--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do we really want to know how Michael…" description: "\"Do we really want to know how Michael Jackson makes his music? No. We want to understand why he needs the bones of the Elephant Man -- and, until he te..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/frank-zappa-702_bones_do-we-really-want-to-know-how-michael-ja_3233914.jpg" --- # Do we really want to know how Michael Jackson makes his… ![“Do we really want to know how Michael Jackson makes his music? No. We want to understand why he needs the bones of the Elephant Man -- and, until he tells us, it doesn't make too much difference whether or not he really is ''bad.” quote by Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/frank-zappa-702_bones_do-we-really-want-to-know-how-michael-ja_3233914.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/frank-zappa-702_bones_do-we-really-want-to-know-how-michael-ja_3233914.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/frank-zappa-702_bones_do-we-really-want-to-know-how-michael-ja_3233914.jpg) > “Do we really want to know how Michael Jackson makes his music? No. We want to understand why he needs the bones of the Elephant Man -- and, until he tells us, it doesn't make too much difference whether or not he really is ''bad.” [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Zappa questions that the focus should be on artistic intent, not sensational details about collaborators. **In simple terms:** Focus on why music is made, not bizarre anecdotes. Key Takeaway Prioritize artistic purpose over gossip. Themes art intent culture Mood critical analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - music criticism - documentary filmmaking - media analysis - public discourse Key Concepts music production celebrity myth ethical curiosity Questions to Reflect On - What drives an artist’s creative choices? - How does media focus affect public perception? A Different Perspective Sensationalism can distract from genuine artistic discussion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Elephants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elephants/) [Fame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fame/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Stardom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stardom/) ## Related quotes > [His name is Michael Jackson, not Super Michael Jackson. He makes mistakes just like all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heavy-d/his-name-is-michael-jackson-not-super-michael-jackson-he-makes/) [Heavy D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heavy-d/) > [On Michael Jackson and child stardom: He had one of the worst childhoods ever. I think I had the second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/on-michael-jackson-and-child-stardom-he-had-one-of-the-worst/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [It's an incredible rise to stardom. At 17 you're more likely to get a call from Michael Jackson than England manager Sven Goran Eriksson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-strachan/it-s-an-incredible-rise-to-stardom-at-17-you-re-more-likely-to-get-a-2/) [Gordon Strachan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-strachan/) > [I write the music I like. If other people like it, fine, they can go buy the albums. And if they don't like it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/i-write-the-music-i-like-if-other-people-like-it-fine-they-can-go-buy/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [I saw David Lynch's 'The Elephant Man' when I was 15. I was completely bowled over. I found it so beautiful, strange and mesmerizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-daniels/i-saw-david-lynch-s-the-elephant-man-when-i-was-15-i-was-completely/) [Ben Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-daniels/) > [But my mother loved The Elephant Man, and my father gave David Lynch a scholarship to study in Rome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/but-my-mother-loved-the-elephant-man-and-my-father-gave-david-lynch-a/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [The Elephant Man would never have gotten up and gone, ‘Oh, God. Look at me hair today.’](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/the-elephant-man-would-never-have-gotten-up-and-gone-oh-god-look-at/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Always drawn to the theatric, Bowie also performed in stage productions of "The Elephant Man" and just recently collaborated on "Lazarus," an off-Broadway musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/always-drawn-to-the-theatric-bowie-also-performed-in-stage/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > ['The Elephant Man' was hugely enjoyable to do. I thought the one stage, when Chris Tucker did the first makeup and it took 12…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/the-elephant-man-was-hugely-enjoyable-to-do-i-thought-the-one-stage/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [I'll do anything to keep everyone laughing. Things get too intense on film sets. I remember on The Elephant Man, I used to imitate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/i-ll-do-anything-to-keep-everyone-laughing-things-get-too-intense-on/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) > [The mind's the standard of the man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-mind-s-the-standard-of-the-man/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [I first got involved with Mel Brooks through 'The Elephant Man.' Everybody knows now, but they didn't know at the time that he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/i-first-got-involved-with-mel-brooks-through-the-elephant-man/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [If you've got a great crew it's intense, but its quite short. 'The Elephant Man' was longer than most, for an independent film. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/if-you-ve-got-a-great-crew-it-s-intense-but-its-quite-short-the/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [ It's amazing how quickly human beings adapt, isn't it? It was such a great crew, and David \[Lynch\] was wonderful to work with \[on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/it-s-amazing-how-quickly-human-beings-adapt-isn-t-it-it-was-such-a/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [I always think I look like the Elephant Man - I can't get used to my own image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/i-always-think-i-look-like-the-elephant-man-i-can-t-get-used-to-my/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) ## More by Frank Zappa > [If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/if-you-want-to-get-laid-go-to-college-if-you-want-an-education-go-to/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [While your children are sleeping, your puppy is crappin'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/while-your-children-are-sleeping-your-puppy-is-crappin/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Very few people do covers of my tunes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/very-few-people-do-covers-of-my-tunes/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Cocaine decisions that you make today, will mean nothing later on when you get nose decay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/cocaine-decisions-that-you-make-today-will-mean-nothing-later-on-when/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Government is the Entertainment division of the military-industrial complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/government-is-the-entertainment-division-of-the-military-industrial/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Do your job and do it right, life's a ball, TV tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/do-your-job-and-do-it-right-life-s-a-ball-tv-tonight/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Fact of the matter is, there is no hip world, there is no straight world. There's a world, you see which has people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/fact-of-the-matter-is-there-is-no-hip-world-there-is-no-straight/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Broken hearts are for assholes, are you an asshole?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/broken-hearts-are-for-assholes-are-you-an-asshole/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Anyone who is disturbed by the idea of newts in a nightclub is potentially dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/anyone-who-is-disturbed-by-the-idea-of-newts-in-a-nightclub-is/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [The bigger the cushion, the better the pushin'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/the-bigger-the-cushion-the-better-the-pushin/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Give me the enchilada with the pickle sauce shoved up between the donkey's ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/give-me-the-enchilada-with-the-pickle-sauce-shoved-up-between-the/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Sit and spin 'til you rot on the cosmic utensil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/sit-and-spin-til-you-rot-on-the-cosmic-utensil/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [To me absurdity is the only reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/to-me-absurdity-is-the-only-reality/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Is this something new, having people stomp on you? Is it what I need to do for your pleasure?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/is-this-something-new-having-people-stomp-on-you-is-it-what-i-need-to/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/look-here-brother-who-you-jivin-with-that-cosmik-debris/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) [Explore all 400 Frank Zappa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) ## More Bones quotes > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/may-nothing-entice-me-till-i-happily-make-my-way-to-jesus-christ-fire/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Surely, God could have caused birds to fly with their bones made of solid gold, with their veins full of quicksilver, with their flesh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/surely-god-could-have-caused-birds-to-fly-with-their-bones-made-of/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [“We are preaching hope, standing on the bones of the past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rucyahana/we-are-preaching-hope-standing-on-the-bones-of-the-past/) [John Rucyahana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rucyahana/) > [Men are fair, and they have learned not to personalize anger - they can disagree with you and argue to the bone, but afterward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/men-are-fair-and-they-have-learned-not-to-personalize-anger-they-can/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. I think I used four boxes of Soilex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/i-separated-the-joints-the-arm-joints-the-leg-joints-and-had-to-do/) [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/) > [Flesh forgets. Bone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-bass/flesh-forgets-bone-remembers/) [Jefferson Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-bass/) > [One of my favorite poets, Neruda, writes close to the bone. Though I know only a little Spanish, I like to compare the Spanish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-diament/one-of-my-favorite-poets-neruda-writes-close-to-the-bone-though-i/) [Anita Diament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-diament/) > [Death and burial were a public spectacle. Shakespeare may have seen for himself the gravediggers at St Ann's, Soho, playing skittles with skulls and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catharine-arnold/death-and-burial-were-a-public-spectacle-shakespeare-may-have-seen/) [Catharine Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catharine-arnold/) > [REVIEW, v.t. To set your wisdom (holding not a doubt of it./ Although in truth there's neither bone nor skin to it)/ At work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/review-v-t-to-set-your-wisdom-holding-not-a-doubt-of-it-although-in/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“All right, you deadly little ghostlings,” I muttered. “Mama says go back to bed! - Cat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/all-right-you-deadly-little-ghostlings-i-muttered-mama-says-go-back/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [I’m in, Cat. I’d never leave you. Especially when you’ve got death breathing down your neck.” “Very funny,” I retorted, since Bones was inches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-m-in-cat-i-d-never-leave-you-especially-when-you-ve-got-death/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) Browse all 2,113 Bones quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Do we really want to know how Michael Jackson makes his music? 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