--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When punk rock came along, the one thing…" description: "\"When punk rock came along, the one thing you were not supposed to be was musical.\" — Nick Lowe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/nick-lowe-9853_musical_when-punk-rock-came-along-the-one-thing_1170813.png" --- # When punk rock came along, the one thing you were not… ![“When punk rock came along, the one thing you were not supposed to be was musical.” quote by Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/nick-lowe-9853_musical_when-punk-rock-came-along-the-one-thing_1170813.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/nick-lowe-9853_musical_when-punk-rock-came-along-the-one-thing_1170813.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/nick-lowe-9853_musical_when-punk-rock-came-along-the-one-thing_1170813.png) > “When punk rock came along, the one thing you were not supposed to be was musical.” [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Punk rock challenges the expectation that musicians must conform to musical norms, emphasizing authenticity over technicality **In simple terms:** Punk rock rejects the idea that musicians must be musical in a conventional sense Key Takeaway Embrace authenticity over technical perfection Themes authenticity genre rebellion creativity Mood energetic defiant Type musical cultural When to use this quote - band formation - genre fusion - creative workshops Key Concepts musical standards cultural expectations artistic identity Questions to Reflect On - How can authenticity coexist with skill? - What defines “musical” in modern contexts? A Different Perspective Rejecting musical norms may limit commercial success ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Punk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punk/) [Punk rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punk-rock/) [Rock Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-came-870534/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Supposed Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supposed-musical-1653608/) ## Related quotes > [I can't sing that well, but when punk-rock came along, it changed all that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carroll/i-can-t-sing-that-well-but-when-punk-rock-came-along-it-changed-all/) [Jim Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carroll/) > [I'm supposed to be this musical genius and everything, but I can't really work the car seat that well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-jenner/i-m-supposed-to-be-this-musical-genius-and-everything-but-i-can-t/) [Kris Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-jenner/) > [I'm supposed to be a musical genius, but I can't work the car seat that well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-m-supposed-to-be-a-musical-genius-but-i-can-t-work-the-car-seat/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [I've been a fan of The Rock ever since he first came to wrestling. Every time I went to school, I talked about The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khleo/i-ve-been-a-fan-of-the-rock-ever-since-he-first-came-to-wrestling/) [Khleo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khleo/) > [When rock came in, I wasn't bitter about it. I was puzzled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/when-rock-came-in-i-wasn-t-bitter-about-it-i-was-puzzled/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [“The rock, when one came to think of it, was the utmost expression of human need; even mere feeling yearned for it; it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-rock-when-one-came-to-think-of-it-was-the-utmost-expression-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [When rock came along the lyrics and melodies became less important and it bothered me to think that perhaps they might not regain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-shore/when-rock-came-along-the-lyrics-and-melodies-became-less-important/) [Dinah Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-shore/) > [My perfect day would start with a kiss from my daughter. I would drive her to school listening to our favourite punk rock music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-balti/my-perfect-day-would-start-with-a-kiss-from-my-daughter-i-would-drive/) [Bianca Balti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-balti/) > [You can't really come into a concept record objectively, because you immediately associate it with Yes, stuff from the 1970s that punk rock kicked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-meloy/you-can-t-really-come-into-a-concept-record-objectively-because-you/) [Colin Meloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-meloy/) > [As a child there was no place for adventure or experimentation. I guess that kind of freedom started in high school with punk rock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcnairy/as-a-child-there-was-no-place-for-adventure-or-experimentation-i/) [Mark McNairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mcnairy/) > [If Nirvana had remained a small, underground punk rock band, Kurt Cobain would still be alive. And he'd probably be living in Seattle, getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/if-nirvana-had-remained-a-small-underground-punk-rock-band-kurt/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [“If the early English and LA punk bands shared a common sound, the New York bands just shared the same clubs. As such, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-heylin/if-the-early-english-and-la-punk-bands-shared-a-common-sound-the-new/) [Clinton Heylin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-heylin/) > [Noise has taken the place of punk rock. People who play noise have no real aspirations to being part of the mainstream culture. Punk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurston-moore/noise-has-taken-the-place-of-punk-rock-people-who-play-noise-have-no/) [Thurston Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurston-moore/) > [A lot of people think that punk rock musicians don't know what they're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/a-lot-of-people-think-that-punk-rock-musicians-don-t-know-what-they/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) ## More by Nick Lowe > [You try to make every word count, so there's no doubt what you're talking about. When you're young, you waffle away. Well, I'm done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/you-try-to-make-every-word-count-so-there-s-no-doubt-what-you-re/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [And there were sort of three toys for boys and three toys for girls. And the boys I can remember was, well, there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/and-there-were-sort-of-three-toys-for-boys-and-three-toys-for-girls/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [And then, one day, they program a new tune, and it really catches your ear, you know, because you can be doing the washing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/and-then-one-day-they-program-a-new-tune-and-it-really-catches-your/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [I don't have the faith now. I certainly believe in Jesus - you know, that he existed and he was a very nice man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/i-don-t-have-the-faith-now-i-certainly-believe-in-jesus-you-know-that/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [I sort of have various sort of theories when people ask me about songwriting because it is a mystery. You don't really know. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/i-sort-of-have-various-sort-of-theories-when-people-ask-me-about/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [But anyway, I was convinced that it would go away, you know. But the idea was that he was sitting on a flight -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/but-anyway-i-was-convinced-that-it-would-go-away-you-know-but-the/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [Later in life, suddenly, if you're an outsider, it's something to be celebrated, I think, rather than getting on people's nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/later-in-life-suddenly-if-you-re-an-outsider-it-s-something-to-be/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [As long as my body holds out, I'll be grooving when I'm 70, and not some sort of horrible spectacle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/as-long-as-my-body-holds-out-i-ll-be-grooving-when-i-m-70-and-not/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [And religious music and the sort of symbolism of it and everything. But I had this idea. Actually, I sort of dreamt it. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/and-religious-music-and-the-sort-of-symbolism-of-it-and-everything/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [They tell me I produced songs. I just stood in the back, wore a good suit and said, Yeah, that's happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/they-tell-me-i-produced-songs-i-just-stood-in-the-back-wore-a-good/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [A devastating culmination of the elegant and the funky, a really sensational musician with enormous depth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/a-devastating-culmination-of-the-elegant-and-the-funky-a-really/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [I'm really lucky that I've had a little gang of people who I've been involved with for a long time... 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And this time you're ready, and you've got a wine glass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/so-you-can-be-about-your-business-and-then-on-it-comes-again-and-this/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) [Explore all 69 Nick Lowe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) ## More Musical quotes > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. 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The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Musicians talk of nothing but money and jobs. Give me businessmen every time. They really are interested in music and art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-sibelius/musicians-talk-of-nothing-but-money-and-jobs-give-me-businessmen/) [Jean Sibelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-sibelius/) > [We don't make glamorous movies today. Everything now is very realistic, artistic - and depressing. When is the last time you you saw a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-head/we-don-t-make-glamorous-movies-today-everything-now-is-very-realistic/) [Edith Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-head/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [My dad's family were political and he was always a theatrical creature, whereas my mum is really musical and her father was the touring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-jones/my-dad-s-family-were-political-and-he-was-always-a-theatrical/) [Grace Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-jones/) > [Where human eyes have never seen, where human beings have never been, I build a world of abstract dreams, and I wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/where-human-eyes-have-never-seen-where-human-beings-have-never-been-i/) [Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/) > [At one point when I was very young, when I was first starting out, I thought, 'Well, one day I'll be able to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/at-one-point-when-i-was-very-young-when-i-was-first-starting-out-i/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [Adam Berenson knows how to compose, organize an ensemble, do musical research, play solo and trio piano, write for musical journals, and enlist others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bley/adam-berenson-knows-how-to-compose-organize-an-ensemble-do-musical/) [Paul Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bley/) > [I would love to do a musical. Put that in the universe! A rom-com musical!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gabriel/i-would-love-to-do-a-musical-put-that-in-the-universe-a-rom-com/) [Betty Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gabriel/) > [When was the last time you saw a musical about people at war with each other?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/when-was-the-last-time-you-saw-a-musical-about-people-at-war-with/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [I got signed with the songwriting deal when I was sixteen and they were really great - my publishers, who to this day are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/i-got-signed-with-the-songwriting-deal-when-i-was-sixteen-and-they/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [My musical tastes - I'm always searching for new things. I know a lot of people say they listen to everything, but I kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/my-musical-tastes-i-m-always-searching-for-new-things-i-know-a-lot-of/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) [Browse all 2,881 Musical quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When punk rock came along, the one thing you were not supposed to be was musical.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nick Lowe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/when-punk-rock-came-along-the-one-thing-you-were-not-supposed-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Musical" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/when-punk-rock-came-along-the-one-thing-you-were-not-supposed-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/nick-lowe-9853_musical_when-punk-rock-came-along-the-one-thing_1170813.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/nick-lowe-9853_musical_when-punk-rock-came-along-the-one-thing_1170813.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/nick-lowe-9853_musical_when-punk-rock-came-along-the-one-thing_1170813.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When punk rock came along, the one thing you were not supposed to be was musical.” — Nick Lowe", "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": "Nick Lowe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When punk rock came along, the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/when-punk-rock-came-along-the-one-thing-you-were-not-supposed-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/when-punk-rock-came-along-the-one-thing-you-were-not-supposed-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```