---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Orpheus never liked words. He had his…"
description: "\"“Orpheus never liked words. He had his music. He would get a funny look on his face and I would say what are you thinking about and he would always be ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/sarah-ruhl-13926_music_orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-mus_1454726.jpg"
---

#  Orpheus never liked words. He had his music. He would get…

![“Orpheus never liked words. He had his music. He would get a funny look on his face and I would say what are you thinking about and he would always be thinking about music.” quote by Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/sarah-ruhl-13926_music_orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-mus_1454726.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/sarah-ruhl-13926_music_orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-mus_1454726.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/sarah-ruhl-13926_music_orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-mus_1454726.jpg)

> ““Orpheus never liked words. He had his music. He would get a funny look on his face and I would say what are you thinking about and he would always be thinking about music.””

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Orpheus expresses himself through music rather than words, showing art can convey thoughts beyond language

**In simple terms:** Music can speak what words cannot

Key Takeaway

Value non‑verbal expression in relationships

Themes

art music communication creativity

Mood

reflective inspired

Type

artistic philosophical

When to use this quote

- songwriting
- dance
- visual art
- therapy sessions

Key Concepts

non‑verbal expression emotional intelligence artistic identity

Questions to Reflect On

- When is music more effective than speech?
- How do you translate music into actionable ideas?

A Different Perspective

Relying solely on music may limit clarity in some contexts

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musicians/) [Orpheus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orpheus/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/)

## Related quotes

> [“Orpheus never liked words. He had his music. He would get a funny look on his face and I would say what are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-music-he-would-get-a-funny-look/)

[sarah ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [“He enjoyed reading and writing. He liked words. Words didn't shout or make loud noises, which pretty much defined the rest of his family.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-enjoyed-reading-and-writing-he-liked-words-words-didn-t-shout-or/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“He was a big talker, someone who liked words for words' sake, the sound of them, the way you can pile them up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-roark-dowell/he-was-a-big-talker-someone-who-liked-words-for-words-sake-the-sound/)

[Frances O'Roark Dowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-roark-dowell/)

> [I go through the text making sure I haven't used any big words. If I find any fancy adjectives have crept in, I replace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-millar/i-go-through-the-text-making-sure-i-haven-t-used-any-big-words-if-i/)

[Martin Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-millar/)

> [“He liked words and images. "Blue" was one of his favorite words. He liked the feeling it made on his lips and tongue when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-james-waller/he-liked-words-and-images-blue-was-one-of-his-favorite-words-he-liked/)

[Robert James Waller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-james-waller/)

> [I did the traditional thing with falling in love with words, reading books and underlining lines I liked and words I didn't know. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/i-did-the-traditional-thing-with-falling-in-love-with-words-reading/)

[Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/)

> [“If we were in a restaurant sometimes Orpheus would look sullen and wouldn't talk to me and I thought people felt sorry for me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/if-we-were-in-a-restaurant-sometimes-orpheus-would-look-sullen-and/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [“Orpheus said the mind is a slide ruler. It can fit around anything. Show me your body, he said. It only means one thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/orpheus-said-the-mind-is-a-slide-ruler-it-can-fit-around-anything/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [Beyond that, it gets down to the nuts and bolts of discipline - not a tradition or genre, I don't care about that, actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-iyer/beyond-that-it-gets-down-to-the-nuts-and-bolts-of-discipline-not-a/)

[Vijay Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-iyer/)

> [Music feels so environmental to me, especially the process of working with synths or mixing. I started thinking about music as a psychological landscape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-polachek/music-feels-so-environmental-to-me-especially-the-process-of-working/)

[Caroline Polachek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-polachek/)

> [“It had never occured to me that thinking and music are so much alike. In fact, you can say music is another way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/it-had-never-occured-to-me-that-thinking-and-music-are-so-much-alike/)

[Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/)

> [When I lived in New York, there wasn't as much TV or film around. I got asked to do a couple of indie films,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-iha/when-i-lived-in-new-york-there-wasn-t-as-much-tv-or-film-around-i-got/)

[James Iha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-iha/)

> [I think we have to change our thinking and the music industry has to shift and look at how people are acquiring their music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warryn-campbell/i-think-we-have-to-change-our-thinking-and-the-music-industry-has-to/)

[Warryn Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warryn-campbell/)

> [“I started thinking more about music. I thought I'd accepted the fact that, as part of "Being Gretchen," I didn't really like music, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/i-started-thinking-more-about-music-i-thought-i-d-accepted-the-fact/)

[Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/)

> [I'm very much thinking in music most of the time, but I really would love to start filming because when I was a teenager,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trentem-ller/i-m-very-much-thinking-in-music-most-of-the-time-but-i-really-would/)

[Trentemøller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trentem-ller/)

## More by Sarah Ruhl

> [“I hate parties. And a wedding is the biggest party of all. All the guests arrived and Orpheus is taking a shower. He's always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/i-hate-parties-and-a-wedding-is-the-biggest-party-of-all-all-the/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [Have you ever been so melancholy, that you wanted to fit in the palm of your beloved's hand? And lie there, for fortnights, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/have-you-ever-been-so-melancholy-that-you-wanted-to-fit-in-the-palm/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [“the theater is one of the few places left in the bright and noisy world where we sit in the quiet dark together, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/the-theater-is-one-of-the-few-places-left-in-the-bright-and-noisy/)

[sarah ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [I do think there's a relationship between a book and a reader that's more intimate, in many ways, than the relationship between an audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/i-do-think-there-s-a-relationship-between-a-book-and-a-reader-that-s/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [“When you read a novel, it seems that everything is clear, trite and understandable. But when you yourself fall in love, you understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/when-you-read-a-novel-it-seems-that-everything-is-clear-trite-and/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [“When you snatch happiness in little bits, fits and starts, and lose it, like me, you become coarse, little by little, you become hateful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/when-you-snatch-happiness-in-little-bits-fits-and-starts-and-lose-it/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [Sitting down with younger women writers and saying, "This is what I do and you can do this" is hugely important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/sitting-down-with-younger-women-writers-and-saying-this-is-what-i-do/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [Attachment parenting is this theory that if you wear your baby around and you sleep with your baby and you breast-feed for a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/attachment-parenting-is-this-theory-that-if-you-wear-your-baby-around/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [We all exist in relation to the world, our partners, the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/we-all-exist-in-relation-to-the-world-our-partners-the-human-race/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [“Play itself is a primary process, not a luxury, not a hobby, but something all children must do to survive into adulthood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/play-itself-is-a-primary-process-not-a-luxury-not-a-hobby-but/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [“Orpheus never liked words. He had his music. He would get a funny look on his face and I would say what are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-music-he-would-get-a-funny-look/)

[sarah ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [“What silly little things sometimes take on meaning in life, suddenly, out of nowhere. And you know they're little nothings, and you laugh at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/what-silly-little-things-sometimes-take-on-meaning-in-life-suddenly/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [Being dead is the most airtight defense of one's own aesthetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/being-dead-is-the-most-airtight-defense-of-one-s-own-aesthetic/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [“Don't make a wall of glass between your play and the people watching. Don't forget they were once children, who enjoyed being read to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/don-t-make-a-wall-of-glass-between-your-play-and-the-people-watching/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

> [Plays are architecture, and you can make them stand in many ways that are hard to describe. And, I think, in our limited ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/plays-are-architecture-and-you-can-make-them-stand-in-many-ways-that/)

[Sarah Ruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

[Explore all 48 Sarah Ruhl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/)

## More Music quotes

> [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/)

[Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/)

> [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/)

[Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I'm at the edge of the world, Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world, Should I sink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/i-m-at-the-edge-of-the-world-where-do-i-go-from-here-do-i-disappear/)

[Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/)

> [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/)

[Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/)

> [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/)

Hubert Laws

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [ “Downloading's the same as what I used to do. I used to tape the charts of the songs I liked \[off the radio\]. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-gallagher/downloading-s-the-same-as-what-i-used-to-do-i-used-to-tape-the-charts/)

[Liam Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-gallagher/)

> [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/)

[Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/)

> [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/)

[Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/)

> [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/)

[Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/)

> [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/)

[Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/)

> [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/)

Adam Ant

> [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/)

[Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/)

[Browse all 55,293 Music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Orpheus never liked words. He had his music. He would get a funny look on his face and I would say what are you thinking about and he would always be thinking about music.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sarah Ruhl"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-music-he-would-get-a-funny-look-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Music"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-music-he-would-get-a-funny-look-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/sarah-ruhl-13926_music_orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-mus_1454726.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/sarah-ruhl-13926_music_orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-mus_1454726.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/sarah-ruhl-13926_music_orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-mus_1454726.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Orpheus never liked words. He had his music. He would get a funny look on his face and I would say what are…” — Sarah Ruhl",
                "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": "Sarah Ruhl",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ruhl/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Orpheus never liked words. He had...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-music-he-would-get-a-funny-look-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ruhl/orpheus-never-liked-words-he-had-his-music-he-would-get-a-funny-look-2/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
