--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In no instance is there to be a musical…" description: "\"In no instance is there to be a musical or opera of Inherit the Wind because it doesn't sing. It's an intellectual play.\" — Jerome Lawrence" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/jerome-lawrence-18153_inherit-the-wind_in-no-instance-is-there-to-be-a-musical_1830970.png" --- # In no instance is there to be a musical or opera of… ![“In no instance is there to be a musical or opera of Inherit the Wind because it doesn't sing. It's an intellectual play.” quote by Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/jerome-lawrence-18153_inherit-the-wind_in-no-instance-is-there-to-be-a-musical_1830970.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/jerome-lawrence-18153_inherit-the-wind_in-no-instance-is-there-to-be-a-musical_1830970.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e17/jerome-lawrence-18153_inherit-the-wind_in-no-instance-is-there-to-be-a-musical_1830970.png) > “In no instance is there to be a musical or opera of Inherit the Wind because it doesn't sing. It's an intellectual play.” [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The work is an intellectual drama, not a musical; its power lies in ideas, not song. **In simple terms:** It's a thought‑driven play, not a singing performance. Key Takeaway Focus on the message, not the format. Themes theatre intellectual drama ideas Mood thoughtful serious Type dramatic intellectual When to use this quote - classroom discussion - political debate - film adaptation - public speaking Key Concepts philosophy rhetoric dialogue Questions to Reflect On - How does the lack of music affect audience engagement? - Can ideas alone move people as strongly as song? A Different Perspective May lack emotional immediacy compared to musical storytelling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inherit the wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherit-the-wind/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) ## Related quotes > [The aftermath of the war is what inspired us to write many of our plays. The whole reason for our writing Inherit the Wind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/the-aftermath-of-the-war-is-what-inspired-us-to-write-many-of-our/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [“I don't swear just for the hell of it. Language is a poor enough means of communication. I think we should use all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/i-don-t-swear-just-for-the-hell-of-it-language-is-a-poor-enough-means/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [Progress has never been a bargain. You have to pay for it. Sometimes I think there's a man who sits behind a counter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/progress-has-never-been-a-bargain-you-have-to-pay-for-it-sometimes-i/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [No kid in the world, no woman in the world should ever raise a hand against a no-good daddy. That's already been taken care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/no-kid-in-the-world-no-woman-in-the-world-should-ever-raise-a-hand/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [But to paraphrase Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind, ignorance and mediocrity are forever busy, and the forces of mediocrity aren't content with being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafe-esquith/but-to-paraphrase-henry-drummond-in-inherit-the-wind-ignorance-and/) [Rafe Esquith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafe-esquith/) > [When I did Inherit the Wind, I learned about teaching school. I also found out what a fundamentalist was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-york/when-i-did-inherit-the-wind-i-learned-about-teaching-school-i-also/) [Dick York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-york/) > [Inherit the Wind is a wonderful play, and I was in the original with Paul Muni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-randall/inherit-the-wind-is-a-wonderful-play-and-i-was-in-the-original-with/) [Tony Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-randall/) > [“He who sows discord in his own house will inherit the wind. Proverbs 11:19”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-who-sows-discord-in-his-own-house-will-inherit-the-wind-proverbs/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Experience without theory is blind, but theory without experience is mere intellectual play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/experience-without-theory-is-blind-but-theory-without-experience-is/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Progress has never been a bargain. You have to pay for it. Sometimes I think there's a man who sits behind a counter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/progress-has-never-been-a-bargain-you-have-to-pay-for-it-sometimes-i-2/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral. And the advance of man's knowledge is more of a miracle than any sticks turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/an-idea-is-a-greater-monument-than-a-cathedral-and-the-advance-of-man-2/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [Darwin was wrong. Man's still an ape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/darwin-was-wrong-man-s-still-an-ape/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [“Can't you understand? That if you take a law like evolution and you make it a crime to teach it in the public schools,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/can-t-you-understand-that-if-you-take-a-law-like-evolution-and-you/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [“…I must say that "Right" has no meaning to me whatsoever! Truth has meaning - as a direction. But one of the peculiar imbecilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/i-must-say-that-right-has-no-meaning-to-me-whatsoever-truth-has/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [“A bird doesn't sing because he has an answer-he sings because he has a song.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-walsh-anglund/a-bird-doesn-t-sing-because-he-has-an-answer-he-sings-because-he-has/) [Joan Walsh Anglund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-walsh-anglund/) ## More by Jerome Lawrence > [When you lose the power to laugh, you lose your power to think straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/when-you-lose-the-power-to-laugh-you-lose-your-power-to-think-straight/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [“He weighs the volume in his hand; this one has been the center of the whirlwind. Then DRUMMOND notices the Bible on the JUDGE's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/he-weighs-the-volume-in-his-hand-this-one-has-been-the-center-of-the/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [Progress has never been a bargain. You have to pay for it. Sometimes I think there's a man who sits behind a counter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/progress-has-never-been-a-bargain-you-have-to-pay-for-it-sometimes-i/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [I think enthusiasm is the answer to passionate writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/i-think-enthusiasm-is-the-answer-to-passionate-writing/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [All motion is relative. Maybe it's you who've moved away by standing still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/all-motion-is-relative-maybe-it-s-you-who-ve-moved-away-by-standing/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [“I don't swear just for the hell of it. Language is a poor enough means of communication. I think we should use all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/i-don-t-swear-just-for-the-hell-of-it-language-is-a-poor-enough-means/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [The whole point of writing is to have something in your gut or in your soul or in your mind that's burning to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/the-whole-point-of-writing-is-to-have-something-in-your-gut-or-in/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [It's always such a joy that you wake up in the morning and there's work to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/it-s-always-such-a-joy-that-you-wake-up-in-the-morning-and-there-s/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [“Why? Because I refuse to erase a man's lifetime? I tell you Brady had the same right as Cates: the right to be wrong!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/why-because-i-refuse-to-erase-a-man-s-lifetime-i-tell-you-brady-had/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [The aftermath of the war is what inspired us to write many of our plays. The whole reason for our writing Inherit the Wind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/the-aftermath-of-the-war-is-what-inspired-us-to-write-many-of-our/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [“Hot dog? Bible? Now that poses a problem! Which is hungrier-my stomach or my soul?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/hot-dog-bible-now-that-poses-a-problem-which-is-hungrier-my-stomach/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [The man who has everything figured out is probably a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/the-man-who-has-everything-figured-out-is-probably-a-fool/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [Our only competition in the theater is boredom, because if I'm bored with a play, if I'm revolted by a play on stage, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/our-only-competition-in-the-theater-is-boredom-because-if-i-m-bored/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [A play is a passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/a-play-is-a-passion/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [“A giant once lived in that body. But Matt Brady got lost. Because he was looking for God too high up and too far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/a-giant-once-lived-in-that-body-but-matt-brady-got-lost-because-he/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) [Explore all 35 Jerome Lawrence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) ## More Inherit the wind quotes > [When I did Inherit the Wind, I learned about teaching school. I also found out what a fundamentalist was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-york/when-i-did-inherit-the-wind-i-learned-about-teaching-school-i-also/) [Dick York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-york/) > [Progress has never been a bargain. You have to pay for it. Sometimes I think there's a man who sits behind a counter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/progress-has-never-been-a-bargain-you-have-to-pay-for-it-sometimes-i/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [No kid in the world, no woman in the world should ever raise a hand against a no-good daddy. That's already been taken care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/no-kid-in-the-world-no-woman-in-the-world-should-ever-raise-a-hand/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [But to paraphrase Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind, ignorance and mediocrity are forever busy, and the forces of mediocrity aren't content with being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafe-esquith/but-to-paraphrase-henry-drummond-in-inherit-the-wind-ignorance-and/) [Rafe Esquith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafe-esquith/) > [“I don't swear just for the hell of it. Language is a poor enough means of communication. I think we should use all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/i-don-t-swear-just-for-the-hell-of-it-language-is-a-poor-enough-means/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [Inherit the Wind is a wonderful play, and I was in the original with Paul Muni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-randall/inherit-the-wind-is-a-wonderful-play-and-i-was-in-the-original-with/) [Tony Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-randall/) > [The aftermath of the war is what inspired us to write many of our plays. The whole reason for our writing Inherit the Wind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/the-aftermath-of-the-war-is-what-inspired-us-to-write-many-of-our/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [I may be rancid butter, but I'm on your side of the bread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-kelly/i-may-be-rancid-butter-but-i-m-on-your-side-of-the-bread/) [Gene Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-kelly/) > [“The approach to digital culture I abhor would indeed turn all the world's books into one book, just as Kevin (Kelly) suggested. It might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/the-approach-to-digital-culture-i-abhor-would-indeed-turn-all-the/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-darrow/an-idea-is-a-greater-monument-than-a-cathedral/) [Clarence Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-darrow/) > [“Can't you understand? That if you take a law like evolution and you make it a crime to teach it in the public schools,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/can-t-you-understand-that-if-you-take-a-law-like-evolution-and-you/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [Darwin was wrong. Man's still an ape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/darwin-was-wrong-man-s-still-an-ape/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral. And the advance of man's knowledge is more of a miracle than any sticks turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/an-idea-is-a-greater-monument-than-a-cathedral-and-the-advance-of-man-2/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) > [How do you know that God didn't speak to Charles Darwin?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/how-do-you-know-that-god-didn-t-speak-to-charles-darwin/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [“He who sows discord in his own house will inherit the wind. Proverbs 11:19”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-who-sows-discord-in-his-own-house-will-inherit-the-wind-proverbs/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 18 Inherit the wind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherit-the-wind/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In no instance is there to be a musical or opera of Inherit the Wind because it doesn't sing. 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