--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We never could have foreseen the success…" description: "\"We never could have foreseen the success of 'Babel.' It's not like banjo records were soaring up the charts, you know.\" — Ted Dwane" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/ted-dwane-12289_banjo_we-never-could-have-foreseen-the-success_1679667.jpg" --- # We never could have foreseen the success of 'Babel.' It's… ![“We never could have foreseen the success of 'Babel.' It's not like banjo records were soaring up the charts, you know.” quote by Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/ted-dwane-12289_banjo_we-never-could-have-foreseen-the-success_1679667.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/ted-dwane-12289_banjo_we-never-could-have-foreseen-the-success_1679667.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/ted-dwane-12289_banjo_we-never-could-have-foreseen-the-success_1679667.jpg) > “We never could have foreseen the success of 'Babel.' It's not like banjo records were soaring up the charts, you know.” [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects surprise at an unexpected hit, noting that the genre was not popular at the time. **In simple terms:** Unexpected success of a song in an unpopular genre. Key Takeaway Expect the unexpected in creative work. Themes surprise music industry unexpected success Mood curious optimistic Type observational reflective When to use this quote - artist promotion - radio play - viral social media - genre crossover Key Concepts cultural trends market dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What factors could turn an obscure genre into a hit? - How can artists anticipate changing audience tastes? A Different Perspective Success may still be limited by market saturation or lack of exposure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Babel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babel/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [I suppose, counting back, if the Beatles had been influenced by music in the same length of time ago - you'd have to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-greenwood/i-suppose-counting-back-if-the-beatles-had-been-influenced-by-music/) [Jonny Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-greenwood/) > [I think it's a great story, the story of Babel. I think anyone can direct it as an analogy for a lot of different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/i-think-it-s-a-great-story-the-story-of-babel-i-think-anyone-can/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [None of us had really any interest in doing a sort of 'Babel 2.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/none-of-us-had-really-any-interest-in-doing-a-sort-of-babel-2/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [Without a drummer, you've got that sort of running, chicken-chasing, rhythmic thing happening with the banjo in the top end - it's what gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/without-a-drummer-you-ve-got-that-sort-of-running-chicken-chasing/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > ['Babel' is about the point of view of others. It literally includes points of views as experienced from the other side. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/babel-is-about-the-point-of-view-of-others-it-literally-includes/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“The Babel fish is small, yellow and leech-like, and probably the oddest thing in the Universe. It feeds on brainwave energy received not from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-babel-fish-is-small-yellow-and-leech-like-and-probably-the-oddest/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [ What \[Franz\] Kafka says about the Tower of Babel: In the beginning there were actually many languages, and then as a punishment God gave… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/what-franz-kafka-says-about-the-tower-of-babel-in-the-beginning-there/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [As a system of philosophy it is not like the Tower of Babel, so daring its high aim as to seek a shelter against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sedgwick/as-a-system-of-philosophy-it-is-not-like-the-tower-of-babel-so-daring/) [Adam Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sedgwick/) > ["I refuse to prove that I exist" says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith, I am nothing." "Oh," says man, "but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-refuse-to-prove-that-i-exist-says-god-for-proof-denies-faith-and/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“The particular myth that's been organizing this talk, and in a way the whole series, is the story of the Tower of Babel in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/the-particular-myth-that-s-been-organizing-this-talk-and-in-a-way-the/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [I firmly believe this ... that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the builders of Babel:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-firmly-believe-this-that-without-his-concurring-aid-we-shall/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The students often like to talk about movies that they feel are Orientalist like 300 or Babel. They talk a lot about the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-marandi/the-students-often-like-to-talk-about-movies-that-they-feel-are/) [Mohammad Marandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-marandi/) > [“An attempt to wrest from God the prerogatives of absolute freedom and infinity leads to the inversion of Pentecost and what is in effect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-e-gunton/an-attempt-to-wrest-from-god-the-prerogatives-of-absolute-freedom-and/) Colin E. Gunton > [“Our modern era embodies both the Tower of Babel and Pentecost simultaneously. Like Babel, globalization and technological advancement have created linguistic and cultural fragmentation……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paule-patterson/our-modern-era-embodies-both-the-tower-of-babel-and-pentecost/) [Paule Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paule-patterson/) > [How will the Tower of Babel be undone? How will we understand each other in Heaven? Will we all speak English or Dutch or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/how-will-the-tower-of-babel-be-undone-how-will-we-understand-each/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) ## More by Ted Dwane > [It's strange to think about the scathing reviews 'Sigh No More' got and then consider that we could win best album a year or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/it-s-strange-to-think-about-the-scathing-reviews-sigh-no-more-got-and/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [People don't really need to question our sincerity when it comes to our songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/people-don-t-really-need-to-question-our-sincerity-when-it-comes-to/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [You leave school, work terrible jobs to pay rent, and that's when you start finding your way in music and forming bands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/you-leave-school-work-terrible-jobs-to-pay-rent-and-that-s-when-you/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [We don't read a lot of what people say about us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/we-don-t-read-a-lot-of-what-people-say-about-us/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [You can't really opt into something you don't believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/you-can-t-really-opt-into-something-you-don-t-believe-in/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [As soon as we started playing sports arenas, we thought how great it would be if we could instead play to 25,000 people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/as-soon-as-we-started-playing-sports-arenas-we-thought-how-great-it/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [You look at the instrumentation, and you can't really argue that we set out with commercial aspirations. Banjos and things like that are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/you-look-at-the-instrumentation-and-you-can-t-really-argue-that-we/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [Whether people jump up and down when they see us or are completely quiet, it just feels really good that they're connecting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/whether-people-jump-up-and-down-when-they-see-us-or-are-completely/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [There's definitely a negative correlation between the higher the profile and the enjoyment of the gig.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/there-s-definitely-a-negative-correlation-between-the-higher-the/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [If you told me in the '90s that I'd be in a chart battle with Green Day, I probably would have just laughed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/if-you-told-me-in-the-90s-that-i-d-be-in-a-chart-battle-with-green/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [As humans, we're such a discontented species. We're always trying to further ourselves, and you get all the way to the moon, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/as-humans-we-re-such-a-discontented-species-we-re-always-trying-to/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [Our spiritual home is definitely the U.K., but we have such a breadth of influence, and America's a huge part of that, as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/our-spiritual-home-is-definitely-the-u-k-but-we-have-such-a-breadth/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [We're not the first band who went to public school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/we-re-not-the-first-band-who-went-to-public-school/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [We never thought we'd be commercially viable, and we were proved wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/we-never-thought-we-d-be-commercially-viable-and-we-were-proved-wrong/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) > [We don't want to be as big as Oasis!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dwane/we-don-t-want-to-be-as-big-as-oasis/) [Ted Dwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) [Explore all 55 Ted Dwane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dwane/) ## More Babel quotes > [How will the Tower of Babel be undone? How will we understand each other in Heaven? Will we all speak English or Dutch or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/how-will-the-tower-of-babel-be-undone-how-will-we-understand-each/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“Our modern era embodies both the Tower of Babel and Pentecost simultaneously. Like Babel, globalization and technological advancement have created linguistic and cultural fragmentation……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paule-patterson/our-modern-era-embodies-both-the-tower-of-babel-and-pentecost/) [Paule Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paule-patterson/) > [“An attempt to wrest from God the prerogatives of absolute freedom and infinity leads to the inversion of Pentecost and what is in effect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-e-gunton/an-attempt-to-wrest-from-god-the-prerogatives-of-absolute-freedom-and/) Colin E. Gunton > [The students often like to talk about movies that they feel are Orientalist like 300 or Babel. They talk a lot about the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-marandi/the-students-often-like-to-talk-about-movies-that-they-feel-are/) [Mohammad Marandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-marandi/) > [I firmly believe this ... that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the builders of Babel:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-firmly-believe-this-that-without-his-concurring-aid-we-shall/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“The particular myth that's been organizing this talk, and in a way the whole series, is the story of the Tower of Babel in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/the-particular-myth-that-s-been-organizing-this-talk-and-in-a-way-the/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > ["I refuse to prove that I exist" says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith, I am nothing." "Oh," says man, "but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-refuse-to-prove-that-i-exist-says-god-for-proof-denies-faith-and/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [As a system of philosophy it is not like the Tower of Babel, so daring its high aim as to seek a shelter against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sedgwick/as-a-system-of-philosophy-it-is-not-like-the-tower-of-babel-so-daring/) [Adam Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sedgwick/) > [ What \[Franz\] Kafka says about the Tower of Babel: In the beginning there were actually many languages, and then as a punishment God gave… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/what-franz-kafka-says-about-the-tower-of-babel-in-the-beginning-there/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“The Babel fish is small, yellow and leech-like, and probably the oddest thing in the Universe. It feeds on brainwave energy received not from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-babel-fish-is-small-yellow-and-leech-like-and-probably-the-oddest/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > ['Babel' is about the point of view of others. It literally includes points of views as experienced from the other side. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/babel-is-about-the-point-of-view-of-others-it-literally-includes/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“In those days the world teemed, the people multiplied, the world bellowed like a wild bull, and the great god was aroused by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-those-days-the-world-teemed-the-people-multiplied-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Literatura e un Turn Babel de hartie;fiecare carte o treapta,fiecare biblioteca un etaj.Numai ca literatura are o tinta mai modesta,dar si mai dificila:sa ajunga…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-plesu/literatura-e-un-turn-babel-de-hartie-fiecare-carte-o-treapta-fiecare/) [Andrei Pleşu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-plesu/) > [“Transhumanism encapsulates a long-lived error among the headliners of science: in a world without a destination, we cannot even break ground on our Tower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/transhumanism-encapsulates-a-long-lived-error-among-the-headliners-of/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [But all this language gotten, and augmented by Adam and his posterity, was again lost at the tower of Babel , when by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/but-all-this-language-gotten-and-augmented-by-adam-and-his-posterity/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) [Browse all 60 Babel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We never could have foreseen the success of 'Babel.' 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