--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being a rock 'n' roll star ain't a…" description: "\"Being a rock 'n' roll star ain't a part-time gig.\" — Steven Van Zandt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/steven-van-zandt-3490_gigs_being-a-rock-n-roll-star-ain-t-a-part-ti_2794493.png" --- # Being a rock 'n' roll star ain't a part-time gig. ![“Being a rock 'n' roll star ain't a part-time gig.” quote by Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/steven-van-zandt-3490_gigs_being-a-rock-n-roll-star-ain-t-a-part-ti_2794493.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/steven-van-zandt-3490_gigs_being-a-rock-n-roll-star-ain-t-a-part-ti_2794493.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/steven-van-zandt-3490_gigs_being-a-rock-n-roll-star-ain-t-a-part-ti_2794493.png) > “Being a rock 'n' roll star ain't a part-time gig.” [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being a rock star demands full commitment; it’s not a hobby but a demanding vocation. **In simple terms:** Rock stardom is a full‑time commitment. Key Takeaway Treat passion as a profession, not a side gig. Themes music career dedication identity Mood determined energetic Type motivational realistic When to use this quote - touring - recording - songwriting Key Concepts artist lifestyle industry demands Questions to Reflect On - What sacrifices have you made for your music? - How do you keep passion alive amid pressure? A Different Perspective Burnout risk if work-life balance ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gigs/) [Part time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/part-time/) [Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock/) [Rock n roll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-n-roll/) [Rock Roll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-roll/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Roll Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roll-star-963123/) [Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star/) [Star Ain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star-ain-3403411/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Time Gig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-gig-3403410/) ## Related quotes > [Craigslist was something I was very well-versed in once upon a time with the gig section and getting jobs through there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-torres/craigslist-was-something-i-was-very-well-versed-in-once-upon-a-time/) [Julio Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-torres/) > [Being a rock & roll star has become as legitimate a career option as being an astronaut or a policeman or a fireman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/being-a-rock-roll-star-has-become-as-legitimate-a-career-option-as/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [There comes a point where it is just undignified to be a rock 'n' roll star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-turner/there-comes-a-point-where-it-is-just-undignified-to-be-a-rock-n-roll/) [Tina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-turner/) > [I never thought I'd be a, quote, 'rock & roll star.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-clemons/i-never-thought-i-d-be-a-quote-rock-roll-star/) [Clarence Clemons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-clemons/) > [To me, Hank Williams is the first rock-and-roll star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-crowell/to-me-hank-williams-is-the-first-rock-and-roll-star/) [Rodney Crowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-crowell/) > [I would have loved to have been a rock n' roll star. But none of us was musical, and none of us had any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/i-would-have-loved-to-have-been-a-rock-n-roll-star-but-none-of-us-was/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [I always wanted to be a rock'n'roll star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-eszterhas/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-rock-n-roll-star/) [Joe Eszterhas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-eszterhas/) > [I am a reformed Taoist, part-time Buddhist, Hindu, animist, pagan, Jewish mystic, and Christian. I always got along great with priests and rabbis and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-am-a-reformed-taoist-part-time-buddhist-hindu-animist-pagan-jewish/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [You hear about bands who say, "We did one show where only 20 people showed up", well that was our average gig for five years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-holland/you-hear-about-bands-who-say-we-did-one-show-where-only-20-people/) [Dexter Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-holland/) > [I have a bigger mission than any kind of specific politics, which is trying to restore the accessibility of rock 'n' roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-have-a-bigger-mission-than-any-kind-of-specific-politics-which-is/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [From the age of 14, 13, I guess I wanted to be a rock 'n' roll star. And that was it. I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/from-the-age-of-14-13-i-guess-i-wanted-to-be-a-rock-n-roll-star-and/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [We lived above my father's launderette. Both my parents ran the launderette, but my father was also a factory supervisor, and my mum worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjeev-bhaskar/we-lived-above-my-father-s-launderette-both-my-parents-ran-the/) [Sanjeev Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjeev-bhaskar/) > [As a result of Obamacare, we are becoming something of a part-time employment country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/as-a-result-of-obamacare-we-are-becoming-something-of-a-part-time/) [Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/) > [I didn't finish high school - left home when I was 15. I moved away to Fresno and worked as a grocery clerk. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-covey/i-didn-t-finish-high-school-left-home-when-i-was-15-i-moved-away-to/) [Joy Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-covey/) > [You see, years ago I was just an ordinary bee minding my own business, smelling flowers all day, and occasionally picking up part-time work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/you-see-years-ago-i-was-just-an-ordinary-bee-minding-my-own-business/) [Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/) ## More by Steven Van Zandt > [When I was younger, I went through the windshield of a car ,and my hair didn't grow back right. I had been wearing scarves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/when-i-was-younger-i-went-through-the-windshield-of-a-car-and-my-hair/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I did nothing but international liberation politics for ten years, and usually it was like, you gain an inch, you lose a half an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-did-nothing-but-international-liberation-politics-for-ten-years-and/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [Let's not pretend we have too much of a democracy here, because we don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/let-s-not-pretend-we-have-too-much-of-a-democracy-here-because-we-don/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > ['Sopranos' was a fascinating moment, just catching our whole culture by surprise, a fun ride to be on while I'm learning the craft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/sopranos-was-a-fascinating-moment-just-catching-our-whole-culture-by/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I've always had a reluctance to meet my heroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-ve-always-had-a-reluctance-to-meet-my-heroes/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [Every successful person needs to have at least one person in their life who's not afraid of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/every-successful-person-needs-to-have-at-least-one-person-in-their/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I think I'm one of the few people who have experienced New Jersey becoming fashionable twice in a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-think-i-m-one-of-the-few-people-who-have-experienced-new-jersey/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [My mother remarried when I was young, and my stepfather adopted me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/my-mother-remarried-when-i-was-young-and-my-stepfather-adopted-me/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [Anytime you spend six months on a song (Born to Run), there's something not exactly going right. A song should take about three hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/anytime-you-spend-six-months-on-a-song-born-to-run-there-s-something/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [My lifelong friend and mentor Frank Barsalona is gone. And the music business as we knew it went with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/my-lifelong-friend-and-mentor-frank-barsalona-is-gone-and-the-music/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I was 100 percent political in the '80s - the first time around, let's call it, my first life as an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-was-100-percent-political-in-the-80s-the-first-time-around-let-s/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I didn't care about anything expect rock & roll. So it's nice that it turned out to be something that you find a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-didn-t-care-about-anything-expect-rock-roll-so-it-s-nice-that-it/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I was a gambler when I was a kid, so when we got to Las Vegas, it was like Mecca.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-was-a-gambler-when-i-was-a-kid-so-when-we-got-to-las-vegas-it-was/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [The quality of our lives is diminished every time we lose a great artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/the-quality-of-our-lives-is-diminished-every-time-we-lose-a-great/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [You can trace the E Street Band directly back to the Rascals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/you-can-trace-the-e-street-band-directly-back-to-the-rascals/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) [Explore all 129 Steven Van Zandt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) ## More Gigs quotes > [I ended up an actor, did my first professional union gig in 1974, and I've been doing it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ironside/i-ended-up-an-actor-did-my-first-professional-union-gig-in-1974-and-i/) [Michael Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ironside/) > [When the Strokes first started playing gigs, instead of getting into a costume for the shows, we talked about how we should dress every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-casablancas/when-the-strokes-first-started-playing-gigs-instead-of-getting-into-a/) [Julian Casablancas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-casablancas/) > [I learned so much about playing and touring being on the road and in the studio with Jeff, but I'd always played a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-g/i-learned-so-much-about-playing-and-touring-being-on-the-road-and-in/) [Kenny G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-g/) > [I didn't get paid for my first gig supporting Usher Raymond in the Temple in Tottenham when I was 17 or 18. I bugged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemar/i-didn-t-get-paid-for-my-first-gig-supporting-usher-raymond-in-the/) [Lemar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemar/) > [Athens, much like Austin, is a difficult music scene. There are so many musicians there that it is hard to get gigs and hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-smith/athens-much-like-austin-is-a-difficult-music-scene-there-are-so-many/) [Corey Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-smith/) > [I never thought that I would be so attracted to television, but I don't think gigs like 'Dexter' come along too often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-carpenter/i-never-thought-that-i-would-be-so-attracted-to-television-but-i-don/) [Jennifer Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-carpenter/) > [What are your favorite jazz clubs? Planning gigs to play for later this year & want to get your feedback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-morgan/what-are-your-favorite-jazz-clubs-planning-gigs-to-play-for-later/) [Melissa Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-morgan/) > [If you've got craft, you got game. If you got game, you can write your way in and out of anything. Writing is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mark-kamen/if-you-ve-got-craft-you-got-game-if-you-got-game-you-can-write-your/) [Robert Mark Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mark-kamen/) > [Now when I say Sophie Ellis-Bextor I feel that's not really me because that's become this entity from doing the gigs and the shows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-when-i-say-sophie-ellis-bextor-i-feel-that-s-not-really-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I did a standup show called 'Show Me the Funny,' so from that I got some TV stuff and people would book me for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-taylor/i-did-a-standup-show-called-show-me-the-funny-so-from-that-i-got-some/) [Ellie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-taylor/) > [I remember early on, for instance, having to play wedding gigs, that I hated playing the music. Now I don't have to play music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-jones/i-remember-early-on-for-instance-having-to-play-wedding-gigs-that-i/) [Norah Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-jones/) > [I always perform live. I've even received a cortisone injection when I was losing my voice before a big gig so I could fulfill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willam-belli/i-always-perform-live-i-ve-even-received-a-cortisone-injection-when-i/) [Willam Belli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willam-belli/) > [I've been a writer and a parent since adolescence, it feels like, and I'm still making both gigs up as I go along. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-winton/i-ve-been-a-writer-and-a-parent-since-adolescence-it-feels-like-and-i/) [Tim Winton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-winton/) > [My first gig, I was about 17 or 18. But I'd been singing a long time. I got a guitar when I was 8,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/my-first-gig-i-was-about-17-or-18-but-i-d-been-singing-a-long-time-i/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) > [At college, I felt frustrated thinking three years was a long time and I just wanted a job but afterwards I was in employment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bailey/at-college-i-felt-frustrated-thinking-three-years-was-a-long-time-and/) [Bill Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bailey/) [Browse all 491 Gigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gigs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Being a rock 'n' roll star ain't a part-time gig.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Van Zandt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/being-a-rock-n-roll-star-ain-t-a-part-time-gig/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/being-a-rock-n-roll-star-ain-t-a-part-time-gig/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/steven-van-zandt-3490_gigs_being-a-rock-n-roll-star-ain-t-a-part-ti_2794493.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/steven-van-zandt-3490_gigs_being-a-rock-n-roll-star-ain-t-a-part-ti_2794493.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/steven-van-zandt-3490_gigs_being-a-rock-n-roll-star-ain-t-a-part-ti_2794493.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Being a rock 'n' roll star ain't a part-time gig.” — Steven Van Zandt", "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": "Steven Van Zandt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Being a rock 'n' roll star...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/being-a-rock-n-roll-star-ain-t-a-part-time-gig/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/being-a-rock-n-roll-star-ain-t-a-part-time-gig/#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 } } ] } ```