Dice Clay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dice-clay/) > [“Think about a woman. Doesn't know you're thinking about her. Doesn't care you're thinking about her. Makes you think about her even more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sybil-adelman/think-about-a-woman-doesn-t-know-you-re-thinking-about-her-doesn-t/) Sybil Adelman > [Travel is something that I like to do because it gives you lots of images, and it also really makes you think about your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hamby/travel-is-something-that-i-like-to-do-because-it-gives-you-lots-of/) [Barbara Hamby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hamby/) ## More by Eddie Murphy > [Over the past 50 years Bob Hope employed 88 joke writers who supplied him with more than one million gags, and he still couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/over-the-past-50-years-bob-hope-employed-88-joke-writers-who-supplied/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [My wife ain't gonna make love to me if I got no money!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/my-wife-ain-t-gonna-make-love-to-me-if-i-got-no-money/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [In a movie like this, the relationship between the two guys is crucial. It sinks or swims on how these two guys are together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/in-a-movie-like-this-the-relationship-between-the-two-guys-is-crucial/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [I want a woman who can arouse my intellect as well as my loins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/i-want-a-woman-who-can-arouse-my-intellect-as-well-as-my-loins/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [Whenever I am on camera or doing anything on mic, I don't have any process at all. I just do it and, when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/whenever-i-am-on-camera-or-doing-anything-on-mic-i-don-t-have-any/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [The best way you hurt rich people is by turning them into poor people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/the-best-way-you-hurt-rich-people-is-by-turning-them-into-poor-people/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [White boys always get the Oscar. It's a known fact. Did I ever get a nomination? No! You know why? Cause I hadn't played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/white-boys-always-get-the-oscar-it-s-a-known-fact-did-i-ever-get-a/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [You know, making a movie is a collaborative effort and sometimes all the ingredients don't work out. I know that every now and again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/you-know-making-a-movie-is-a-collaborative-effort-and-sometimes-all/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [I ain't never been in no cell that had a phone in it. Can I stay for a while? I ordered some pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/i-ain-t-never-been-in-no-cell-that-had-a-phone-in-it-can-i-stay-for-a/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [Mick Jagger's lips' so big, black people be going, "You got some big-ass lips!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/mick-jagger-s-lips-so-big-black-people-be-going-you-got-some-big-ass/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [If you're involved in with something that's original, you know, you'll always go back and try to rehash it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/if-you-re-involved-in-with-something-that-s-original-you-know-you-ll/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [Are you driving with your eyes open? Or are you, like, using "the force"?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/are-you-driving-with-your-eyes-open-or-are-you-like-using-the-force/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [I been seeing newspapers every Sunday morning, white dudes be in there in their drawers, never having no bulge in they drawers. Smiling at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/i-been-seeing-newspapers-every-sunday-morning-white-dudes-be-in-there/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [This is how you answer a door in my neighborhood. WHO IS IT?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/this-is-how-you-answer-a-door-in-my-neighborhood-who-is-it/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [The white man gets all the best catchphrases!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/the-white-man-gets-all-the-best-catchphrases/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) [Explore all 90 Eddie Murphy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) ## More Background music quotes > [“And the way I loved her was like nothing else. This, I decided, was the love all other loves were measured against. They say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-center/and-the-way-i-loved-her-was-like-nothing-else-this-i-decided-was-the/) [Katherine Center](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-center/) > [When I'm not doing readings, I just spend a lot of time alone and try to meditate. Going for walks in nature is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-henry/when-i-m-not-doing-readings-i-just-spend-a-lot-of-time-alone-and-try/) [Tyler Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-henry/) > [“The trouble with life is that, unlike movies, it doesn't have background music. We never know how we're supposed to feel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-gardner/the-trouble-with-life-is-that-unlike-movies-it-doesn-t-have/) Lewis Gardner > [One of the biggest challenges in the past for me in working on the networks was that audiences have grown accustomed to television being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/one-of-the-biggest-challenges-in-the-past-for-me-in-working-on-the/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [I don't just sing the song, I also sing the background music and the guitar solo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-just-sing-the-song-i-also-sing-the-background-music-and-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love when I reach Marcus on the phone and as he says hello, I can hear the music he's listening to in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-love-when-i-reach-marcus-on-the-phone-and-as-he-says-hello-i-can/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [First I think I was interested in the stories, and later on, I became more interested in the language itself, so the stories became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/first-i-think-i-was-interested-in-the-stories-and-later-on-i-became/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“My eyes pop out when I catch a glimpse of how much leg she's showing. She's wearing her shortest mini skirt, the one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-caldwell/my-eyes-pop-out-when-i-catch-a-glimpse-of-how-much-leg-she-s-showing/) [Janine Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-caldwell/) > [“They were looking for a builder to construct the home they thought they wanted, but he was the architect, coming with a new plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/they-were-looking-for-a-builder-to-construct-the-home-they-thought/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“He never really voice pure, raw outrage to me about Watergate or what it represented. The crimes and abuses were background music. Nixon was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/he-never-really-voice-pure-raw-outrage-to-me-about-watergate-or-what/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [“« I guess I tend to think that important events should be solemn, and very grand, with muted violins playing in the background. It´s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-guess-i-tend-to-think-that-important-events-should-be-solemn-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The neo-conservative critics of leftist critics of mass culture ridicule the protest against Bach as background music in the kitchen, against Plato and Hegel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/the-neo-conservative-critics-of-leftist-critics-of-mass-culture/) [Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/) > [“One of the tragedies of real life is that there is no background music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/one-of-the-tragedies-of-real-life-is-that-there-is-no-background-music/) [Annie Proulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-proulx/) > [People sort of imagine Chris Morris and me sitting somewhere dark, with dripping taps and chilling background music. In fact, we like to sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-baynham/people-sort-of-imagine-chris-morris-and-me-sitting-somewhere-dark/) [Peter Baynham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-baynham/) > [“Life is just like a movie, except it does not have background music, but you cannot see it in media.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abrar-ahmed-chowdhury/life-is-just-like-a-movie-except-it-does-not-have-background-music/) [Abrar Ahmed chowdhury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abrar-ahmed-chowdhury/) [Browse all 71 Background music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/background-music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How can music without any words make you think? I listen to jazz when I'm doing something else. I use it for background music, I don't just sit down and concentrate on it. Lyrics, words - that's what makes me think.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eddie Murphy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/how-can-music-without-any-words-make-you-think-i-listen-to-jazz-when/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Background music" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/how-can-music-without-any-words-make-you-think-i-listen-to-jazz-when/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99a/eddie-murphy-7566_background-music_how-can-music-without-any-words-make-you_2820117.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99a/eddie-murphy-7566_background-music_how-can-music-without-any-words-make-you_2820117.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99a/eddie-murphy-7566_background-music_how-can-music-without-any-words-make-you_2820117.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How can music without any words make you think? I listen to jazz when I'm doing something else. I use it for…” — Eddie Murphy", "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": "Eddie Murphy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "How can music without any words...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/how-can-music-without-any-words-make-you-think-i-listen-to-jazz-when/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/how-can-music-without-any-words-make-you-think-i-listen-to-jazz-when/#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 } } ] } ```