--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is nothing more incredible and…" description: "\"There is nothing more incredible and moving and appealing than good music, and it cannot always be reduced to a story, to exposition. It's so much more..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df5/sufjan-stevens-5325_abstract_there-is-nothing-more-incredible-and-mov_1320772.jpg" --- # There is nothing more incredible and moving and appealing… ![“There is nothing more incredible and moving and appealing than good music, and it cannot always be reduced to a story, to exposition. It's so much more abstract and brilliant.” quote by Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df5/sufjan-stevens-5325_abstract_there-is-nothing-more-incredible-and-mov_1320772.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df5/sufjan-stevens-5325_abstract_there-is-nothing-more-incredible-and-mov_1320772.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df5/sufjan-stevens-5325_abstract_there-is-nothing-more-incredible-and-mov_1320772.jpg) > “There is nothing more incredible and moving and appealing than good music, and it cannot always be reduced to a story, to exposition. It's so much more abstract and brilliant.” [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music's power lies beyond narrative; its abstract brilliance moves listeners in ways words cannot capture. **In simple terms:** Good music transcends stories and speaks abstractly. Key Takeaway Appreciate music for its emotional texture, not just its lyrics. Themes music emotion abstraction creativity Mood contemplative inspired Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - listening to instrumental pieces - film scoring - personal reflection Key Concepts Aesthetic experience emotional resonance Questions to Reflect On - How does instrumental music affect your mood? - What emotions arise without lyrics? A Different Perspective Abstract music may alienate listeners seeking clear messages. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Abstract Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract-brilliant-4401609/) [Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/) [Good music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-music/) [Incredible Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incredible-moving-4401610/) [Incredibles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incredibles/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Moving Appealing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving-appealing-4401611/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [Good music is timeless, whether it's a country song, rock, or R&B.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-degarmo/good-music-is-timeless-whether-it-s-a-country-song-rock-or-r-b/) [Diana DeGarmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-degarmo/) > [What I like about Americans is if it's good music, that's the only thing that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chet-faker/what-i-like-about-americans-is-if-it-s-good-music-that-s-the-only/) [Chet Faker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chet-faker/) > [I don't think competition is good in music. What is good, is the desire and the ambition to create your best work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-odell/i-don-t-think-competition-is-good-in-music-what-is-good-is-the-desire/) [Tom Odell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-odell/) > [I'm happy. I feel good about music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-jones/i-m-happy-i-feel-good-about-music/) [Norah Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-jones/) > [Any good music must be an innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-baxter/any-good-music-must-be-an-innovation/) [Les Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-baxter/) > [I'm not interested in anything besides making some good music, helping some artists, being an executive. I'm pretty happy with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-i-d/i-m-not-interested-in-anything-besides-making-some-good-music-helping/) [No I.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/no-i-d/) > [So much good music has been looked over because of preconceived notions of genre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/so-much-good-music-has-been-looked-over-because-of-preconceived/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [All I can do is make good music and make it for the fans, not for anybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taio-cruz/all-i-can-do-is-make-good-music-and-make-it-for-the-fans-not-for/) [Taio Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taio-cruz/) > [Good music shouldn't have a shelf life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-ware/good-music-shouldn-t-have-a-shelf-life/) [Jessie Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-ware/) > [My soul is always lifted up, and my spirit cheered and comforted, when I hear good music. I rejoice in it very much indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fielding-smith/my-soul-is-always-lifted-up-and-my-spirit-cheered-and-comforted-when/) [Joseph Fielding Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fielding-smith/) > [Always focus on the music first. That's the big thing. Staying true to making good music and not sacrificing that for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/griz/always-focus-on-the-music-first-that-s-the-big-thing-staying-true-to/) [GRiZ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/griz/) > [I enjoy making good music and I enjoy people reacting to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-paycheck/i-enjoy-making-good-music-and-i-enjoy-people-reacting-to-it/) [Johnny Paycheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-paycheck/) > [I've never been in this business to make money. I've always been in it to make good music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-frampton/i-ve-never-been-in-this-business-to-make-money-i-ve-always-been-in-it/) [Peter Frampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-frampton/) > [There's nothing like getting feedback that's positive and supportive. That's what I'm all about. I'm really just genuinely doing good music. I'm not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-villarreal/there-s-nothing-like-getting-feedback-that-s-positive-and-supportive/) [Tiffany Villarreal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-villarreal/) > [First of all, anything Ryan Murphy is a part of is a good idea to be a part of. He's got just such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-salling/first-of-all-anything-ryan-murphy-is-a-part-of-is-a-good-idea-to-be-a/) [Mark Salling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-salling/) ## More by Sufjan Stevens > [I like residing in abstraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-like-residing-in-abstraction/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Perhaps we have failed as human beings. Perhaps we have embarrassed ourselves to the natural world. We have been rigorous and willful in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/perhaps-we-have-failed-as-human-beings-perhaps-we-have-embarrassed/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Everyone suffers; life is pain; and death is the final punctuation at the end of that sentence, so deal with it. I really think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/everyone-suffers-life-is-pain-and-death-is-the-final-punctuation-at/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [One of my strongest memories is my father playing bongos in the living room in Detroit listening to Motown radio. He was this skinny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/one-of-my-strongest-memories-is-my-father-playing-bongos-in-the/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [I think musicians should stay off television generally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-think-musicians-should-stay-off-television-generally/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [“Now that I fell into your arms My only lover, give out to give in I search for the capsule I lost”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/now-that-i-fell-into-your-arms-my-only-lover-give-out-to-give-in-i/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [There's a sense of urgency in understanding that your body is not really your own. We can control it to a certain extent through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/there-s-a-sense-of-urgency-in-understanding-that-your-body-is-not/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [I felt that there's an obligation when writing a piece about an urban expressway made in the 50s to acknowledge the context, and Robert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-felt-that-there-s-an-obligation-when-writing-a-piece-about-an-urban/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [“I forgive you, mother, I can hear you And I long to be near you But every road leads to an end Yes every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-forgive-you-mother-i-can-hear-you-and-i-long-to-be-near-you-but/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [The best fiction is geared towards conflict. We learn most about our characters through tension, when they are put up against insurmountable obstacles. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/the-best-fiction-is-geared-towards-conflict-we-learn-most-about-our/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Some of my music requires an obsessive-compulsive approach and a real embodiment of excessiveness. So I really have to live in that world of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/some-of-my-music-requires-an-obsessive-compulsive-approach-and-a-real/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Every time Jimmy Scott sings, it's the same but slightly different. I don't know how he does that or where he gets that from.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/every-time-jimmy-scott-sings-it-s-the-same-but-slightly-different-i/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [“I always knew you In your mothers arms I have called your name I have an idea Placed in your mind To be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-always-knew-you-in-your-mothers-arms-i-have-called-your-name-i-have/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Life is all about toiling and labor. But obviously I get great joy in confronting challenge and taking risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/life-is-all-about-toiling-and-labor-but-obviously-i-get-great-joy-in/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [I no longer really have faith in the album anymore. I no longer have faith in the song,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-no-longer-really-have-faith-in-the-album-anymore-i-no-longer-have/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) [Explore all 101 Sufjan Stevens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) ## More Abstract quotes > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [A little too abstract, a little too wise, It is time for us to kiss the earth again, It is time to let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/a-little-too-abstract-a-little-too-wise-it-is-time-for-us-to-kiss-the/) [Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/) > [“Happy is very abstract, you can't touch it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/happy-is-very-abstract-you-can-t-touch-it/) [Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-more-horrible-this-world-as-today-for-instance-the-more-abstract/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/) [Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/) [Anthony W. Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-w-ivins/) > [A mobile is an abstract sculpture made chiefly out of sheet metal, steel rods, wire and wood. Some or all of these elements move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-calder/a-mobile-is-an-abstract-sculpture-made-chiefly-out-of-sheet-metal/) [Alexander Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-calder/) > [I'm this superphilosophical kind of person. Stuck in a prison of abstract ideas and overpowering emotions, I have this personality that makes it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuo-kirino/i-m-this-superphilosophical-kind-of-person-stuck-in-a-prison-of/) [Natsuo Kirino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuo-kirino/) > [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-trouble-is-that-when-you-read-criticisms-about-the-other-films/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [Painting is... a richer language than words... Painting operates through signs which are not abstract and incorporeal like words. The signs of painting are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/painting-is-a-richer-language-than-words-painting-operates-through/) [Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/) [Browse all 1,403 Abstract quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is nothing more incredible and moving and appealing than good music, and it cannot always be reduced to a story, to exposition. 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