--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not a special taste. An American…" description: "\"It's not a special taste. An American composer should have something to say to a cab driver.\" — Morton Gould" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/morton-gould-69953_cab_it-s-not-a-special-taste-an-american-com_1899180.jpg" --- # It's not a special taste. An American composer should have… ![“It's not a special taste. An American composer should have something to say to a cab driver.” quote by Morton Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/morton-gould-69953_cab_it-s-not-a-special-taste-an-american-com_1899180.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/morton-gould-69953_cab_it-s-not-a-special-taste-an-american-com_1899180.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/morton-gould-69953_cab_it-s-not-a-special-taste-an-american-com_1899180.jpg) > “It's not a special taste. An American composer should have something to say to a cab driver.” [Morton Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-gould/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A composer should reflect everyday life, even mundane interactions, in their music. **In simple terms:** Music should speak to ordinary people. Key Takeaway Write music that connects with daily experiences. Themes art music everyday life Mood reflective inspired Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - composing for public spaces - writing film scores - creating relatable themes Key Concepts cultural commentary authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How can everyday sounds inspire profound music? - What everyday moments could become musical motifs? A Different Perspective May be too literal, limiting artistic abstraction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-composer-2791424/) [Cab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cab/) [Cab Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cab-driver-286458/) [Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) [Composer Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer-say-2791425/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special/) [Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste/) [Taste American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste-american-1391729/) ## Related quotes > [Battlestar Galactica' was my first job as a composer. To say that it changed my life is the understatement of the century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-mccreary/battlestar-galactica-was-my-first-job-as-a-composer-to-say-that-it/) [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) > [well, death says, as he walks by, I'm going to get you anyhow no matter what you've been: writer, cab-driver, pimp, butcher, sky-diver, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/well-death-says-as-he-walks-by-i-m-going-to-get-you-anyhow-no-matter/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [It's weird - the cab driver is playing very loud dance music and yet it doesn't really feel like a party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mirman/it-s-weird-the-cab-driver-is-playing-very-loud-dance-music-and-yet-it/) [Eugene Mirman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mirman/) > [New York has made me so paranoid, too. Whenever I visit another city, I always act like I'm from there, so the cab driver…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/new-york-has-made-me-so-paranoid-too-whenever-i-visit-another-city-i/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [Every songwriter lives to have at least one song that a cab driver who asks 'You write anything I know?' will recognize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-holmes/every-songwriter-lives-to-have-at-least-one-song-that-a-cab-driver/) [Rupert Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-holmes/) > [Casting is a convoluted kind of trip. No one likes to be typed - even if you're a cab driver, or whatever you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-dean-stanton/casting-is-a-convoluted-kind-of-trip-no-one-likes-to-be-typed-even-if/) [Harry Dean Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-dean-stanton/) > [I was the first female cab driver in the city of Pittsburgh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/i-was-the-first-female-cab-driver-in-the-city-of-pittsburgh/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [When you're in Los Angeles, everybody you meet is writing a movie, and they want you to be in it. Every cab driver is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sadler/when-you-re-in-los-angeles-everybody-you-meet-is-writing-a-movie-and/) [William Sadler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sadler/) > [The one thing you shouldn't do is try to tell a cab driver how to get somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/the-one-thing-you-shouldn-t-do-is-try-to-tell-a-cab-driver-how-to-get/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [I was just school class clown and that was it. Someday I'll get a job as a cab driver or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leguizamo/i-was-just-school-class-clown-and-that-was-it-someday-i-ll-get-a-job/) [John Leguizamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leguizamo/) > [I literally was saved by a role, from becoming a cab driver. I never did have to wait tables, though, so looking back I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-waterston/i-literally-was-saved-by-a-role-from-becoming-a-cab-driver-i-never/) [Sam Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-waterston/) > [It's probably similar to being in New York City and having a cab driver behind you and you're driving too slow. It's not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-sanders/it-s-probably-similar-to-being-in-new-york-city-and-having-a-cab/) [Barry Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-sanders/) > [Sometimes I get frustrated in traffic. I typically start going deep with my cab driver and Twitter feed - simultaneously - to take my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-cohen/sometimes-i-get-frustrated-in-traffic-i-typically-start-going-deep/) [Andy Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-cohen/) > [You know, before I would think, my cab driver hates me. Now I think my limo driver hates me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/you-know-before-i-would-think-my-cab-driver-hates-me-now-i-think-my/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) > [I had the cab driver drive me here backwards, and the dude owed me $27.50.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-had-the-cab-driver-drive-me-here-backwards-and-the-dude-owed-me-27/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) ## More by Morton Gould > [Composing is my life blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-gould/composing-is-my-life-blood/) [Morton Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-gould/) > [That is basically me, and although I have done many things in my life - conducting, playing piano, and so on - what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-gould/that-is-basically-me-and-although-i-have-done-many-things-in-my-life/) [Morton Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-gould/) > [I've always felt that music should be a normal part of the experience that surrounds people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-gould/i-ve-always-felt-that-music-should-be-a-normal-part-of-the-experience/) [Morton Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-gould/) [Explore all 4 Morton Gould quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-gould/) ## More Cab quotes > [well, death says, as he walks by, I'm going to get you anyhow no matter what you've been: writer, cab-driver, pimp, butcher, sky-diver, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/well-death-says-as-he-walks-by-i-m-going-to-get-you-anyhow-no-matter/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [You'd never think of taking a cab if you had to walk a mile down Chicago's Michigan Avenue. But in a bad city you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/you-d-never-think-of-taking-a-cab-if-you-had-to-walk-a-mile-down/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [You know, before I would think, my cab driver hates me. Now I think my limo driver hates me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/you-know-before-i-would-think-my-cab-driver-hates-me-now-i-think-my/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) > [Richard Price, who has made a fortune writing fake ghetto books, says he takes a cab into the ghetto, transcribes Black speech for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/richard-price-who-has-made-a-fortune-writing-fake-ghetto-books-says/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [We are about to part," said Neville. "Here are the boxes; here are the cabs. There is Percival in his billycock hat. He will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/we-are-about-to-part-said-neville-here-are-the-boxes-here-are-the/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Yeah, I'll pay your cab fare home, you can even use my best cologne, just don't be here in the morning when I wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/yeah-i-ll-pay-your-cab-fare-home-you-can-even-use-my-best-cologne/) [Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/) > [I was born in the back seat of a Yellow Cab in a hospital loading zone and with the meter still running. I emerged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-was-born-in-the-back-seat-of-a-yellow-cab-in-a-hospital-loading/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [ Somalis have made my city of Wilmington, Delaware, \[their home\] on a smaller scale. There is a large, very identifiable Somali community, i might… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/somalis-have-made-my-city-of-wilmington-delaware-their-home-on-a/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I'm like Cab Calloway: I love the entertainment, and I've loved entertaining people ever since I was little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyclef-jean/i-m-like-cab-calloway-i-love-the-entertainment-and-i-ve-loved/) [Wyclef Jean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyclef-jean/) > [Manhattan cabs are born old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-shepherd/manhattan-cabs-are-born-old/) [Jean Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-shepherd/) > [Anytime four New Yorkers get into a cab together without arguing, a bank robbery has just taken place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/anytime-four-new-yorkers-get-into-a-cab-together-without-arguing-a/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [It's about how whenever I fall in love, I have these expectations of the experience being a perfect dream, which, of course, ruins it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/it-s-about-how-whenever-i-fall-in-love-i-have-these-expectations-of/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like... magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-was-just-taking-her-hand-to-help-her-out-of-a-car-and-i-knew-it-was/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [Tokyo cab drivers are all ex-kamikaze pilots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/tokyo-cab-drivers-are-all-ex-kamikaze-pilots/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [In New York City, a lot of people think "the great outdoors" is the area between your front door and a taxi cab.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/in-new-york-city-a-lot-of-people-think-the-great-outdoors-is-the-area/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) [Browse all 192 Cab quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cab/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not a special taste. 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