--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I had to live on record sales, I'd be…" description: "\"If I had to live on record sales, I'd be pushing up the daisies.\" — John McLaughlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/john-mclaughlin-10405_live_if-i-had-to-live-on-record-sales-i-d-be_1509958.jpg" --- # If I had to live on record sales, I'd be pushing up the… ![“If I had to live on record sales, I'd be pushing up the daisies.” quote by John McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/john-mclaughlin-10405_live_if-i-had-to-live-on-record-sales-i-d-be_1509958.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/john-mclaughlin-10405_live_if-i-had-to-live-on-record-sales-i-d-be_1509958.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/john-mclaughlin-10405_live_if-i-had-to-live-on-record-sales-i-d-be_1509958.jpg) > “If I had to live on record sales, I'd be pushing up the daisies.” [John McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mclaughlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living off record sales is unsustainable; it would lead to death and burial. **In simple terms:** Relying on music sales alone is fatal. Key Takeaway Diversify income beyond record sales. Themes music industry financial instability mortality Mood somber realistic Type cautionary inspirational When to use this quote - musician's career - independent artists - financial advice Key Concepts royalties career planning economic risk Questions to Reflect On - How can artists secure stable income? - What alternatives exist to record sales? A Different Perspective The metaphor may be too grim for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live/) [Pushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pushing/) [Pushing Daisies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pushing-daisies-2514545/) [Record](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record/) [Record Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-sales-456156/) [Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sales/) [Sales Pushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sales-pushing-5555379/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) ## Related quotes > [Obviously Hall & Oates wasn't overlooked by the masses in terms of the record sales.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inara-george/obviously-hall-oates-wasn-t-overlooked-by-the-masses-in-terms-of-the/) [Inara George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inara-george/) > [There is no everlasting power in the music of today. Everyone is running after record sales.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoushka-shankar/there-is-no-everlasting-power-in-the-music-of-today-everyone-is/) [Anoushka Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoushka-shankar/) > [I think it surprises a lot of people that I'm still around, you know, still - that I'm not pushing up daisies, as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/i-think-it-surprises-a-lot-of-people-that-i-m-still-around-you-know/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [“Until we’re pushing up daisies, it might be good to remind ourselves daily that everything’s coming up roses — for me and for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/until-we-re-pushing-up-daisies-it-might-be-good-to-remind-ourselves/) [Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/) > [If I'm, like, in a grocery store, I don't get recognized that much, but it's like, you know, when someone comes up to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-pace/if-i-m-like-in-a-grocery-store-i-don-t-get-recognized-that-much-but/) [Lee Pace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-pace/) > [Food is life. 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I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/schoolboy-q/i-m-not-anti-single-i-m-not-one-of-them-niggas-that-say-aww-record/) [Schoolboy Q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/schoolboy-q/) > [As I've gotten older, now I've really got to back that up with record sales. Anytime showed me that I could still have some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcknight/as-i-ve-gotten-older-now-i-ve-really-got-to-back-that-up-with-record/) [Brian McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcknight/) > [There are a lot of public figures who, before they take a stand on a issue, they talk about it with their publicist and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/there-are-a-lot-of-public-figures-who-before-they-take-a-stand-on-a/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [More than half of all the hip hop record sales are white people, and I think that might be a result of my record…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanilla-ice/more-than-half-of-all-the-hip-hop-record-sales-are-white-people-and-i/) [Vanilla Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanilla-ice/) ## More by John McLaughlin > [Every day, I discover something utterly unbelievable when I play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mclaughlin/every-day-i-discover-something-utterly-unbelievable-when-i-play/) [John McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mclaughlin/) > [Interplay and interaction are the integral parts of music - they're as important as the notes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mclaughlin/interplay-and-interaction-are-the-integral-parts-of-music-they-re-as/) [John McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mclaughlin/) > [Music is closer to poetry than anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mclaughlin/music-is-closer-to-poetry-than-anything/) [John McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mclaughlin/) > [Miles Davis himself, I discovered him when I was 15, and he rocked my world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mclaughlin/miles-davis-himself-i-discovered-him-when-i-was-15-and-he-rocked-my/) [John McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mclaughlin/) > [One of the advantages of playing in a club is that even with bass and drums, the atmosphere remains intimate with the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mclaughlin/one-of-the-advantages-of-playing-in-a-club-is-that-even-with-bass-and/) [John McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mclaughlin/) > [In a certain sense, these were lessons I learned by playing with Indian musicians. 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