--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rock & roll is so great, people should…" description: "\"Rock & roll is so great, people should start dying for it. You don't understand. The music gave you back your beat so you could dream...The people just..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/lou-reed-1654_beats_rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-star_2389581.png" --- # Rock & roll is so great, people should start dying for it… ![“Rock & roll is so great, people should start dying for it. You don't understand. The music gave you back your beat so you could dream...The people just have to die for the music. People are dying for everything else, so why not for music? Die for it. Isn't it pretty? Wouldn't you die for something…” quote by Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/lou-reed-1654_beats_rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-star_2389581.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/lou-reed-1654_beats_rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-star_2389581.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/lou-reed-1654_beats_rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-star_2389581.png) > “Rock & roll is so great, people should start dying for it. You don't understand. The music gave you back your beat so you could dream...The people just have to die for the music. People are dying for everything else, so why not for music? Die for it. Isn't it pretty? Wouldn't you die for something pretty?” [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) ## 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 portrayed as a vital, almost sacred force worth dying for, equating artistic passion with ultimate sacrifice. **In simple terms:** Music is presented as a powerful, life‑defining passion. Key Takeaway Value art deeply, but balance passion with life. Themes art passion mortality Mood intense provocative Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - concert experiences - creative expression - social movements - personal risk assessment Key Concepts existentialism cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - What would you give up for art? - Is dying for music worth the cost? A Different Perspective Romanticizing sacrifice can ignore real consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beats/) [Die Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/die-music-290510/) [Die Pretty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/die-pretty-1503469/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dying/) [Dying Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dying-music-2028745/) [Great people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-people/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-die-887074/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rock Roll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-roll/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Why not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why-not/) ## Related quotes > [Rock & Roll is so great, people should start dying for it. You don't understand. The music gave you back the beat so you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/legs-mcneil/rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-start-dying-for-it-you-don-t/) [Legs McNeil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/legs-mcneil/) > [The music is all. People should die for it. People are dying for everything else, so why not the music?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/the-music-is-all-people-should-die-for-it-people-are-dying-for/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Thus the legends of music are dying one by one,The music is starting to be a dissonance year by year,Hence, I guess in 2015…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blacksonbeats/thus-the-legends-of-music-are-dying-one-by-one-the-music-is-starting/) [Blacksonbeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blacksonbeats/) > [I die pretty much every year. I find it amusing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-paul-gosselaar/i-die-pretty-much-every-year-i-find-it-amusing/) [Mark-Paul Gosselaar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-paul-gosselaar/) > [“Live fast, Die pretty!" ~Mercedes Delaware”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-meckley/live-fast-die-pretty-mercedes-delaware/) [Lori Meckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-meckley/) > [“No. I don't have other plans". "You wanna lay there and die?" "Pretty much." I sighed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/no-i-don-t-have-other-plans-you-wanna-lay-there-and-die-pretty-much-i/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [Even if you're going to die, you might as well die pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/even-if-you-re-going-to-die-you-might-as-well-die-pretty/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [We didn't die,' she said. Of course not. I'm too clever to die, and you're too pretty.' I am pretty,' Valkryie said, managing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/we-didn-t-die-she-said-of-course-not-i-m-too-clever-to-die-and-you-re/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [Live Fast Die Pretty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danish/live-fast-die-pretty/) [Danish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danish/) > [Live fast, die pretty. Life is too short, so have the time of your life, and live like you don't have much time left' <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/live-fast-die-pretty-life-is-too-short-so-have-the-time-of-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Music is a spiritual thing, you don't play with music. If you play with music you will die young. You see, because when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-kuti/music-is-a-spiritual-thing-you-don-t-play-with-music-if-you-play-with/) [Fela Kuti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-kuti/) > [“The music video will die when we all go blind, and music will never die, because even when you can't hear it, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/the-music-video-will-die-when-we-all-go-blind-and-music-will-never/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [The sweeter the juice the better your luck. Let's get loud as we celebrate life. Til death do we party, with the music I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sweeter-the-juice-the-better-your-luck-let-s-get-loud-as-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We will always make music, but Die Antwoord is... finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watkin-tudor-jones/we-will-always-make-music-but-die-antwoord-is-finite/) [Watkin Tudor Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watkin-tudor-jones/) > [I think I'll be doing music until I die, regardless of whether I'm popular or not. If I ever feel like people aren't receiving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-kid-laroi/i-think-i-ll-be-doing-music-until-i-die-regardless-of-whether-i-m/) [The Kid Laroi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-kid-laroi/) ## More by Lou Reed > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Perfect Night is minimalistic and that's what makes it so forceful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/perfect-night-is-minimalistic-and-that-s-what-makes-it-so-forceful/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [I think life is far too short to concentrate on your past. I rather look into the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-think-life-is-far-too-short-to-concentrate-on-your-past-i-rather/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [The only thing constantly changing is change, and change is always changing for the worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/the-only-thing-constantly-changing-is-change-and-change-is-always/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [The first generation of CDs sounded terrible. Any chance to remaster would make the music sound better than what was already out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/the-first-generation-of-cds-sounded-terrible-any-chance-to-remaster/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Perfect Night has that magic and it has the raw energy that grabs you by the throat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/perfect-night-has-that-magic-and-it-has-the-raw-energy-that-grabs-you/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Eve kissed Able, that's how he got murdered by Cain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/eve-kissed-able-that-s-how-he-got-murdered-by-cain/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Music should come crashing out of your speakers and grab you, and the lyrics should challenge whatever preconceived notions that listener has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/music-should-come-crashing-out-of-your-speakers-and-grab-you-and-the/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Underachievers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose except your fright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/underachievers-of-the-world-unite-you-have-nothing-to-lose-except/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [“There's a bit of magic in everything And then some loss to even things out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/there-s-a-bit-of-magic-in-everything-and-then-some-loss-to-even/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [You've gotta blow the roof off of your heart and let the universe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/you-ve-gotta-blow-the-roof-off-of-your-heart-and-let-the-universe-in/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Sometimes, you've got to be in a place. You're just another guy. You can just blend in. I live out in the wilds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/sometimes-you-ve-got-to-be-in-a-place-you-re-just-another-guy-you-can/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [How could you even dream or think something of someone who is as uncommercial as I am?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/how-could-you-even-dream-or-think-something-of-someone-who-is-as/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [All the people have gone to war leaving no interrogator to mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/all-the-people-have-gone-to-war-leaving-no-interrogator-to-mind/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [I always thought martial arts was the most modern choreography we could have right now, and I always wanted to put it to music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-always-thought-martial-arts-was-the-most-modern-choreography-we/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) [Explore all 219 Lou Reed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) ## More Beats quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us… But the test a loving God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/so-many-things-beat-upon-us-in-a-lifetime-that-simply-enduring-may/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [I usually write from the rhythm section...If a drummer got a funky beat on some things - like a half-shuffle or a shuffle or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/i-usually-write-from-the-rhythm-section-if-a-drummer-got-a-funky-beat/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [If you don't like club beats take a HIT OF E and you will love the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/if-you-don-t-like-club-beats-take-a-hit-of-e-and-you-will-love-the/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [Every pitcher can beat you, it doesn't matter how good you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-bonds/every-pitcher-can-beat-you-it-doesn-t-matter-how-good-you-are/) [Barry Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-bonds/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) [Chaz Brenchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-brenchley/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I don't know about the rest of the world, but I know in our region everyone is gunning to beat us. We have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landon-donovan/i-don-t-know-about-the-rest-of-the-world-but-i-know-in-our-region/) [Landon Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/landon-donovan/) > [Grand business plans are all very well, but nothing beats dipping your toe in the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-bilimoria-karan-bilimoria/grand-business-plans-are-all-very-well-but-nothing-beats-dipping-your/) [Baron Bilimoria Karan Bilimoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-bilimoria-karan-bilimoria/) > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/imagine-if-you-were-a-drummer-and-you-accidentally-picked-up-two/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I don't like small birds. They hop around so merrily outside my window, looking so innocent. but I know that secretly, they're watching my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-like-small-birds-they-hop-around-so-merrily-outside-my-window/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,311 Beats quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beats/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Rock & roll is so great, people should start dying for it. You don't understand. The music gave you back your beat so you could dream...The people just have to die for the music. People are dying for everything else, so why not for music? Die for it. Isn't it pretty? Wouldn't you die for something pretty?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lou Reed" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-start-dying-for-it-you-don-t-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beats" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-start-dying-for-it-you-don-t-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/lou-reed-1654_beats_rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-star_2389581.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/lou-reed-1654_beats_rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-star_2389581.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c8/lou-reed-1654_beats_rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-star_2389581.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Rock & roll is so great, people should start dying for it. You don't understand. The music gave you back…” — Lou Reed", "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": "Lou Reed", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Rock & roll is so great,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-start-dying-for-it-you-don-t-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/rock-roll-is-so-great-people-should-start-dying-for-it-you-don-t-2/#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 } } ] } ```