The curious beauty of African music is that it uplifts even as it tells a sad tale. You may be poor, you may have only a ramshackle house, you may have lost your job, but that song gives you hope.

Nelson Mandela

CuriousBeautyAfricanMusic...+9

We're fussy and finicky and have very high standards. If a song can't be done properly, we'd rather it isn't done at all.

Freddie Mercury

StandardsProperlySong

Because of my song 'Sam Stone,' a lot of people thought I was interested in writing protest songs. Writing protest songs always struck me as patting yourself on the back.

John Prine

SongProtestWritingInterested

I first sang 'Holding Back the Years' in my earliest band, Frantic Elevators. When the Elevators split and I started Simply Red, I returned to the song and wrote the 'I'll keep holding on' chorus.

Mick Hucknall

BandFrantic ElevatorsSimply RedChorus...+1

Sam Stone' is a song about futility.

John Prine

Sam StoneFutilitySong

I just like a good, sad song. The sadder, the better. It moves me.

John Prine

BetterSadSongGood