--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This would be a great world to dance in…" description: "\"This would be a great world to dance in if we didn’t have to pay the fiddler.\" — Will Rogers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/will-rogers-272_business_this-would-be-a-great-world-to-dance-in_2138208.jpg" --- # This would be a great world to dance in if we didn’t have… ![“This would be a great world to dance in if we didn’t have to pay the fiddler.” quote by Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/will-rogers-272_business_this-would-be-a-great-world-to-dance-in_2138208.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/will-rogers-272_business_this-would-be-a-great-world-to-dance-in_2138208.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/will-rogers-272_business_this-would-be-a-great-world-to-dance-in_2138208.jpg) > “This would be a great world to dance in if we didn’t have to pay the fiddler.” [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom is limited by the cost of entertainment; without paying the price, joy is unattainable. **In simple terms:** You must pay to enjoy. Key Takeaway Accept the cost of enjoyment. Themes freedom entertainment economics Mood reflective wry Type humor philosophical When to use this quote - concert attendance - streaming services - festival participation Key Concepts trade‑offs value of art Questions to Reflect On - What are you willing to pay for joy? - Is any joy truly free? A Different Perspective Some pleasures are inaccessible without financial means. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Fiddlers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiddlers/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [A man must pay the fiddler. In my case it so happened that a whole symphony orchestra often had to be subsidized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/a-man-must-pay-the-fiddler-in-my-case-it-so-happened-that-a-whole/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) > [A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But here, in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-harnick/a-fiddler-on-the-roof-sounds-crazy-no-but-here-in-our-little-village/) [Sheldon Harnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-harnick/) > [A writer of story books! What kind of business in life-what mode of glorifying God, or being serviceable to mankind in his day and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/a-writer-of-story-books-what-kind-of-business-in-life-what-mode-of/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [I was a Russian dancer in my elementary school production of 'Fiddler on the Roof' when I was in third grade or fourth grade.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzy-caplan/i-was-a-russian-dancer-in-my-elementary-school-production-of-fiddler/) [Lizzy Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzy-caplan/) > [The album for Fiddler really took off. I think it was a combination of John Williams and the score. It was a very classy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-jewison/the-album-for-fiddler-really-took-off-i-think-it-was-a-combination-of/) [Norman Jewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-jewison/) > [Lady Dance's music wasn't a magic charm. I'd misunderstood. We had all failed to understand. The song and dance didn't stop us dying. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-french/lady-dance-s-music-wasn-t-a-magic-charm-i-d-misunderstood-we-had-all/) [Jackie French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-french/) > [If I could say what my dream role to dance was that I didn't get to do, if I had to choose one, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-schull/if-i-could-say-what-my-dream-role-to-dance-was-that-i-didn-t-get-to/) [Amanda Schull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-schull/) > [I know, basketball is a dance. I didn't understand the significance of that type of training at first. I was supposed to read poems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-nowitzki/i-know-basketball-is-a-dance-i-didn-t-understand-the-significance-of/) [Dirk Nowitzki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-nowitzki/) > [The song and dance didn't stop us dying. It just stopped the fear of death swallowing us up while we were still alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-french/the-song-and-dance-didn-t-stop-us-dying-it-just-stopped-the-fear-of/) [Jackie French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-french/) > [As much as I loved the art and discipline of the dance, it didn't love me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/as-much-as-i-loved-the-art-and-discipline-of-the-dance-it-didn-t-love/) [Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/) > [“Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit, you don’t know how to dance, do you, Josephine?” I didn’t know how to dance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/well-butter-my-butt-and-call-me-a-biscuit-you-don-t-know-how-to-dance/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [“Why, for mercy's sake, did boys try to dance who didn't know the first thing about dancing; and who had feet as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/why-for-mercy-s-sake-did-boys-try-to-dance-who-didn-t-know-the-first/) [L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/) > [I did try painting, but it didn't work. I tried to dance, but that didn't work either. And then I tried to act, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniela-vega/i-did-try-painting-but-it-didn-t-work-i-tried-to-dance-but-that-didn/) [Daniela Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniela-vega/) > [I always wanted to teach dance. I didn't know I'd have a TV career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-edwards/i-always-wanted-to-teach-dance-i-didn-t-know-i-d-have-a-tv-career/) [Alyssa Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-edwards/) > [It always felt as though there was a wall between me and contemporary dance. I didn't know how to get into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/it-always-felt-as-though-there-was-a-wall-between-me-and-contemporary/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) ## More by Will Rogers > [She was so ugly she could make a mule back away from an oat bin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/she-was-so-ugly-she-could-make-a-mule-back-away-from-an-oat-bin/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-are-always-saying-let-the-law-take-its-course-but-what-we-really/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The Democrats and the Republicans are equally corrupt where money is concerned. It's only in the amount where the Republicans excel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-democrats-and-the-republicans-are-equally-corrupt-where-money-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Farmers, get out your sense of humor. Congress meets to relieve you again next week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/farmers-get-out-your-sense-of-humor-congress-meets-to-relieve-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Politicians, after all, are not over a year behind public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/politicians-after-all-are-not-over-a-year-behind-public-opinion/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [American invents everything, but the trouble is we get tired of it the minute the new is wore off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/american-invents-everything-but-the-trouble-is-we-get-tired-of-it-the/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't know what humor is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-know-what-humor-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two things I don't care how smart you are, you will never understand. One is an alienist's testimony, and the other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-things-i-don-t-care-how-smart-you-are-you-will-never/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-more-you-observe-politics-the-more-you-ve-got-to-admit-that-each/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't think you can make a lawyer honest by an act of legislature. You've got to work on his conscience. And his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-think-you-can-make-a-lawyer-honest-by-an-act-of-legislature/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-theories-to-arguing-with-a-woman-neither-works/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [America is a great country, but you can't live in it for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/america-is-a-great-country-but-you-can-t-live-in-it-for-nothing/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There ought to be one day - just one - when there is open season on senators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-ought-to-be-one-day-just-one-when-there-is-open-season-on/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Every Gag I tell must be based on truth. No matter how much I may exaggerate it, it must have a certain amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/every-gag-i-tell-must-be-based-on-truth-no-matter-how-much-i-may/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [So live that you would not mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/so-live-that-you-would-not-mind-selling-your-pet-parrot-to-the-town/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) [Explore all 776 Will Rogers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. 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