---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I read a story about some old opera…"
description: "\"I read a story about some old opera singer once, and when a guy asked her to marry him, she took him backstage after she had sung a real triumph, with ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/janis-joplin-6558_audience_i-read-a-story-about-some-old-opera-sing_3011643.jpg"
---

#  I read a story about some old opera singer once, and when…

![“I read a story about some old opera singer once, and when a guy asked her to marry him, she took him backstage after she had sung a real triumph, with all the people calling for her, asked, 'Do you think you could give me that?' That story hit me right, man. I know no guy ever made me feel as good…” quote by Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/janis-joplin-6558_audience_i-read-a-story-about-some-old-opera-sing_3011643.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/janis-joplin-6558_audience_i-read-a-story-about-some-old-opera-sing_3011643.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/janis-joplin-6558_audience_i-read-a-story-about-some-old-opera-sing_3011643.jpg)

> “I read a story about some old opera singer once, and when a guy asked her to marry him, she took him backstage after she had sung a real triumph, with all the people calling for her, asked, 'Do you think you could give me that?' That story hit me right, man. I know no guy ever made me feel as good as an audience. I'm really far into this now, really committed. Like, I don't think I'd go off the road for long now, for life with a guy no matter how good. Yeah, it's the truth. Scary thing to say though, isn't it?”

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A powerful performance can create a feeling of validation that surpasses romantic approval, reinforcing personal commitment to one’s art.

**In simple terms:** Audience applause can feel more affirming than a partner’s promise.

Key Takeaway

Seek validation from your craft, not just relationships.

Themes

art validation commitment

Mood

reflective emotive

Type

personal inspirational

When to use this quote

- concert stages
- studio recordings
- personal milestones

Key Concepts

self‑esteem performance impact

Questions to Reflect On

- What does audience approval mean to you?
- How do you balance personal and professional validation?

A Different Perspective

Relying solely on external applause may be fleeting.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Asked Marry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-marry/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Audience Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience-really/) [Calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling/) [Committed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/committed/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Give me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/give-me/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Good Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-audience-365510/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Guy Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy-asked-591227/) [Guy Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy-feel-323798/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera/) [Opera singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera-singer/) [Opera singers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera-singers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Right man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-man/) [Scary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary/) [Scary things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary-things/) [Singers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singers/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Triumph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triumph/) [Yeah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yeah/)

## Related quotes

> [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/)

[Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/)

> [You can only be as good as your audience. Sometimes you can be as bad as your audience, but you have to remember you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-forsyth/you-can-only-be-as-good-as-your-audience-sometimes-you-can-be-as-bad/)

[Bruce Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-forsyth/)

> [Part of the discipline of being an editor is that you have to be a good audience member; your work is to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-cassidy/part-of-the-discipline-of-being-an-editor-is-that-you-have-to-be-a/)

[Jay Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-cassidy/)

> [We've always considered our music to be a healing process. It's our 'tool' to work things out with each other and try to communicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-carey/we-ve-always-considered-our-music-to-be-a-healing-process-it-s-our/)

[Danny Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-carey/)

> [A performance is only as good as the audience you are playing to. A lot of times you feed off of the audience, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-jones/a-performance-is-only-as-good-as-the-audience-you-are-playing-to-a/)

[Kelly Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-jones/)

> [I love music and love a good audience and still have to make a living. Why would I quit?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-watson/i-love-music-and-love-a-good-audience-and-still-have-to-make-a-living/)

[Doc Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-watson/)

> [There's still too much filler, copycat programming that's out there. We work so hard to pioneer new ideas, and then those ideas are just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-dubuc/there-s-still-too-much-filler-copycat-programming-that-s-out-there-we/)

[Nancy Dubuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-dubuc/)

> [I'm a good audience in general, but it's hard to make me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogler/i-m-a-good-audience-in-general-but-it-s-hard-to-make-me-laugh/)

[Dan Fogler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogler/)

> [A good talker, even more than a good orator, implies a good audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/a-good-talker-even-more-than-a-good-orator-implies-a-good-audience/)

[Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/)

> [I believe that as an entertainer, you're only as good as your audience and the people who support you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-levi/i-believe-that-as-an-entertainer-you-re-only-as-good-as-your-audience/)

[Zachary Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-levi/)

> [When I do something good, the audience lets me know immediately. They laugh. That's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/when-i-do-something-good-the-audience-lets-me-know-immediately-they/)

[Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/)

> [It's new and different every night. The charge you get from a good audience is like nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-burton/it-s-new-and-different-every-night-the-charge-you-get-from-a-good/)

[Lance Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-burton/)

> [I'm always my own worst enemy. I'm like, 'Every show's my last.' I'm a lunatic, but that's my own issue. If I had time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sallyann-salsano/i-m-always-my-own-worst-enemy-i-m-like-every-show-s-my-last-i-m-a/)

[SallyAnn Salsano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sallyann-salsano/)

> [If you are true at telling the story, it will get a good audience, and the required numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasika-dugal/if-you-are-true-at-telling-the-story-it-will-get-a-good-audience-and/)

[Rasika Dugal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasika-dugal/)

> [I did odd plays, took up small roles. The good part was that the audience always remembered me. However, it used to be quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asrani/i-did-odd-plays-took-up-small-roles-the-good-part-was-that-the/)

[Asrani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asrani/)

## More by Janis Joplin

> [Guess what, I might be the first hippie pinup girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/guess-what-i-might-be-the-first-hippie-pinup-girl/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/gimme-a-pigfoot-and-a-bottle-of-beer/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [All my life I just wanted to be a beatnik. Meet all the heavies, get stoned, get laid, have a good time. That's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/all-my-life-i-just-wanted-to-be-a-beatnik-meet-all-the-heavies-get/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [On stage I make love to twenty five thousand people; and then I go home alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/on-stage-i-make-love-to-twenty-five-thousand-people-and-then-i-go/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [I'm a victim of my own insides. There was a time when I wanted to know everything. It used to make me very unhappy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/i-m-a-victim-of-my-own-insides-there-was-a-time-when-i-wanted-to-know/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [“Tomorrow never happens. It’s all the same fucking day, man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/tomorrow-never-happens-it-s-all-the-same-fucking-day-man/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [All of a sudden, someone threw me in front of this rock and roll band. And I decided then and there that was it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/all-of-a-sudden-someone-threw-me-in-front-of-this-rock-and-roll-band/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [You are what you settle for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/you-are-what-you-settle-for/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [If you've got a today, don't wear it tomorrow. Tomorrow never happens. It's all the same day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/if-you-ve-got-a-today-don-t-wear-it-tomorrow-tomorrow-never-happens/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [This whole thing that's happened to me, you see, this whole success thing..it hasn't yet really compromised the position that I took a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/this-whole-thing-that-s-happened-to-me-you-see-this-whole-success/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [Like most girls I'm always really self-conscious about do I look fat, if my legs are short, if I'm weird shaped, but when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/like-most-girls-i-m-always-really-self-conscious-about-do-i-look-fat/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [You are what you settle for. You are only as much as you settle for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/you-are-what-you-settle-for-you-are-only-as-much-as-you-settle-for/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [It's not what isn't, it's what you wish was that makes unhappiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/it-s-not-what-isn-t-it-s-what-you-wish-was-that-makes-unhappiness/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [I'm tired of all these hippie jack-offs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/i-m-tired-of-all-these-hippie-jack-offs/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

> [At my concerts most of the chicks are looking for liberation, they think I'm gonna show 'em how to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/at-my-concerts-most-of-the-chicks-are-looking-for-liberation-they/)

[Janis Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

[Explore all 98 Janis Joplin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/)

## More Audience quotes

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/)

[Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/)

> [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/)

> [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/)

[Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/)

> [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/)

[An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/)

> [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/)

[Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/)

> [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/)

[Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/)

> [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/)

[Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/)

> [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/)

[Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/)

> [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/)

[Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/)

> [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/)

[J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/)

> [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/)

[Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/)

> [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/)

[John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/)

[Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I read a story about some old opera singer once, and when a guy asked her to marry him, she took him backstage after she had sung a real triumph, with all the people calling for her, asked, 'Do you think you could give me that?' That story hit me right, man. I know no guy ever made me feel as good as an audience. I'm really far into this now, really committed. Like, I don't think I'd go off the road for long now, for life with a guy no matter how good. Yeah, it's the truth. Scary thing to say though, isn't it?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Janis Joplin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/i-read-a-story-about-some-old-opera-singer-once-and-when-a-guy-asked/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Audience"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/i-read-a-story-about-some-old-opera-singer-once-and-when-a-guy-asked/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/janis-joplin-6558_audience_i-read-a-story-about-some-old-opera-sing_3011643.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/janis-joplin-6558_audience_i-read-a-story-about-some-old-opera-sing_3011643.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/janis-joplin-6558_audience_i-read-a-story-about-some-old-opera-sing_3011643.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I read a story about some old opera singer once, and when a guy asked her to marry him, she took him…” — Janis Joplin",
                "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": "Janis Joplin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-joplin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I read a story about some...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/i-read-a-story-about-some-old-opera-singer-once-and-when-a-guy-asked/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-joplin/i-read-a-story-about-some-old-opera-singer-once-and-when-a-guy-asked/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
