--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was attracted to black music for the…" description: "\"I was attracted to black music for the same reason that I loved those old Irish ballads. Both were social statements of sorts, and both were indigenous..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/michael-mcdonald-6275_black-music_i-was-attracted-to-black-music-for-the-s_2461123.jpg" --- # I was attracted to black music for the same reason that I… ![“I was attracted to black music for the same reason that I loved those old Irish ballads. Both were social statements of sorts, and both were indigenous to their respective cultures: Ireland, where my father had grown up, and towns like St. Louis along the Mississippi River, where I was growing up.” quote by Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/michael-mcdonald-6275_black-music_i-was-attracted-to-black-music-for-the-s_2461123.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/michael-mcdonald-6275_black-music_i-was-attracted-to-black-music-for-the-s_2461123.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/michael-mcdonald-6275_black-music_i-was-attracted-to-black-music-for-the-s_2461123.jpg) > “I was attracted to black music for the same reason that I loved those old Irish ballads. Both were social statements of sorts, and both were indigenous to their respective cultures: Ireland, where my father had grown up, and towns like St. Louis along the Mississippi River, where I was growing up.” [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker links black music and Irish ballads as cultural expressions that convey social messages and reflect their origins. **In simple terms:** Music reflects culture and social messages. Key Takeaway Explore diverse music to understand cultural roots. Themes culture music identity social expression Mood reflective nostalgic Type analytical educational When to use this quote - listening to world music - studying cultural history - attending live performances - comparing lyrical themes - educational curricula Key Concepts ethnomusicology heritage storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How does music shape cultural identity? - What other genres share similar social roles? A Different Perspective May overlook differences in musical structure and context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attracted Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attracted-black-657459/) [Ballads Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballads-social-657460/) [Black music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-music/) [Cultures Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultures-ireland-657461/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Irish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irish/) [Irish Ballads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irish-ballads-657458/) [Loved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved/) [Mississippi river](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mississippi-river/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river/) ## Related quotes > [Im just not really attracted to black chicks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/im-just-not-really-attracted-to-black-chicks/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“I grew up in a household that was filled with Scottish and Irish ballads. So I think that the complexity and the melancholy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/i-grew-up-in-a-household-that-was-filled-with-scottish-and-irish/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [Clearly we're in historic times here. We have - one of the tributaries of the Mississippi River is a river called the Merrimack. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-nixon/clearly-we-re-in-historic-times-here-we-have-one-of-the-tributaries/) [Jay Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-nixon/) > [You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/you-feel-mighty-free-and-easy-and-comfortable-on-a-raft/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [While St. Louis is technically regarded as part of the Mid-West, it's actually - geographically and emotionally - more part of the South. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sanborn/while-st-louis-is-technically-regarded-as-part-of-the-mid-west-it-s/) [David Sanborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sanborn/) > [“Time is like the Mississippi River. It only flows in one direction. You can never go back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-woods-fisher/time-is-like-the-mississippi-river-it-only-flows-in-one-direction-you/) [Suzanne Woods Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-woods-fisher/) > [As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I reached across the aisle to write an economic development bill that addressed poverty in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-espy/as-a-member-of-the-u-s-house-of-representatives-i-reached-across-the/) [Mike Espy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-espy/) > [The Mississippi, the Ganges, and the Nile,... the Rocky Mountains, the Himmaleh, and Mountains of the Moon, have a kind of personal importance in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-mississippi-the-ganges-and-the-nile-the-rocky-mountains-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Mississippi is not the only river. There's the Tallahatchie and the Big Black. People have been put in the river year after year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/the-mississippi-is-not-the-only-river-there-s-the-tallahatchie-and/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [I live by the sea, but the body of water I have the most feeling about is the Mississippi River, where I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/i-live-by-the-sea-but-the-body-of-water-i-have-the-most-feeling-about/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [All the really great records or people who made them somehow came from Memphis or Louisiana or somewhere along the Mississippi River...And singers like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fogerty/all-the-really-great-records-or-people-who-made-them-somehow-came/) [John Fogerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fogerty/) > [Coming from a town of 30,000 people on the Mississippi River, having 'Queer Eye' in 2003 through 2007 when I was in high school was really important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-van-ness/coming-from-a-town-of-30-000-people-on-the-mississippi-river-having/) [Jonathan Van Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-van-ness/) > [ \[For American consumer society\], the country's reserves of ignorance constitute a natural resource as precious as the Mississippi River or the long-lost herds of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/for-american-consumer-society-the-country-s-reserves-of-ignorance/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) > [“the total number of dams that alter the Mississippi River watershed is in excess of 50,000.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schneider/the-total-number-of-dams-that-alter-the-mississippi-river-watershed/) [Paul Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schneider/) > [Barge traffic on the Mississippi River represents the most efficient, most cost-effective, most environmentally sound means of transporting commodity goods from this region of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-boswell/barge-traffic-on-the-mississippi-river-represents-the-most-efficient/) [Leonard Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-boswell/) ## More by Michael McDonald > [Beck is obviously a consummate musician. He plays instruments, many instruments. He can make his own record without having a fleet of computer operators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/beck-is-obviously-a-consummate-musician-he-plays-instruments-many/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I'd say that Ray Charles is definitely the biggest influence on my singing. Also Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-d-say-that-ray-charles-is-definitely-the-biggest-influence-on-my/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [Since the '60s, we've lived so much in an age of quick fixes that the culture itself has become a quick fix.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/since-the-60s-we-ve-lived-so-much-in-an-age-of-quick-fixes-that-the/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [Hey, I'd love to have a hit single, but if that doesn't happen, I'm not going to complain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/hey-i-d-love-to-have-a-hit-single-but-if-that-doesn-t-happen-i-m-not/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I truly cherish the time and experience with friends that I have been making music with for so many years, even decades now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-truly-cherish-the-time-and-experience-with-friends-that-i-have-been/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [While making any record, you look for the opportunity to bring someone who will help generate something special in the music environments you create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/while-making-any-record-you-look-for-the-opportunity-to-bring-someone/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I do love the Nat King Cole stuff, the classic Christmas records. There's something about putting those records on and hearing his voice at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-do-love-the-nat-king-cole-stuff-the-classic-christmas-records-there/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I've always written short stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-ve-always-written-short-stories/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I've always felt like the Forrest Gump of the music business. I've been fortunate to work with a lot of great people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-ve-always-felt-like-the-forrest-gump-of-the-music-business-i-ve/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [Rap is like any other genre: There are the people who are very creative with it and do remarkable things... and then there's that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/rap-is-like-any-other-genre-there-are-the-people-who-are-very/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I wish I wrote songs like Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, Don Henley, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, so many of the songwriters I admire. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-wish-i-wrote-songs-like-donald-fagen-walter-becker-don-henley/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [Most of my life is taken up with family. It takes me awhile to get a record together that I feel is worthy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/most-of-my-life-is-taken-up-with-family-it-takes-me-awhile-to-get-a/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > ['Livin' on the Fault Line' was kind of a commercial disappointment for us, although it seemed to have a certain buzz with the smaller…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/livin-on-the-fault-line-was-kind-of-a-commercial-disappointment-for/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [We try to promote the Christmas season and remind people that it is a season of peace. That's what the season's real meaning is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/we-try-to-promote-the-christmas-season-and-remind-people-that-it-is-a/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [My wife is, by and large, the best thing that ever happened to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/my-wife-is-by-and-large-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-me/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) [Explore all 99 Michael McDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) ## More Black music quotes > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) [Frank B. Wilderson III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-wilderson-iii/) > [I'd like to see more crossover between white and black music. That's something I've been advocating for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/i-d-like-to-see-more-crossover-between-white-and-black-music-that-s/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [Anybody under the age of forty knows hip-hop, gospel and R&B pretty well, and it's all a part of what we consider to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/anybody-under-the-age-of-forty-knows-hip-hop-gospel-and-r-b-pretty/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [I had written a tune called 'Shake, Rattle and Roll,' but the white stations refused to play it - they thought it was low-class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-stone/i-had-written-a-tune-called-shake-rattle-and-roll-but-the-white/) [Jesse Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-stone/) > [Between Alan Freed in Cleveland and Bob Horn and Lee Stewart in Philadelphia and George 'Hound Dog' Lorenz in Buffalo, they began to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-clark/between-alan-freed-in-cleveland-and-bob-horn-and-lee-stewart-in/) [Dick Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-clark/) > [I have a very simple mantra and it's this: I want to make black cinema with the power, beauty, and alienation of black music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/i-have-a-very-simple-mantra-and-it-s-this-i-want-to-make-black-cinema/) [Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) > [In 1965, when great young white artists in the English-speaking world were successfully re-channeling hillbilly and black music - you know Bob Dylan, Ray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/in-1965-when-great-young-white-artists-in-the-english-speaking-world/) [Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/) > [I dont know anybody who can define it. Its like trying to define hip-hop. You cant just call it black music. Maybe it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-cornelius/i-dont-know-anybody-who-can-define-it-its-like-trying-to-define-hip/) [Don Cornelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-cornelius/) > [If I were to call it black music, that would be untrue. I don't know what that is, unless it would be some African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-gordon/if-i-were-to-call-it-black-music-that-would-be-untrue-i-don-t-know/) [Dexter Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-gordon/) > [I would like to involve myself in some black music. I would like to do some blues and some gospel music. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lake/i-would-like-to-involve-myself-in-some-black-music-i-would-like-to-do/) [Greg Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lake/) > [One motivation for the 'Soul Train' awards was the grumbling that all of us in the industry have heard about the way black music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-cornelius/one-motivation-for-the-soul-train-awards-was-the-grumbling-that-all/) [Don Cornelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-cornelius/) > [I was the first white British woman to reach No 1 on the R&B chart - the American black music chart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-stansfield/i-was-the-first-white-british-woman-to-reach-no-1-on-the-r-b-chart/) [Lisa Stansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-stansfield/) > [People ask me why my figures have to be so black. There are a lot of reasons. First, the blackness is a rhetorical device.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/people-ask-me-why-my-figures-have-to-be-so-black-there-are-a-lot-of/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [“And I like Strauss and Mozart and all that, but the priceless gift that African Americans gave the world when they were still in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-i-like-strauss-and-mozart-and-all-that-but-the-priceless-gift/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The Blues scene now is international. In the '50s it was purely something that you would hear in black clubs, played by black musicians,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-taylor/the-blues-scene-now-is-international-in-the-50s-it-was-purely/) [Mick Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-taylor/) [Browse all 84 Black music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was attracted to black music for the same reason that I loved those old Irish ballads. 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