--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a really unfair world because life…" description: "\"It's a really unfair world because life is, where I am; all day long we listen to American music. So I don't see why the radios in the U.S. cannot even..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/miriam-makeba-14520_american-music_it-s-a-really-unfair-world-because-life_124885.jpg" --- # It's a really unfair world because life is, where I am… ![“It's a really unfair world because life is, where I am; all day long we listen to American music. So I don't see why the radios in the U.S. cannot even put aside one hour a day just to play music that is not American.” quote by Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/miriam-makeba-14520_american-music_it-s-a-really-unfair-world-because-life_124885.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/miriam-makeba-14520_american-music_it-s-a-really-unfair-world-because-life_124885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/miriam-makeba-14520_american-music_it-s-a-really-unfair-world-because-life_124885.jpg) > “It's a really unfair world because life is, where I am; all day long we listen to American music. So I don't see why the radios in the U.S. cannot even put aside one hour a day just to play music that is not American.” [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The dominance of American music on global airwaves marginalizes local cultures, creating an unfair cultural landscape. **In simple terms:** American music crowds out local sounds. Key Takeaway Cultural homogenization is unfair. Themes cultural diversity media bias globalization music industry Mood advocacy concerned Type social critique cultural commentary When to use this quote - radio programming - streaming playlists - festival line‑ups - school curricula Key Concepts cultural imperialism Practical Applications - Allocate airtime for local artists - Promote cross‑cultural collaborations Questions to Reflect On - What policies can balance popular demand with cultural equity? - How does exposure to diverse music affect societal openness? A Different Perspective Audience demand for popular content may limit feasibility of mandated diversity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-music/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I'm weird - I don't really listen to American music while I'm writing. I do occasionally get an anthem song, but generally speaking, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/violet-duke/i-m-weird-i-don-t-really-listen-to-american-music-while-i-m-writing-i/) [Violet Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/violet-duke/) > [It is really unfair,that you love someone secretly..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misherie/it-is-really-unfair-that-you-love-someone-secretly/) [Misherie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misherie/) > [Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He is American music. Emotionally, he honestly absorbs the vibrations emanating from the people, manners and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kern/irving-berlin-has-no-place-in-american-music-he-is-american-music-2/) [Jerome Kern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kern/) > [Irving Berlin has no place in American music -- he is American music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kern/irving-berlin-has-no-place-in-american-music-he-is-american-music/) [Jerome Kern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kern/) > [My love for American music and American movies is from an early age. I was 10 or 11 when I heard Fats Domino and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mclagan/my-love-for-american-music-and-american-movies-is-from-an-early-age-i/) [Ian McLagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mclagan/) > [It's like there's the rest of the world, and then there's America. Part of the reason I would really love continue to making music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-odell/it-s-like-there-s-the-rest-of-the-world-and-then-there-s-america-part/) [Tom Odell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-odell/) > [I wanna show that gospel, country, blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll are all just really one thing. Those are the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etta-james/i-wanna-show-that-gospel-country-blues-rhythm-and-blues-jazz-rock-n/) [Etta James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etta-james/) > [Getting into the banjo and discovering that it was an African-American instrument, it totally turned on its head my idea of American music -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhiannon-giddens/getting-into-the-banjo-and-discovering-that-it-was-an-african/) [Rhiannon Giddens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhiannon-giddens/) > [If you met my dad, I think a lot of things would be put to rest. Because my pops is a pretty silly guy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-san/if-you-met-my-dad-i-think-a-lot-of-things-would-be-put-to-rest/) [Eric San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-san/) > [There was always a lot of American music in England until, obviously when the Beatles came around, then there was a shift towards English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-deacon/there-was-always-a-lot-of-american-music-in-england-until-obviously/) [John Deacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-deacon/) > [“So strange that David Drucker of all people was the only one who said the exact right thing: Your dad shouldn't have died. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-buxbaum/so-strange-that-david-drucker-of-all-people-was-the-only-one-who-said/) [Julie Buxbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-buxbaum/) > [It's really unfair to working women in America who read celebrity news and think, 'Why can't I lose weight when I've had a baby?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zoe/it-s-really-unfair-to-working-women-in-america-who-read-celebrity/) [Rachel Zoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zoe/) > [So many times, football is really unfair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xabi-alonso/so-many-times-football-is-really-unfair/) [Xabi Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xabi-alonso/) > [That's one of the problems with this country: they put you in a box. You're a Republican, you're a Democrat, you're conservative, you're liberal.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/that-s-one-of-the-problems-with-this-country-they-put-you-in-a-box/) [Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/) > [You can't get a better education in what it is to write songs until you listen to American soul music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what-it-is-to-write-songs-until/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) ## More by Miriam Makeba > [Belafonte sent his people to pick me up and I went back and shook his hand, then went back to my little flat. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/belafonte-sent-his-people-to-pick-me-up-and-i-went-back-and-shook-his/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [Age is getting to know all the ways the world turns, so that if you cannot turn the world the way you want, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/age-is-getting-to-know-all-the-ways-the-world-turns-so-that-if-you/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [I do not sing politics. I merely sing the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/i-do-not-sing-politics-i-merely-sing-the-truth/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [It was hard to be away from home, but I am glad that I am home now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/it-was-hard-to-be-away-from-home-but-i-am-glad-that-i-am-home-now/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [ He \[Belafonte\] was a good teacher and looked after me. He said, 'You have such great talent, you must try not to be a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/he-belafonte-was-a-good-teacher-and-looked-after-me-he-said-you-have/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [Africa has her mysteries, and even a wise man cannot understand them. But a wise man respects them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/africa-has-her-mysteries-and-even-a-wise-man-cannot-understand-them/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [There are three things I was born with in this world, and there are three things I will have until the day I die-hope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/there-are-three-things-i-was-born-with-in-this-world-and-there-are/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [In New York I heard A Piece of Ground, written by a white South African, Jeremy Taylor. I modified it a little and sang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/in-new-york-i-heard-a-piece-of-ground-written-by-a-white-south/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [In the West the past is like a dead animal. It is a carcass picked at by the flies that call themselves historians and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/in-the-west-the-past-is-like-a-dead-animal-it-is-a-carcass-picked-at/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [I look at the past and I see myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/i-look-at-the-past-and-i-see-myself/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [I titled the album Reflections because I am reflecting on my music career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/i-titled-the-album-reflections-because-i-am-reflecting-on-my-music/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [Age is wisdom if one has lived ones life properly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/age-is-wisdom-if-one-has-lived-ones-life-properly/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [Which goes to show you, you can make all the laws you want, but you cannot change people's ways. If you must change them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/which-goes-to-show-you-you-can-make-all-the-laws-you-want-but-you/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [The conqueror writes history, they came, they conquered and they write. You don't expect the people who came to invade us to tell the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/the-conqueror-writes-history-they-came-they-conquered-and-they-write/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) > [Girls are the future mothers of our society, and it is important that we focus on their well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-makeba/girls-are-the-future-mothers-of-our-society-and-it-is-important-that/) [Miriam Makeba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) [Explore all 46 Miriam Makeba quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-makeba/) ## More American music quotes > [Since I was a kid, I've had an absolute obsession with particular kinds of American music. Mississippi Delta blues of the Thirties, Chicago blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/since-i-was-a-kid-i-ve-had-an-absolute-obsession-with-particular/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [ Britney and I wore matching denim outfits \[to the 2001 American Music Awards\]. Yeah, another bad choice. I’d probably pay good money to get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-timberlake/britney-and-i-wore-matching-denim-outfits-to-the-2001-american-music/) [Justin Timberlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-timberlake/) > [Of course when you are a kid you listen to what your parents had around. A lot of gospel, jazz. Now when I started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorma-kaukonen/of-course-when-you-are-a-kid-you-listen-to-what-your-parents-had/) [Jorma Kaukonen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorma-kaukonen/) > [“The Bluesis the roots of all American music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-dixon/the-bluesis-the-roots-of-all-american-music/) [Willie Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-dixon/) > [I started playing piano with a little band in high school. I was terrible. I thought I had absolutely no talent. I couldn't keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-bacharach/i-started-playing-piano-with-a-little-band-in-high-school-i-was/) [Burt Bacharach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-bacharach/) > [I'm more American than anything else. I grew up in China, but I was fulfilled at a young age by American music. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-max/i-m-more-american-than-anything-else-i-grew-up-in-china-but-i-was/) [Peter Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-max/) > [You know, jazz is the mother of all American music. R&B and pop and rap and everything are the branches on the main tree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-burdon/you-know-jazz-is-the-mother-of-all-american-music-r-b-and-pop-and-rap/) [Eric Burdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-burdon/) > [I'm weird - I don't really listen to American music while I'm writing. I do occasionally get an anthem song, but generally speaking, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/violet-duke/i-m-weird-i-don-t-really-listen-to-american-music-while-i-m-writing-i/) [Violet Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/violet-duke/) > [You certainly don't hear any country music on pop radio today. But for a while you did, and it was a lovely thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-webb/you-certainly-don-t-hear-any-country-music-on-pop-radio-today-but-for/) [Jimmy Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-webb/) > [I'm still trying to make it. I'm still trying to get this over and do it and hopefully leave some kind of a mark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-forbert/i-m-still-trying-to-make-it-i-m-still-trying-to-get-this-over-and-do/) [Steve Forbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-forbert/) > [Louis Armstrong is quite simply the most important person in American music. He is to 20th century music (I did not say jazz) what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/louis-armstrong-is-quite-simply-the-most-important-person-in-american/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [Blues and jazz is our American music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-uggams/blues-and-jazz-is-our-american-music/) [Leslie Uggams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-uggams/) > [Sun Studios was where so much of American music exploded from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/sun-studios-was-where-so-much-of-american-music-exploded-from/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [What appeals to me about an American music directorship is the involvement of the conductor with the orchestra and the community. I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-tate/what-appeals-to-me-about-an-american-music-directorship-is-the/) [Jeffrey Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-tate/) > [The biggest problem with American music right now, is that kids don't listen. They come by it honestly, Americans don't listen anyway. When people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branford-marsalis/the-biggest-problem-with-american-music-right-now-is-that-kids-don-t/) [Branford Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branford-marsalis/) [Browse all 132 American music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's a really unfair world because life is, where I am; all day long we listen to American music. 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