--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've never felt British. I'm just not…" description: "\"I've never felt British. I'm just not interested in national identity. I don't know why.\" — Elvis Costello" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/elvis-costello-1931_british_i-ve-never-felt-british-i-m-just-not-int_3113667.jpg" --- # I've never felt British. I'm just not interested in… ![“I've never felt British. I'm just not interested in national identity. I don't know why.” quote by Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/elvis-costello-1931_british_i-ve-never-felt-british-i-m-just-not-int_3113667.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/elvis-costello-1931_british_i-ve-never-felt-british-i-m-just-not-int_3113667.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3f/elvis-costello-1931_british_i-ve-never-felt-british-i-m-just-not-int_3113667.jpg) > “I've never felt British. I'm just not interested in national identity. I don't know why.” [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker rejects a fixed national identity, expressing personal detachment from collective labels and questioning the relevance of such constructs. **In simple terms:** I don’t feel tied to a nation. Key Takeaway Question identity, focus on personal values. Themes identity nationalism individualism culture Mood curious detached Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - personal reflection - public discourse - travel - expatriate life Key Concepts philosophy social psychology politics Questions to Reflect On - Why do you feel disconnected from national identity? - What aspects of culture matter to you? A Different Perspective It may overlook the benefits of shared cultural heritage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-just-5090051/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Felt British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-british-625084/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [National identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-identity/) [Not interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-interested/) ## Related quotes > [I would rather be British than just.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-paisley/i-would-rather-be-british-than-just/) [Ian Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-paisley/) > [The fact is, I've always felt more British than Irish. Maybe it was the way I was brought up, I don't know, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-mcilroy/the-fact-is-i-ve-always-felt-more-british-than-irish-maybe-it-was-the/) [Rory McIlroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-mcilroy/) > [ It's daunting trying to do any service as an American to such a beautiful, fluid speech pattern that you \[British\] all have. We are… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-gyllenhaal/it-s-daunting-trying-to-do-any-service-as-an-american-to-such-a/) [Jake Gyllenhaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-gyllenhaal/) > [I couldn't speak Japanese very well, passport regulations were changing, I felt British and my future was in Britain. And it would also make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/i-couldn-t-speak-japanese-very-well-passport-regulations-were/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“For all his paranoid alarm, Bannon believes that the rise of nationalist movements across the world, from Europe to Japan to the United States,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/for-all-his-paranoid-alarm-bannon-believes-that-the-rise-of/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“Vichy emerged not only from what divided the French but also what united them: pacifism, fear of population decline, loss of confidence in national…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-jackson/vichy-emerged-not-only-from-what-divided-the-french-but-also-what/) [Julian Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-jackson/) > [“Forgetting, I would even go so far as to say historical error, is a crucial factor in the creation of a nation; thus the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/forgetting-i-would-even-go-so-far-as-to-say-historical-error-is-a/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [We are undermining a generation's happiness by depriving them of national identity, religious identity, and gender identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/we-are-undermining-a-generation-s-happiness-by-depriving-them-of/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [The loss of national identity is the greatest defeat a nation can know, and it is inevitable under the contemporary form of colonization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-milosevi/the-loss-of-national-identity-is-the-greatest-defeat-a-nation-can/) [Slobodan Milosević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-milosevi/) > [“But the alternative is the return to power of Labour. This is the party which did more than any other to wreck Britain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-craig/but-the-alternative-is-the-return-to-power-of-labour-this-is-the/) [David Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-craig/) > [A waning United States would likely be more nationalistic, more defensive about its national identity, more paranoid about its homeland security, and less willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/a-waning-united-states-would-likely-be-more-nationalistic-more/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [“The prevalence of anti-patriotic attitudes among liberal intellectuals led some of them to warn their fellow liberals of the consequences of such attitudes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/the-prevalence-of-anti-patriotic-attitudes-among-liberal/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [“According to royal doctrine, the king’s role as defender of Egypt (and the whole of creation) involved the corresponding defeat of Egypt’s neighbors (who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-a-h-wilkinson/according-to-royal-doctrine-the-king-s-role-as-defender-of-egypt-and/) [Toby A.H. Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-a-h-wilkinson/) > [Theatre has no national identity. It is something for the world, whether it is Irish, English, or French.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-cusack/theatre-has-no-national-identity-it-is-something-for-the-world/) [Cyril Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-cusack/) > [People are less certain of their national identities or their place in the world. It starts looking different and disorienting. And there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/people-are-less-certain-of-their-national-identities-or-their-place/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Elvis Costello > [Good manners and bad breath will get you nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/good-manners-and-bad-breath-will-get-you-nowhere/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [History repeats the old conceits, the glib replies, the same defeats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/history-repeats-the-old-conceits-the-glib-replies-the-same-defeats/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [People think it is all about country music, and I know a lot of country music has come out of there, but like Blonde…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/people-think-it-is-all-about-country-music-and-i-know-a-lot-of/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [I get very frustrated by this term 'genre exercise.' I mean, what exactly is that? Genre is not really relevant when you are writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-get-very-frustrated-by-this-term-genre-exercise-i-mean-what-exactly/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal. I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/even-in-a-perfect-world-where-everyone-was-equal-i-d-still-own-the/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Somebody should clip Sting around the head and tell him to stop using that ridiculous Jamaican accent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/somebody-should-clip-sting-around-the-head-and-tell-him-to-stop-using/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [There is something wrong with you if you don't get angry about something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/there-is-something-wrong-with-you-if-you-don-t-get-angry-about/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [“Was it a millionaire who said "imagine no possessions?" A poor little schoolboy who said "we don't need no lessons?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no-possessions-a-poor-little/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Though the passion still flutters and flickers, it never got into our knickers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/though-the-passion-still-flutters-and-flickers-it-never-got-into-our/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [My dad's father was a White Star Line trumpet player in the '20s. It shaped the way that I think about music. My grandfather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/my-dad-s-father-was-a-white-star-line-trumpet-player-in-the-20s-it/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Life for me is about movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/life-for-me-is-about-movement/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Maybe I just never learned my harmony part, because what everybody says sounds odd to them sounds perfectly natural to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/maybe-i-just-never-learned-my-harmony-part-because-what-everybody/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [There are a lot of things that you can like at a distance without spending a huge amount of time pondering. It's not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/there-are-a-lot-of-things-that-you-can-like-at-a-distance-without/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Don't wear your heart on your sleeve when your remarks are off the cuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/don-t-wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve-when-your-remarks-are-off-the/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [I'm just the mere shadow of my former selfishness. I crave the silhouette of your kiss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-m-just-the-mere-shadow-of-my-former-selfishness-i-crave-the/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) [Explore all 197 Elvis Costello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) ## More British quotes > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/) [Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. The old Soviet Union turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/while-we-like-to-think-queueing-is-unique-to-british-culture-the/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [The whole nuclear-arms-control and non-proliferation policy of the nuclear powers is a fraud: The Americans could not prevent the Soviets from replicating their weaponry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-black/the-whole-nuclear-arms-control-and-non-proliferation-policy-of-the/) [Conrad Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-black/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) [Browse all 3,149 British quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've never felt British. 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