--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She had never paid much attention to the…" description: "\"“She had never paid much attention to the Middle Eastern situation, per se, and now she knew why. It was an overload of craziness. It was a seventy-pie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/tom-robbins-169_orchestra_she-had-never-paid-much-attention-to-the_2385758.jpg" --- # She had never paid much attention to the Middle Eastern… ![“She had never paid much attention to the Middle Eastern situation, per se, and now she knew why. It was an overload of craziness. It was a seventy-piece orchestra rehearsing a funeral dirge and a wedding march simultaneously in a broom closet.” quote by Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/tom-robbins-169_orchestra_she-had-never-paid-much-attention-to-the_2385758.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/tom-robbins-169_orchestra_she-had-never-paid-much-attention-to-the_2385758.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/tom-robbins-169_orchestra_she-had-never-paid-much-attention-to-the_2385758.jpg) > ““She had never paid much attention to the Middle Eastern situation, per se, and now she knew why. It was an overload of craziness. It was a seventy-piece orchestra rehearsing a funeral dirge and a wedding march simultaneously in a broom closet.”” [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage uses a chaotic metaphor to illustrate how the Middle East conflict feels overwhelming and contradictory, like multiple conflicting sounds in a tiny space. **In simple terms:** The situation feels chaotic and contradictory. Key Takeaway Recognize complexity and avoid oversimplification. Themes conflict complexity perception media politics Mood irritated thoughtful skeptical Type satirical analytical When to use this quote - news consumption - policy analysis - educational debates Key Concepts Chaos theory cultural analysis satire Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of the metaphor resonate with current events? - How can we better parse complex geopolitical issues? A Different Perspective Over‑simplifying can obscure true causes and solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Craziness Seventy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craziness-seventy-5924602/) [Orchestra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orchestra/) [Paid Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paid-attention/) [Piece Orchestra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piece-orchestra-5231099/) [Rehearsing Funeral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rehearsing-funeral-5924603/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes there is a 36-piece orchestra going off in my stomach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/sometimes-there-is-a-36-piece-orchestra-going-off-in-my-stomach/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [I just remember standing there, singing with the headphones on and the strings playing, just how wonderful that felt. But we so rarely got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-skaggs/i-just-remember-standing-there-singing-with-the-headphones-on-and-the/) [Ricky Skaggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-skaggs/) > [I was your C student. I paid attention in the classes that were about how to get elected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/i-was-your-c-student-i-paid-attention-in-the-classes-that-were-about/) [Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/) > [“Pigbog wished he’d paid more attention to the Book of Revelation. If he’d known he was going to be in it, he’d have read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/pigbog-wished-he-d-paid-more-attention-to-the-book-of-revelation-if/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [As an actor, I've always paid attention on sets. I've always watched, learned and listened, and you start to see things differently. You always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-balfour/as-an-actor-i-ve-always-paid-attention-on-sets-i-ve-always-watched/) [Eric Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-balfour/) > [If we had paid attention, we would have understood there are some things in this world you cannot outrun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/if-we-had-paid-attention-we-would-have-understood-there-are-some/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [I knew it was happening, but I never paid much attention to it . . . just to the passage of time. Something new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eggleston/i-knew-it-was-happening-but-i-never-paid-much-attention-to-it-just-to/) [William Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eggleston/) > [I said ive never had a friend as good as u until I paid attention to the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estefania-medeles/i-said-ive-never-had-a-friend-as-good-as-u-until-i-paid-attention-to/) [Estefania Medeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estefania-medeles/) > [I've been a fan of Mads since the “Casino Royale” movie. I really sat up and paid attention to him. I was like, “Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/i-ve-been-a-fan-of-mads-since-the-casino-royale-movie-i-really-sat-up/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [I paid attention to how Floyd Mayweather adapts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-garcia/i-paid-attention-to-how-floyd-mayweather-adapts/) [Ryan Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-garcia/) > [“Because the song was that great and because we all really paid attention to it. Five minutes of a lifetime were truly spent, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/because-the-song-was-that-great-and-because-we-all-really-paid/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I feel like I've paid attention to all the great coaches who have coached me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-hardaway/i-feel-like-i-ve-paid-attention-to-all-the-great-coaches-who-have/) [Penny Hardaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-hardaway/) > [“No one paid any attention to them. Perhaps they saw nothing at all. Perhaps they saw what their minds were instructed to see, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/no-one-paid-any-attention-to-them-perhaps-they-saw-nothing-at-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“I realized that I was a bad listener: I paid too much attention to the words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-iossel/i-realized-that-i-was-a-bad-listener-i-paid-too-much-attention-to-the/) [Mikhail Iossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-iossel/) > [I've never paid much attention to those who have written me off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humza-yousaf/i-ve-never-paid-much-attention-to-those-who-have-written-me-off/) [Humza Yousaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humza-yousaf/) ## More by Tom Robbins > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/love-is-the-ultimate-outlaw-it-just-won-t-adhere-to-any-rules-the/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“I believe in everything; nothing is sacred. I believe in nothing; everything is sacred. Ha Ha Ho Ho Hee Hee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/i-believe-in-everything-nothing-is-sacred-i-believe-in-nothing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [A sense of humor...is superior to any religion so far devised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/a-sense-of-humor-is-superior-to-any-religion-so-far-devised/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/love-is-the-ultimate-outlaw-it-just-won-t-adhere-to-any-rules-the-2/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“The glue that holds the natural world together appears to be a harmonious balance of opposites: day and night, light and dark, winter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-glue-that-holds-the-natural-world-together-appears-to-be-a/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Zippers are primal and modern at the very same time. On the one hand, your zipper is primitive and reptilian, on the other, mechanical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/zippers-are-primal-and-modern-at-the-very-same-time-on-the-one-hand/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“religion is a paramount contributor to human misery. It is not merely the opium of the masses, it is the cyanide.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/religion-is-a-paramount-contributor-to-human-misery-it-is-not-merely/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [She continued weeping until the heat of her tear water, the sheer velocity of its flow, finally obscured the already vague circumstances of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/she-continued-weeping-until-the-heat-of-her-tear-water-the-sheer/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The bottom line is that (a) people are never perfect, but love can be, (b) that is the one and only way that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-bottom-line-is-that-a-people-are-never-perfect-but-love-can-be-b/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Virtually every advancement made by our species since civilization first peeked out of its nest of stone has been initiated by lone individuals, mavericks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/virtually-every-advancement-made-by-our-species-since-civilization/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [When we accept small wonders, we qualify ourselves to imagine great wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/when-we-accept-small-wonders-we-qualify-ourselves-to-imagine-great/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) [Explore all 994 Tom Robbins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) ## More Orchestra quotes > [What a gift it would be if every child in the country could hear a professional orchestra at least once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/what-a-gift-it-would-be-if-every-child-in-the-country-could-hear-a/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [In life's orchestra, the bike is the double bass. Hard to forget it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-fournel/in-life-s-orchestra-the-bike-is-the-double-bass-hard-to-forget-it/) [Paul Fournel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-fournel/) > [Every orchestra has its own sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/every-orchestra-has-its-own-sound/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [As long as I can sing halfway decent, I'd rather sing than act. There's nothing like being in good voice, feeling good, having good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-keel/as-long-as-i-can-sing-halfway-decent-i-d-rather-sing-than-act-there-s/) [Howard Keel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-keel/) > [There is something about the live performance of an orchestra that makes it very different to a film. With a film, you can rewrite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gael-garcia-bernal/there-is-something-about-the-live-performance-of-an-orchestra-that/) [Gael Garcia Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gael-garcia-bernal/) > [An Israeli who thinks that his government is doing everything right wouldn't join the Divan Orchestra in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/an-israeli-who-thinks-that-his-government-is-doing-everything-right/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [Being at the show, watching people do what they do so well, hearing a full orchestra, and hearing beautiful music? There's nothing better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-donnell/being-at-the-show-watching-people-do-what-they-do-so-well-hearing-a/) [Colin Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-donnell/) > [Congratulations to each and every one of you for the concert last night in New York and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-ormandy/congratulations-to-each-and-every-one-of-you-for-the-concert-last/) [Eugene Ormandy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-ormandy/) > [I want to take the great tradition of the orchestra within me, to take what the orchestra offers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andris-nelsons/i-want-to-take-the-great-tradition-of-the-orchestra-within-me-to-take/) [Andris Nelsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andris-nelsons/) > [I feel choir just has a great sense of power when used with an orchestra, or even by itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramin-djawadi/i-feel-choir-just-has-a-great-sense-of-power-when-used-with-an/) [Ramin Djawadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramin-djawadi/) > [I don't feel that the conductor has real power. The orchestra has the power, and every member of it knows instantaneously if you're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/itzhak-perlman/i-don-t-feel-that-the-conductor-has-real-power-the-orchestra-has-the/) [Itzhak Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/itzhak-perlman/) > [It's funny, but to me, when you go to a concert hall and hear electronic pieces from the '60s, I think they sound really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-greenwood/it-s-funny-but-to-me-when-you-go-to-a-concert-hall-and-hear/) [Jonny Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-greenwood/) > [Next year I'm going to be a guesting soloist with orchestras all over Europe, to start off with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-emerson/next-year-i-m-going-to-be-a-guesting-soloist-with-orchestras-all-over/) [Keith Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-emerson/) > [My ex-wife was trying to be nice once, so she took me to a concert in Los Angeles. I went with her to Symphony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/my-ex-wife-was-trying-to-be-nice-once-so-she-took-me-to-a-concert-in/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [I cannot give it to you, so try to watch me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-ormandy/i-cannot-give-it-to-you-so-try-to-watch-me/) [Eugene Ormandy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-ormandy/) [Browse all 652 Orchestra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orchestra/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She had never paid much attention to the Middle Eastern situation, per se, and now she knew why. It was an overload of craziness. It was a seventy-piece orchestra rehearsing a funeral dirge and a wedding march simultaneously in a broom closet.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Robbins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/she-had-never-paid-much-attention-to-the-middle-eastern-situation-per/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Orchestra" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/she-had-never-paid-much-attention-to-the-middle-eastern-situation-per/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/tom-robbins-169_orchestra_she-had-never-paid-much-attention-to-the_2385758.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/tom-robbins-169_orchestra_she-had-never-paid-much-attention-to-the_2385758.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/805/tom-robbins-169_orchestra_she-had-never-paid-much-attention-to-the_2385758.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She had never paid much attention to the Middle Eastern situation, per se, and now she knew why. It was an…” — Tom Robbins", "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": "Tom Robbins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She had never paid much attention...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/she-had-never-paid-much-attention-to-the-middle-eastern-situation-per/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/she-had-never-paid-much-attention-to-the-middle-eastern-situation-per/#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 } } ] } ```