--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He is the king. If it hadn't been for…" description: "\"He is the king. If it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble,' I would have never picked up a guitar.\" — Pete Townshend" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_he-is-the-king-if-it-hadn-t-been-for-lin_2694501.png" --- # He is the king. If it hadn't been for Link Wray and… ![“He is the king. If it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble,' I would have never picked up a guitar.” quote by Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_he-is-the-king-if-it-hadn-t-been-for-lin_2694501.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_he-is-the-king-if-it-hadn-t-been-for-lin_2694501.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_he-is-the-king-if-it-hadn-t-been-for-lin_2694501.png) > “He is the king. If it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble,' I would have never picked up a guitar.” [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acknowledges the influence of Link Wray's music on his own guitar journey. **In simple terms:** Music inspiration sparked his guitar playing. Key Takeaway Recognize and thank your influences. Themes inspiration music heritage Mood grateful nostalgic Type reflective motivational When to use this quote - musician development - creative pursuits - historical music analysis Key Concepts cultural impact personal growth Questions to Reflect On - Who has shaped your creative path? - How does acknowledging influence affect your work? A Different Perspective Overlooks other personal factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Rock n roll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-n-roll/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [Link is a quiet man to meet- easy and courteous. His music, though, betrays that deep inside he gets very very mean very often.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/link-is-a-quiet-man-to-meet-easy-and-courteous-his-music-though/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Link Wray and Gene Vincent… two of the greatest unknowns of rock 'n' roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/link-wray-and-gene-vincent-two-of-the-greatest-unknowns-of-rock-n-roll/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Link Wray... He was the beginning of Grunge, way before anybody you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/link-wray-he-was-the-beginning-of-grunge-way-before-anybody-you-know/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Link Wray is the all-time legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/link-wray-is-the-all-time-legend/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [If I could go back in time and see any band, It would be Link Wray and the Raymen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/if-i-could-go-back-in-time-and-see-any-band-it-would-be-link-wray-and/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Keith Moon, God rest his soul, once drove his car through the glass doors of a hotel, driving all the way up to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/keith-moon-god-rest-his-soul-once-drove-his-car-through-the-glass/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Rock 'n' Roll might not solve your problems, but it does let you dance all over them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/rock-n-roll-might-not-solve-your-problems-but-it-does-let-you-dance/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [If it screams truth rather than help, if it commits itself with a courage that it can't be sure it really has, if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/if-it-screams-truth-rather-than-help-if-it-commits-itself-with-a/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Ah, take the Cash, and let the Credit go, Nor heed the rumble of a distant Drum!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-khayy-m/ah-take-the-cash-and-let-the-credit-go-nor-heed-the-rumble-of-a/) [Omar Khayyam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-khayy-m/) > [Yes, Elizabeth.” Dash kept his voice low, but let it rumble with his arousal. “I lived for you and Cassie. But while I fought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lora-leigh/yes-elizabeth-dash-kept-his-voice-low-but-let-it-rumble-with-his/) [Lora Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lora-leigh/) > [Hurd puts on entertaining fights, I put on entertaining fights. Let's bang it out, let's rumble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermell-charlo/hurd-puts-on-entertaining-fights-i-put-on-entertaining-fights-let-s/) [Jermell Charlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermell-charlo/) > [Experience is a mere whiff or rumble, produced by enormously complex and ill-deciphered causes of experience; and in the other direction, experience is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/experience-is-a-mere-whiff-or-rumble-produced-by-enormously-complex/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [Believe it or not, I like the 'Rumble.' It's extremely unpredictable and over-the-top. Everyone in the WWE universe looks forward to it. It becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/believe-it-or-not-i-like-the-rumble-it-s-extremely-unpredictable-and/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [Good morning, daddy! Ain't you heard The boogie-woogie rumble Of a dream deferred? • • • • You think It's a happy beat?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/good-morning-daddy-ain-t-you-heard-the-boogie-woogie-rumble-of-a/) [Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/) > [Comrades, there is no true social revolution without the liberation of women. May my eyes never see and my feet never take me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/comrades-there-is-no-true-social-revolution-without-the-liberation-of/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) ## More by Pete Townshend > [Here comes the new boss Same as the old boss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/here-comes-the-new-boss-same-as-the-old-boss/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [What we learned quite early on is what was really important to early British pop that we produced-and this is where we were distinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/what-we-learned-quite-early-on-is-what-was-really-important-to-early/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [We've got to fool the fools, and plan the plans. We must rule the rules, got to stand the stands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/we-ve-got-to-fool-the-fools-and-plan-the-plans-we-must-rule-the-rules/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [“I was surprised at how much I enjoyed meeting fans face to face. They're less scary when they aren't going nuts at a Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-was-surprised-at-how-much-i-enjoyed-meeting-fans-face-to-face-they/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Although I dig my guitar playing, I think it's kind of an obvious situation; I play what I want to play within my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/although-i-dig-my-guitar-playing-i-think-it-s-kind-of-an-obvious/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Rough boys I wanna bite and kiss you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/rough-boys-i-wanna-bite-and-kiss-you/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [I'M FREE! - I'm free, And freedom tastes of reality, I'm free - I'm free, An' I'm waiting for you to follow me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-m-free-i-m-free-and-freedom-tastes-of-reality-i-m-free-i-m-free-an/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [“Roger Daltrey had been expelled for smoking, but was still impudently showing up on campus to visit his various cronies. I'd first met him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/roger-daltrey-had-been-expelled-for-smoking-but-was-still-impudently/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Keith Moon is not interested in Jazz and won't ever be a Jazz drummer because he's more interested in looking good and being screamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/keith-moon-is-not-interested-in-jazz-and-won-t-ever-be-a-jazz-drummer/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Rock music is important to people , because it allows them to escape this crazy world. It allows them not to run away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/rock-music-is-important-to-people-because-it-allows-them-to-escape/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Hearing loss is a terrible thing because it cannot be repaired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/hearing-loss-is-a-terrible-thing-because-it-cannot-be-repaired/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [I smash guitars because I like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-smash-guitars-because-i-like-them/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Everything that has befallen you happened simply cause it crossed your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/everything-that-has-befallen-you-happened-simply-cause-it-crossed/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Can't pretend that growin' older never hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/can-t-pretend-that-growin-older-never-hurts/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Water is more precious than oil. Both are more precious than music. Music won't heat a house or help a plant to grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/water-is-more-precious-than-oil-both-are-more-precious-than-music/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) [Explore all 163 Pete Townshend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) ## More Guitar quotes > [I'll tell you one thing: I will always play the sh\*\* out of my guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-satriani/i-ll-tell-you-one-thing-i-will-always-play-the-sh-out-of-my-guitar/) [Joe Satriani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-satriani/) > [I remember people would talk about Country Music like it was this sexist, lame thing. Well, no, because Dolly Parton is writing songs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neko-case/i-remember-people-would-talk-about-country-music-like-it-was-this/) [Neko Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neko-case/) > [With my songs, the question is always, 'Can you pull it off live, alone on just an acoustic guitar?' That's the litmus test. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/with-my-songs-the-question-is-always-can-you-pull-it-off-live-alone/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [Growing up in Dallas, my first influences on the guitar were T-Bone Walker and Les Paul. T-Bone taught me how to play lead guitar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/growing-up-in-dallas-my-first-influences-on-the-guitar-were-t-bone/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I play, like, 12 instruments. Guitar, piano, harmonica, African drums... I'm working on mastering the accordion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-grabeel/i-play-like-12-instruments-guitar-piano-harmonica-african-drums-i-m/) [Lucas Grabeel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-grabeel/) > [I learned tabla for three years when in school, then started picking up the basics of the acoustic guitar when in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupam-roy/i-learned-tabla-for-three-years-when-in-school-then-started-picking/) [Anupam Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupam-roy/) > [I took guitar lessons and recorded the song in New York. It was kind of a dream. I got to pretend I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/i-took-guitar-lessons-and-recorded-the-song-in-new-york-it-was-kind/) [Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/) > [There's a need for music that has urgency and emotional honesty. That's why people are reintroducing themselves to guitar music - that instrument has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mura-masa/there-s-a-need-for-music-that-has-urgency-and-emotional-honesty-that/) [Mura Masa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mura-masa/) > [I like to be quiet and play guitar and just chill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/post-malone/i-like-to-be-quiet-and-play-guitar-and-just-chill/) [Post Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/post-malone/) > [My first proper 'Here's your guitar, Joseph' was a 1981 Chiquita, one of those Erlewine travel guitars. And it was good for a four-year-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/my-first-proper-here-s-your-guitar-joseph-was-a-1981-chiquita-one-of/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [Kenny Burrell is the grand master of jazz guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dizzy-gillespie/kenny-burrell-is-the-grand-master-of-jazz-guitar/) [Dizzy Gillespie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dizzy-gillespie/) > [Because of my background, I never felt comfortable with these R&B divas, but I'd hate to be just some pensive girl with a guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-bailey-rae/because-of-my-background-i-never-felt-comfortable-with-these-r-b/) [Corinne Bailey Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-bailey-rae/) [Browse all 3,915 Guitar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He is the king. If it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble,' I would have never picked up a guitar.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pete Townshend" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/he-is-the-king-if-it-hadn-t-been-for-link-wray-and-rumble-i-would/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Guitar" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/he-is-the-king-if-it-hadn-t-been-for-link-wray-and-rumble-i-would/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_he-is-the-king-if-it-hadn-t-been-for-lin_2694501.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_he-is-the-king-if-it-hadn-t-been-for-lin_2694501.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_he-is-the-king-if-it-hadn-t-been-for-lin_2694501.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He is the king. If it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble,' I would have never picked up a guitar.” — Pete Townshend", "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": "Pete Townshend", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He is the king. If it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/he-is-the-king-if-it-hadn-t-been-for-link-wray-and-rumble-i-would/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/he-is-the-king-if-it-hadn-t-been-for-link-wray-and-rumble-i-would/#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 } } ] } ```