--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't play anything but the blues, but…" description: "\"I don't play anything but the blues, but now I could never make no money on nothin' but the blues. That's why I wasn't interested in nothin' else.\" — H..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/howlin-wolf-34931_blues-music_i-don-t-play-anything-but-the-blues-but_1915872.jpg" --- # I don't play anything but the blues, but now I could never… ![“I don't play anything but the blues, but now I could never make no money on nothin' but the blues. That's why I wasn't interested in nothin' else.” quote by Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/howlin-wolf-34931_blues-music_i-don-t-play-anything-but-the-blues-but_1915872.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/howlin-wolf-34931_blues-music_i-don-t-play-anything-but-the-blues-but_1915872.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/howlin-wolf-34931_blues-music_i-don-t-play-anything-but-the-blues-but_1915872.jpg) > “I don't play anything but the blues, but now I could never make no money on nothin' but the blues. That's why I wasn't interested in nothin' else.” [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He declares exclusive dedication to blues music, rejecting other genres for artistic authenticity. **In simple terms:** Commitment to a single style defines identity. Key Takeaway Stay true to your artistic passion. Themes music authenticity artistic integrity Mood defiant proud Type musical cultural When to use this quote - career planning - brand building - musical education Key Concepts blues tradition genre loyalty creative focus Questions to Reflect On - Can staying niche hinder growth? - How might diversification affect your art? A Different Perspective It may limit creative exploration and market reach. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) [Blues music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues-music/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [I wanted to play blues. But I wasn't blue enough. I wasn't like Muddy Waters, people who really had it hard. In our house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-berry/i-wanted-to-play-blues-but-i-wasn-t-blue-enough-i-wasn-t-like-muddy/) [Chuck Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-berry/) > [A guy will promise you the world and give you nothin', and that's the blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/a-guy-will-promise-you-the-world-and-give-you-nothin-and-that-s-the/) [Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/) > [Simple music is the hardest music to play and blues is simple music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-collins/simple-music-is-the-hardest-music-to-play-and-blues-is-simple-music/) [Albert Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-collins/) > [You don't have to live the blues to play the blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-mann/you-don-t-have-to-live-the-blues-to-play-the-blues/) [Herbie Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-mann/) > [I didn't spend money on nothin'. Besides my daughter, bucket hats, and weed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/schoolboy-q/i-didn-t-spend-money-on-nothin-besides-my-daughter-bucket-hats-and/) [Schoolboy Q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/schoolboy-q/) > [You like the fo' door, me I just do two. If you ain't getting money, then I'm nothin' like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rocko/you-like-the-fo-door-me-i-just-do-two-if-you-ain-t-getting-money-then/) [Rocko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rocko/) > [What originally established the band was cover songs like Not Fade Away. Then, later on, we got more well-known ones like Satisfaction, which you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/what-originally-established-the-band-was-cover-songs-like-not-fade/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [There's a more experimental album that follows that, which is like Black Magic and While You Were Sleeping. Then there's a return to jazz,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-james/there-s-a-more-experimental-album-that-follows-that-which-is-like/) [Jose James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-james/) > [I just play blues for fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/i-just-play-blues-for-fun/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [When you ain’t got no money, you got the blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/when-you-ain-t-got-no-money-you-got-the-blues/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [For a while I had a blues band in L.A., but I realized I was too optimistic to play the blues. I did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-reilly/for-a-while-i-had-a-blues-band-in-l-a-but-i-realized-i-was-too/) [John C. Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-reilly/) > [There was a rumour that I was buying Gibson. It circulated around the Internet... And I just go, 'How well off do you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/there-was-a-rumour-that-i-was-buying-gibson-it-circulated-around-the/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [I don't even think whether I play the blues or not, I just play whatever feels right at the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gilmour/i-don-t-even-think-whether-i-play-the-blues-or-not-i-just-play/) [David Gilmour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gilmour/) > [If you can't play the Blues you might as well hang it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-gordon/if-you-can-t-play-the-blues-you-might-as-well-hang-it-up/) [Dexter Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-gordon/) > [My father's rich, my momma's good looking. Right? And I can play the Blues. I've never suffered and don't intend to suffer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/my-father-s-rich-my-momma-s-good-looking-right-and-i-can-play-the/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) ## More by Howlin' Wolf > [Farming's always been my business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/farming-s-always-been-my-business/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [I just play blues for fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/i-just-play-blues-for-fun/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [I used to have a radio show. That's how I started foolin' around with recording.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/i-used-to-have-a-radio-show-that-s-how-i-started-foolin-around-with/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [The idea of 'Spoonful' was that it doesn't take a large quantity of anything to be good. If you have a little money when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/the-idea-of-spoonful-was-that-it-doesn-t-take-a-large-quantity-of/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [ I don't have anything to say about the guy \[Muddy Waters\], you know. Treat me all right. But I can this: they are jealous… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/i-don-t-have-anything-to-say-about-the-guy-muddy-waters-you-know/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [Watch out strange cat people, little red roosters on the prowl. If you see my little red rooster, please drive him home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/watch-out-strange-cat-people-little-red-roosters-on-the-prowl-if-you/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [A lot of people wonder, what is the blues? Well, I'm gonna tell you what the blues is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/a-lot-of-people-wonder-what-is-the-blues-well-i-m-gonna-tell-you-what/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [I couldn't do no yodelin', so I turned to howlin'. And it's done me just fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/i-couldn-t-do-no-yodelin-so-i-turned-to-howlin-and-it-s-done-me-just/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [Ain't no better place than the US. This is a free enterprise system. You can get whatever you want in the US.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/ain-t-no-better-place-than-the-us-this-is-a-free-enterprise-system/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [I eat more chicken any man ever seen,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/i-eat-more-chicken-any-man-ever-seen/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [When you ain’t got no money, you got the blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/when-you-ain-t-got-no-money-you-got-the-blues/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [Somebody has been cashing checks, and they've been bouncing back on us. And these people, the poor class of Negroes and the poor class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/somebody-has-been-cashing-checks-and-they-ve-been-bouncing-back-on-us/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) > [I raise corn and cattle and soybeans. Soybeans are a good cash crop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howlin-wolf/i-raise-corn-and-cattle-and-soybeans-soybeans-are-a-good-cash-crop/) [Howlin' Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) [Explore all 14 Howlin' Wolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howlin-wolf/) ## More Blues quotes > [If they played more blues, people would just get it - they try to hold it back but just about can't hold it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-hooker/if-they-played-more-blues-people-would-just-get-it-they-try-to-hold/) [John Lee Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-hooker/) > [I love Las Vegas, but I never get a chance to play a club like the House of Blues. I guess we've graduated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/i-love-las-vegas-but-i-never-get-a-chance-to-play-a-club-like-the/) [Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/) > [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [I guess what I like is mostly country & western or else stuff that has a real blues feel to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-guess-what-i-like-is-mostly-country-western-or-else-stuff-that-has/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [I'm a rock/blues guitar player. I'm not wanting to be a pop star or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orianthi/i-m-a-rock-blues-guitar-player-i-m-not-wanting-to-be-a-pop-star-or/) [Orianthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orianthi/) > [An element I love about the blues is jamming with other musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hoey/an-element-i-love-about-the-blues-is-jamming-with-other-musicians/) [Gary Hoey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hoey/) > [Well, I don't know how they define that. But they have this Texas blues thing blown kinda out of proportion. I am a Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hunter/well-i-don-t-know-how-they-define-that-but-they-have-this-texas-blues/) [John Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hunter/) > [Since I was a kid, I've had an absolute obsession with particular kinds of American music. Mississippi Delta blues of the Thirties, Chicago blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/since-i-was-a-kid-i-ve-had-an-absolute-obsession-with-particular/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [James Cotton is a real blues guy, and he played with Muddy Waters, and it surprised me that they would want me to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-haden/james-cotton-is-a-real-blues-guy-and-he-played-with-muddy-waters-and/) [Charlie Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-haden/) > [When I discovered blues - I was 12-years-old - I didn't discover it in America where it was from; I discovered it from Fleetwood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/when-i-discovered-blues-i-was-12-years-old-i-didn-t-discover-it-in/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [Elvis deserves a lot of credit for bringing the blues to middle America, not the Vegas stuff. The early stuff, The Sun records, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tork/elvis-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-bringing-the-blues-to-middle/) [Peter Tork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tork/) > [Old-school rock bands, and blues bands, too, are kind of a dying breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-rossington/old-school-rock-bands-and-blues-bands-too-are-kind-of-a-dying-breed/) [Gary Rossington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-rossington/) > [My favorite moment of the whole thing was when John Belushi suggested that I get a hold of all the blues records I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-cropper/my-favorite-moment-of-the-whole-thing-was-when-john-belushi-suggested/) [Steve Cropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-cropper/) > [I listened to King Oliver and I listened to Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp... I listened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/i-listened-to-king-oliver-and-i-listened-to-louis-armstrong-jelly/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) [Browse all 1,026 Blues quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't play anything but the blues, but now I could never make no money on nothin' but the blues. 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