--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes you have to wonder if there…" description: "\"Sometimes you have to wonder if there isn't an ejector seat built into having a popular-music career. We were lucky when we started. We were already ol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/john-flansburgh-14315_aging_sometimes-you-have-to-wonder-if-there-is_683437.jpg" --- # Sometimes you have to wonder if there isn't an ejector… ![“Sometimes you have to wonder if there isn't an ejector seat built into having a popular-music career. We were lucky when we started. We were already old when we started - you could have described our first album as "aging Brooklyn guys." We were in our late 20s. We weren't octogenarians, but a lot…” quote by John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/john-flansburgh-14315_aging_sometimes-you-have-to-wonder-if-there-is_683437.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/john-flansburgh-14315_aging_sometimes-you-have-to-wonder-if-there-is_683437.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43f/john-flansburgh-14315_aging_sometimes-you-have-to-wonder-if-there-is_683437.jpg) > “Sometimes you have to wonder if there isn't an ejector seat built into having a popular-music career. We were lucky when we started. We were already old when we started - you could have described our first album as "aging Brooklyn guys." We were in our late 20s. We weren't octogenarians, but a lot of bands were already younger than us. Fortunately, we've held on to our manly good looks.” [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A popular music career can feel like a precarious ride, with age and expectations adding pressure, yet humor and confidence help navigate it. **In simple terms:** Music fame feels risky, especially when older than peers. Key Takeaway Embrace humor and confidence. Themes aging music industry age confidence humor Mood wry reflective Type observational humorous When to use this quote - band formation - tour planning - media interviews - age‑related bias Key Concepts self‑deprecation career longevity generational dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does humor affect career resilience? - What strategies counter age bias in music? A Different Perspective Age can limit opportunities despite talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [Manly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manly/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [I started out old, but I have to say that I've been very lucky to work consistently since I started. I've really never been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-fuller/i-started-out-old-but-i-have-to-say-that-i-ve-been-very-lucky-to-work/) [Kurt Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-fuller/) > [Ejector seat, you're joking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bond/ejector-seat-you-re-joking/) [James Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bond/) > [I started so old, so the touring world will always be a foreign land for me. I'll never be someone who's "been on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-gainsbourg/i-started-so-old-so-the-touring-world-will-always-be-a-foreign-land/) [Charlotte Gainsbourg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-gainsbourg/) > [Probably" is a word with an emergency ejector seat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/probably-is-a-word-with-an-emergency-ejector-seat/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [I was three years old when I started drawing. I did it all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mcqueen/i-was-three-years-old-when-i-started-drawing-i-did-it-all-my-life/) [Alexander McQueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mcqueen/) > [I was twelve years old when I started reading 'Vogue.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-goreski/i-was-twelve-years-old-when-i-started-reading-vogue/) [Brad Goreski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-goreski/) > [I was 20 years old when I started playing in the Premier League. Maybe mentally I wasn't quite prepared for it, and that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wojciech-szczesny/i-was-20-years-old-when-i-started-playing-in-the-premier-league-maybe/) [Wojciech Szczesny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wojciech-szczesny/) > [I was 15 years old when I started wrestling full time, and I know what I had to go through to get here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-piper/i-was-15-years-old-when-i-started-wrestling-full-time-and-i-know-what/) [Roddy Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-piper/) > [I remember when I was first starting out in the late 50's, and everybody at that time said rock 'n roll was gonna die.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-vee/i-remember-when-i-was-first-starting-out-in-the-late-50-s-and/) [Bobby Vee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-vee/) > [When you're a self-made man you start very early in life. In my case it was at nine years old when I started bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-kerkorian/when-you-re-a-self-made-man-you-start-very-early-in-life-in-my-case/) [Kirk Kerkorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-kerkorian/) > [I was 8 years old when I started listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bad Company and Led Zeppelin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-colt/i-was-8-years-old-when-i-started-listening-to-lynyrd-skynyrd-and-bad/) [Johnny Colt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-colt/) > [When I was 11 years old, I started watching WWE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-owens/when-i-was-11-years-old-i-started-watching-wwe/) [Kevin Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-owens/) > [I was only 18 years old when I started acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ileana-d-cruz/i-was-only-18-years-old-when-i-started-acting/) [Ileana D'Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ileana-d-cruz/) > [I read a great deal of science fiction with consummate pleasure between, say, the ages of 12 and 16. Then I got away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/i-read-a-great-deal-of-science-fiction-with-consummate-pleasure/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [Every woman in her late 20s goes through a period where she just doesn't believe love is out there anymore, but it is. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-bell/every-woman-in-her-late-20s-goes-through-a-period-where-she-just/) [Kristen Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-bell/) ## More by John Flansburgh > [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [It's hard to tell a shallow person that they should care more about the feelings of the awkward and the alienated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/it-s-hard-to-tell-a-shallow-person-that-they-should-care-more-about/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Every declarative statement that comes out of an interview with somebody is actually in response to a question. It's like this very real interpersonal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/every-declarative-statement-that-comes-out-of-an-interview-with/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [There have been times I wanted to cry on interview, but it hasn't been because that's what they're trying to conjure. No. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/there-have-been-times-i-wanted-to-cry-on-interview-but-it-hasn-t-been/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [I feel like musicians have such a precarious place in the political discourse, because musicians are, sort of just by nature, people-pleasers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-musicians-have-such-a-precarious-place-in-the-political/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [I think the biggest wrestling match-up I have is how to respond to the word "quirky." Or the alternate, "nerdy." Both are essentially benign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-think-the-biggest-wrestling-match-up-i-have-is-how-to-respond-to/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [The simplest app on your smartphone requires 40 peoples' purest imagination. The challenges with people on environment, we just have to open some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/the-simplest-app-on-your-smartphone-requires-40-peoples-purest/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Sometimes people will ask a real "Why are you beating your wife?" question where there's some assumption built into it, and all you're trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/sometimes-people-will-ask-a-real-why-are-you-beating-your-wife/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Bill O'Reilly knew he could just filibuster and enjoy all the airtime that a full interview would give him, and then also grab the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/bill-o-reilly-knew-he-could-just-filibuster-and-enjoy-all-the-airtime/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [I don't think bands should feel compelled to speak out unless they actually have something to say. I think that's a big mistake, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-don-t-think-bands-should-feel-compelled-to-speak-out-unless-they/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [Look, up in the sky! It's the sky!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/look-up-in-the-sky-it-s-the-sky/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [A lot of times I'll post things on Facebook, and the immediate response will be like, "Stick to the music!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/a-lot-of-times-i-ll-post-things-on-facebook-and-the-immediate/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [ In an interview John \[Linnell\] said, 'At a certain point you just get tired of the way the other person breathes,' and I took… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/in-an-interview-john-linnell-said-at-a-certain-point-you-just-get/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [There is a fact-based belief system available to you if you want to believe in facts. But this is the weirdest time. I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/there-is-a-fact-based-belief-system-available-to-you-if-you-want-to/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [If you're looking at the array of performers, there's just a lot of people that it's about getting closer to them. That's not really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/if-you-re-looking-at-the-array-of-performers-there-s-just-a-lot-of/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) [Explore all 47 John Flansburgh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) ## More Aging quotes > [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/) > [In the past 40 years, the United States lost more than a million farmers and ranchers. Many of our farmers are aging. Today, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/in-the-past-40-years-the-united-states-lost-more-than-a-million/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [“You could see the signs of female aging as diseased, especially if you had a vested interest in making women too see them your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/you-could-see-the-signs-of-female-aging-as-diseased-especially-if-you/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“It takes maturity to be able to laugh like a child again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moffat-machingura/it-takes-maturity-to-be-able-to-laugh-like-a-child-again/) [Moffat Machingura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moffat-machingura/) > [Seek ye counsel of the aged for their eyes have looked on the faces of the years and their ears have hardened to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/seek-ye-counsel-of-the-aged-for-their-eyes-have-looked-on-the-faces/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Growing old-it's not nice, but it's interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/growing-old-it-s-not-nice-but-it-s-interesting/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Anything is possible in the life of a man if he lives long enough. Even maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howell-raines/anything-is-possible-in-the-life-of-a-man-if-he-lives-long-enough/) [Howell Raines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howell-raines/) > [I just want to be Patty McCormack. I want to spend every year aging the way she has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/i-just-want-to-be-patty-mccormack-i-want-to-spend-every-year-aging/) [Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/) > [Maturity is reached the day we don't need to be lied to about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-yerby/maturity-is-reached-the-day-we-don-t-need-to-be-lied-to-about-anything/) [Frank Yerby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-yerby/) [Browse all 2,792 Aging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes you have to wonder if there isn't an ejector seat built into having a popular-music career. 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