--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Music goes way back before language does…" description: "\"Music goes way back before language does. And music is like the key to a whole spiritual existence which this society doesn't even talk about. We know ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a18/jerry-garcia-2346_age_music-goes-way-back-before-language-does_1647733.jpg" --- # Music goes way back before language does. And music is… ![“Music goes way back before language does. And music is like the key to a whole spiritual existence which this society doesn't even talk about. We know it's there. The Grateful Dead plays at religious services essentially. We play at the religious services of the new age. Everybody gets high, and…” quote by Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a18/jerry-garcia-2346_age_music-goes-way-back-before-language-does_1647733.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a18/jerry-garcia-2346_age_music-goes-way-back-before-language-does_1647733.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a18/jerry-garcia-2346_age_music-goes-way-back-before-language-does_1647733.jpg) > “Music goes way back before language does. And music is like the key to a whole spiritual existence which this society doesn't even talk about. We know it's there. The Grateful Dead plays at religious services essentially. We play at the religious services of the new age. Everybody gets high, and that's what it's all about really. Getting high is a lot more real than listening to a politician. You can think that getting high actually did happen - that you danced, and got sweaty, and carried on. It really did happen. I know when it happens. I know it when it happens every time.” [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music is a primal, spiritual force that connects people more deeply than language or politics, often experienced in communal, ecstatic settings. **In simple terms:** Music is a deep spiritual key. Key Takeaway Seek music that moves you beyond words. Themes spirituality music community altered consciousness Mood evocative transcendent Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - concerts - religious gatherings - personal meditation - festival vibes Key Concepts ritual collective experience psychedelia cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - How does music shape your spiritual outlook? - What role does community play in musical experiences? A Different Perspective May overlook the need for sober reflection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Grateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grateful/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [New age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-age/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of people don't realize that not everybody gets high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ringwald/a-lot-of-people-don-t-realize-that-not-everybody-gets-high/) [Molly Ringwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ringwald/) > [Man who stands on toilet, gets high on pot!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/man-who-stands-on-toilet-gets-high-on-pot/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [Everybody gets high, everybody gets low, these are the days when anything goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everybody-gets-high-everybody-gets-low-these-are-the-days-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Real listening is a willingness to let the other person change you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/real-listening-is-a-willingness-to-let-the-other-person-change-you/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [The difference between listening and pretending to listen, I discovered, is enormous. One is fluid, the other is rigid. One is alive, the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/the-difference-between-listening-and-pretending-to-listen-i/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [We didn't invent the Grateful Dead, the crowd invented the Grateful Dead. We were just in line to see what was going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/we-didn-t-invent-the-grateful-dead-the-crowd-invented-the-grateful/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [I think The Grateful Dead kind of represents the spirit of being able to go out and have an adventure in America at large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/i-think-the-grateful-dead-kind-of-represents-the-spirit-of-being-able/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [... Grateful Dead - that's it !! ... nobody in the band liked it, (the name) I didn't like it, either, but it got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/grateful-dead-that-s-it-nobody-in-the-band-liked-it-the-name-i-didn-t/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [“The reality is that society had gotten too fast, noisy, and stressful for the human brain to process and everybody was ingesting something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/the-reality-is-that-society-had-gotten-too-fast-noisy-and-stressful/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [The '60s aren't over; they won't be over until the Fat Lady gets high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-60s-aren-t-over-they-won-t-be-over-until-the-fat-lady-gets-high/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [Popularity gets you nowhere after high school, matter of fact it's the last thing on your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/popularity-gets-you-nowhere-after-high-school-matter-of-fact-it-s-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Because music gets you high, so it makes sense to sing about what else gets you high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ketch-secor/because-music-gets-you-high-so-it-makes-sense-to-sing-about-what-else/) [Ketch Secor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ketch-secor/) > [Nothin' gets me high on life or drunk on love the way you do...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothin-gets-me-high-on-life-or-drunk-on-love-the-way-you-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everybody gets high. Everybody gets low. Everybody gets bruised. Everybody gets sold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sixx-am/everybody-gets-high-everybody-gets-low-everybody-gets-bruised/) Sixx AM > [“Writing gets me high on words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-karynn-tesla/writing-gets-me-high-on-words/) Lena Karynn Tesla ## More by Jerry Garcia > [once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look it right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/once-in-awhile-you-get-shown-the-light-in-the-strangest-of-places-if/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [To me, that's the key thing, the pursuit of happiness. That's the basic, ultimate freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/to-me-that-s-the-key-thing-the-pursuit-of-happiness-that-s-the-basic/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [“A leaf of all colors plays a golden-string fiddle To a double-e waterfall over my back”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/a-leaf-of-all-colors-plays-a-golden-string-fiddle-to-a-double-e/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [Some things may work, but they definitely won't work every time. Some things may work at various times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/some-things-may-work-but-they-definitely-won-t-work-every-time-some/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [It's odd that there is a high level of appreciation of nature. There is the aesthetic side that really loves nature and beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/it-s-odd-that-there-is-a-high-level-of-appreciation-of-nature-there/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [If you think of music as a universal language, it still has some very powerful dialects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/if-you-think-of-music-as-a-universal-language-it-still-has-some-very/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [You have to be ready, and also you have to discard notions that are fondly held by a lot of musicians, about sequences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/you-have-to-be-ready-and-also-you-have-to-discard-notions-that-are/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [If you are picking the lesser of two evils, you are still picking Evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/if-you-are-picking-the-lesser-of-two-evils-you-are-still-picking-evil/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [Our strong suit is what we do, and our audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/our-strong-suit-is-what-we-do-and-our-audience/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [And for me there's still more material than 20 lifetimes that I can use up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/and-for-me-there-s-still-more-material-than-20-lifetimes-that-i-can/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [It's much too late to do anything about rock & roll now ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/it-s-much-too-late-to-do-anything-about-rock-roll-now/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [Yeah, I think we have to. If we want our shows to be - if we want the quality of the shows to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/yeah-i-think-we-have-to-if-we-want-our-shows-to-be-if-we-want-the/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [You ain't gonna learn what you don't wanna know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/you-ain-t-gonna-learn-what-you-don-t-wanna-know/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [America is still mostly xenophobic and racist. That's the nature of America, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/america-is-still-mostly-xenophobic-and-racist-that-s-the-nature-of/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [Nothing left to do but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/nothing-left-to-do-but-smile/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) [Explore all 171 Jerry Garcia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Music goes way back before language does. And music is like the key to a whole spiritual existence which this society doesn't even talk about. We know it's there. The Grateful Dead plays at religious services essentially. We play at the religious services of the new age. Everybody gets high, and that's what it's all about really. Getting high is a lot more real than listening to a politician. You can think that getting high actually did happen - that you danced, and got sweaty, and carried on. It really did happen. I know when it happens. 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