--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I tattooed my body so I couldn't fall…" description: "\"I tattooed my body so I couldn't fall back on anything. I purposely did that so I couldn't get a normal job and live a normal life. I did it so I had t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/travis-barker-8977_body_i-tattooed-my-body-so-i-couldn-t-fall-ba_3129851.png" --- # I tattooed my body so I couldn't fall back on anything. I… ![“I tattooed my body so I couldn't fall back on anything. I purposely did that so I couldn't get a normal job and live a normal life. I did it so I had to play music.” quote by Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/travis-barker-8977_body_i-tattooed-my-body-so-i-couldn-t-fall-ba_3129851.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/travis-barker-8977_body_i-tattooed-my-body-so-i-couldn-t-fall-ba_3129851.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/travis-barker-8977_body_i-tattooed-my-body-so-i-couldn-t-fall-ba_3129851.png) > “I tattooed my body so I couldn't fall back on anything. I purposely did that so I couldn't get a normal job and live a normal life. I did it so I had to play music.” [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker used a permanent body modification as a symbolic barrier to a conventional lifestyle, forcing himself into a creative career. **In simple terms:** He tattooed himself to avoid a normal job and stay in music. Key Takeaway Use constraints to fuel creativity. Themes identity creativity rebellion Mood reflective defiant Type inspirational cautionary When to use this quote - musician career - personal branding - overcoming societal pressure Key Concepts self‑imposed limits artistic drive Questions to Reflect On - What constraints could you set to boost your art? - Are there healthier ways to stay motivated? A Different Perspective Self‑imposed barriers can also limit opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Normal life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-life/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [“How’s that, Motella.” “Ooh, like wondering how it must be, getting into bed with somebody, who has another person’s name? tattooed on his body?”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/how-s-that-motella-ooh-like-wondering-how-it-must-be-getting-into-bed/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [If I can hit No. 1 on the 'New York Times' best-seller list, I'm thinking of having the entire list tattooed on my body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-l-ckberg/if-i-can-hit-no-1-on-the-new-york-times-best-seller-list-i-m-thinking/) [Camilla Lackberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-l-ckberg/) > [Sometimes I think, 'Why couldn't I have been normal?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/sometimes-i-think-why-couldn-t-i-have-been-normal/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [“Did I say normal had left the building? At this point, I couldn't find normal with a flashlight and a GPS.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delia-james/did-i-say-normal-had-left-the-building-at-this-point-i-couldn-t-find/) Delia James > [“He said, I won't have one of those things in the house. It gives a young girl a false notion of beauty, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/he-said-i-won-t-have-one-of-those-things-in-the-house-it-gives-a/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [I always had this feeling, what I wanted to do. I was trying to work out myself, my frustrations, my body. I couldn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-collins/i-always-had-this-feeling-what-i-wanted-to-do-i-was-trying-to-work/) [Petra Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-collins/) > [I was at Pepperdine University in Malibu, and during my sophomore year, I played a dying burn victim on 'ER.' The makeup artist put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-christian-olsen/i-was-at-pepperdine-university-in-malibu-and-during-my-sophomore-year/) [Eric Christian Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-christian-olsen/) > [I remember as a teen being able to eat more than my father. I was growing so fast and my body couldn’t keep up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saskia-de-brauw/i-remember-as-a-teen-being-able-to-eat-more-than-my-father-i-was/) [Saskia de Brauw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saskia-de-brauw/) > [“I felt disincarnate, cut loose from myself. How it would feel to be back in my body again I couldn’t imagine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/i-felt-disincarnate-cut-loose-from-myself-how-it-would-feel-to-be/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“I always figured people'd fuck with my body, and whatever. I couldn't stop that. But when the bastard started fucking with my head…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-rocha/i-always-figured-people-d-fuck-with-my-body-and-whatever-i-couldn-t/) [Kit Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-rocha/) > [“It was indeed as though ice was flooding his body. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/it-was-indeed-as-though-ice-was-flooding-his-body-he-put-the-bottle/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [This is the one thing I hope: that she never stopped. I hope when her body couldn't run any farther she left it behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-french/this-is-the-one-thing-i-hope-that-she-never-stopped-i-hope-when-her/) [Tana French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-french/) > [“How sometimes your body couldn't tell the difference between not loving someone enough and loving someone too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leesa-cross-smith/how-sometimes-your-body-couldn-t-tell-the-difference-between-not/) Leesa Cross-Smith > [I think about making a comeback every single day. I went running, I went training, did that for a few days. But my body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/i-think-about-making-a-comeback-every-single-day-i-went-running-i/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [My body couldn't escape, but my thoughts could.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-body-couldn-t-escape-but-my-thoughts-could/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Travis Barker > [A lot of people think that punk rock musicians don't know what they're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/a-lot-of-people-think-that-punk-rock-musicians-don-t-know-what-they/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [Once in a while, I'll slip and get off my vegan diet and have egg whites in the morning, that's a good source of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/once-in-a-while-i-ll-slip-and-get-off-my-vegan-diet-and-have-egg/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [But there's actually a lot of punk bands out there that go out of the norm, use odd time signatures, or a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/but-there-s-actually-a-lot-of-punk-bands-out-there-that-go-out-of-the/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [In 1996, I was in was in an acoustic kind of rock band, we were called Feeble. We were just playing locally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/in-1996-i-was-in-was-in-an-acoustic-kind-of-rock-band-we-were-called/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [My mom listened to the Beatles and Elvis, a lot of different types of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/my-mom-listened-to-the-beatles-and-elvis-a-lot-of-different-types-of/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [I want a certain thing for my children. I just want to be in their life. I don't want nannies raising my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/i-want-a-certain-thing-for-my-children-i-just-want-to-be-in-their/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [I want to keep pushing the limits for drummers and expressing myself,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/i-want-to-keep-pushing-the-limits-for-drummers-and-expressing-myself/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [I love tour, but I don't like traveling at night or driving long hours. But I love touring. If my kids could be out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/i-love-tour-but-i-don-t-like-traveling-at-night-or-driving-long-hours/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [My mom died when I was 16. I had a rough childhood, you know what I mean, but it made me strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/my-mom-died-when-i-was-16-i-had-a-rough-childhood-you-know-what-i/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [When I look at music, everything is blurred, and I like it that way. I grew up like that, hanging out with different types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/when-i-look-at-music-everything-is-blurred-and-i-like-it-that-way-i/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [Playing my drums is therapy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/playing-my-drums-is-therapy/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [I listened a little to punk when I was younger, but it was straight edge punk. It was nothing like what is going on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/i-listened-a-little-to-punk-when-i-was-younger-but-it-was-straight/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [All I wanted to do was ride skateboards - I wanted to be a professional skateboarder. But I had this problem. I kept breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/all-i-wanted-to-do-was-ride-skateboards-i-wanted-to-be-a-professional/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [I've always liked Dennis Chambers, he's real flashy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/i-ve-always-liked-dennis-chambers-he-s-real-flashy/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) > [We all liked the Descendants and stuff like that, so we started playing it. It's not that it was really hard, well, it does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-barker/we-all-liked-the-descendants-and-stuff-like-that-so-we-started/) [Travis Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) [Explore all 76 Travis Barker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-barker/) ## More Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) [Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I tattooed my body so I couldn't fall back on anything. I purposely did that so I couldn't get a normal job and live a normal life. 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