Jack White Quotes

The Bottom Line: If people don't LOVE our work, we will not be able to sell what we make. ~ Jack White

Failure comes when we don't get back up and try again. ~ Jack White

Art doesn't sell itself, it has to be sold. ~ Jack White

People talk about wanting amenities - downtown is the amenity. ~ Jack White

I've collaborated with artists that truly run the gamut: from members of the Wu Tang Clan and Capone, to Moby, Lady Gaga, and opening for artists such as Sheryl Crow, Jack White, and Chris Shiflett of the Foo Fighters, etc. ~ Wendy Starland

I'd got accepted to the seminary in Wisconsin, and I was gonna become a priest, but the last second I thought, 'I'll just go to public school.' I had just gotten a new amplifier in my bedroom, and I didn't think I was allowed to take it with me. ~ Jack White

There's Catholic guilt about things, then there's the guilt of being the youngest of 10, so when nice things happen to you, you're not really allowed to enjoy them. ~ Jack White

If what you are doing is working, DON'T change just to be different. Just get better. ~ Jack White

I know that's blasphemous when you are from Detroit, but I was never a fan of Motown stuff. I don't care for the production much. ~ Jack White

I've always been making up my own restrictions for myself, from day one, and it's compelling, because it forces me to think. That's always been a driving force for me. ~ Jack White

Vinyl survived, we managed not to kill it. Knowing that you've taken part in this fight ... You can't imagine the happiness it brings. Every time I see a kid going out of the store with a vinyl record under the arms, my heart beats faster. Music should only be this. An intense emotion. ~ Jack White

I think I've been a good boy long enough and given everyone around me a fair piece of the pie as far as all of the fleeting glory and reward that comes from the heavens - or the music press, whatever you want to call it. ~ Jack White

It's a sound bite. It's very of this age, because that's what people want. ~ Jack White

Nowadays, everybody assumes, when they wake up in the morning, if they have a question, it will get answered. Because they have the internet. No matter what the question is, someone will answer their question. ~ Jack White

You can't be an actor in a small town-you have to go to New York or L.A. ~ Jack White

Many days you will want to give up because of rejections and failures. Passion to be an artist will help you prevail where others fail. ~ Jack White

We learn to beat fear by doing. ~ Jack White

The most exciting rock 'n' roll band of the last 50 years who are still on the road today ~ Jack White

Collectors are paying for our education by purchasing our art. ~ Jack White

I would love to work with Jack White or Kanye West. ~ Fefe Dobson

I'm always afraid, because I do most of my stuff at home, where nobody bothers me, and I don't have to stroke somebody's ego or be careful about hurting someone's feelings. But I also want to know that I can still go into the world and be with other people and make music. ~ Jack White

The secret is planning your work and working your plan. If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you arrive? You can't stumble upon your destination. ~ Jack White

It's funny because when you do become successful, you're forced to look backwards and try to crawl back into the womb where you first started to create. ~ Jack White

The bottom line is we must get off our duff and make an effort to succeed. Trust me on this, when you see someone successful in any of the arts they have been willing to make an extra effort. ~ Jack White

I want to be part of the resurgence of things that are tangible, beautiful and soulful, rather than just give in to the digital age. But when I talk to people about this they just say, 'Yeah, I know what you mean,' and stare at their mobiles. ~ Jack White

I've always felt it's ridiculous to say, of any of the females in my life: You're my friend, you're my wife, you're my girlfriend, you're my co-worker. This is your box, and you're not allowed to stray outside of it. ~ Jack White

I can't imagine being anything creative in a major town because everybody's doing the same exact thing you're doing. How can you not get confused about what you yourself are doing? ~ Jack White

An auctioneer is such a uniquely American thing. I keep thinking in my head, perhaps it's not as American as I think, but it feels so Southern. It feels so American. Like, hundreds of years of American tradition is involved in it. ~ Jack White

Fifteen minutes of fame doesn't make a career. An article in a magazine, newspaper, interview on television or multiple print ads may stroke your ego, but nothing much else. An artist's career is a lifetime venture. Just because an artist is on top doesn't mean they are sheltered from a crash. As has been stated, the higher you climb, the harder you fall. ~ Jack White

There are distractions, all around. There's so much media, for a young kid to battle against, to get to something soulful. You have to make a decision, on your own, what you can take from these people, if you can dig deeper. It's nice to be able to let people dig deeper. ~ Jack White

The secret of a successful art career is to make more art that folks think they need than pieces they just want. When a piece of art emotionally connects with a person the work becomes a need. You are then on your way to becoming successful. ~ Jack White

When I say nothing, I say everything ~ Jack White

If you have twenty guys in the room and you just bring in one girl, you change the entire mood and everyone plays different. ~ Jack White

Your passion must be tempered with patience. Maybe long-suffering patience would be a better word. ~ Jack White

I don't think there is room for 'artistic temperament.' Professional artists understand art is a business. If businesses ran their companies like many artists do their careers, they would not stay open a year. ~ Jack White

I got to see Jack White. I love his new album. There's a song on the album called 'I Think I Should Go to Sleep' that my son loves. We play it on a loop around the house, and he just bounces around. ~ Adam Pally

It's hard for me to play seated theaters because people tend to sit down and get a little bit complacent, so it's less energy. It's just very dry and dead. People start to feel like they're watching a movie. The environment when they walk into it, it's not standing room only, smoking and drinking and rock 'n' roll. So it's a little bit dangerous to do that. ~ Jack White

I think the sensitivity that you need to create certain things sometimes would spill over into things that shouldn't have bothered me. ~ Jack White

Any man with a microphone can tell you what he loves the most. ~ Jack White

I certainly wouldn't want a song that I'd already written to be used on a commercial. That seems strange. ~ Jack White

I just think old old movies, they make you concentrate and pay attention so much more. They feel so warm. A lot of modern digital videotape, it's just too bright. Don't know why, it's not warm. ~ Jack White

I've always loved the word blunderbuss. I've always thought that it was a beautiful word and that it could mean several different things. ~ Jack White

Jesus Christ, is this an NPR convention? ~ Jack White

I probably could have a hip-hop-style entourage of 40 people coming with me to the club or whatever, and I don't do that. And I think sometimes maybe I should. It just makes things easier - if you don't like being by yourself, maybe just don't do it ever. ~ Jack White

Mastery is the rudder, Mystery is the sail and Magic the wind to move you in your chosen direction. ~ Jack White

You will face boredom and frustration your entire career as artists. You will be very frustrated seeking a voice/style that collectors can connect with. Once you accomplish that voice/style people are clamoring for, you will become bored doing it. ~ Jack White

Inspiration and creativity, they ride right next to one anotherNot everyday are you going to wake up, the clouds are gonna part and the rays are gonna come downsometimes you gotta just get in there and force yourself to work and maybe something good will come out of it. ~ Jack White

I don't feel very good about myself. People always leave me. Nobody can stand me for very long. I wish I could cut my tongue out, or take out the part of my brain that has opinions. Or cares. I wish I could be simple. Be quiet, introverted, or shy. I'm half way in between a wallflower at a party and Elvis Presley. People love one or the other. In between is no place to be. ~ Jack White

We have a secret project at Third Man where we want to have the first vinyl record played in outer space. We want to launch a balloon that carries a vinyl record player. ~ Jack White

I have never in my whole life asked for an autograph. It seems a little ... unnecessary. ~ Jack White

Passion is the breath we take, the water we drink to sustain ourselves. Without air and water we perish; without passion an artist will wither and blow away. ~ Jack White

On credibility: Jack White has just done a song for Coca-Cola. End of. He ceases to be in the club. And he looks like Zorro on doughnuts. He's supposed to be the poster boy for the alternative way of thinking... I'm not having that, that's fucking wrong. Particularly Coca-Cola, it's like doing a fucking gig for McDonald's. ~ Noel Gallagher

Selling is nothing more than asking questions and waiting for an answer. ~ Jack White

I would never be able to live in a huge city. I'd feel like one of 100,000 people doing the same thing. ~ Jack White

The day that music is taken for free by the majority is the day that the phrase "sell out" doesn't exist any more. ~ Jack White

There's been a lot of talk about Jack White wanting to work with me, and I've always admired him, and of course, he lives in Nashville, too. ~ Dolly Parton

No matter what you do, it can't be perfect. I told Jack White, 'If I'd 'a sung that song more'n twice, it might of sounded better.' He said, 'Well, it might not of. You might have took the spark out of it.' I don't know if he has a point or not. We'll find out. ~ Loretta Lynn

All of us need to self-promote. We cannot sit back and wait for our gallery or rep to do it all. ~ Jack White

The way I like to start a new project is to take a cover song and make a stab at it, ideally one that has nothing to do with the people in the room. ~ Jack White

People aren't buying records like they used to, so it's nice to try to figure out a way to make them do it. I would enjoy the same thing to own an old movie house, to try to trick people to come in - like having 3-D or Smell-o-Vision or Vibra-Vision or something. Mcguffins to get people interested. ~ Jack White

Musically, though, you're a character and you're singing a song. If you're not your own character, you're the character in the song, most of the time. Even blues musicians, a lot of them who were the most realistic, at times, they were singing a song and portraying a character in the song. There's something to be said for getting involved in the emotion of a song, too, with the characters. ~ Jack White

Vinyl is the real deal. I've always felt like, until you buy the vinyl record, you don't really own the album. And it's not just me or a little pet thing or some kind of retro romantic thing from the past. It is still alive. ~ Jack White

In my bands, I don't really walk around telling people what to play, just out of respect really. I mean, if there's something I feel in my gut, I'll bring it up. ~ Jack White

I wanted to be able to talk with people who have trade jobs and make records with them. I want to do more records with carpenters, electricians, people who specialize in even more bizarre trades that are off the beaten path. ~ Jack White

Inspiration and work ethic - they ride right next to each other. ~ Jack White

I have three dads: my biological father, God and Bob Dylan. ~ Jack White

I would never purposely sing a song about someone I love, I wouldn't want to embarrass them. But for someone I don't like ... I would definitely do that. ~ Jack White

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. I'll share the formula I learned while forging my way forward as a full-time painter for forty-four years. The steps all break down to one simple sentence: Make art that connects with enough folks for you to earn a splendid living. ~ Jack White

Music is what I have to do, I only answer the questions so that I can do it. ~ Jack White

If you saw me working with construction crews or graphic designers, you'd see how much I'm really hoping for them to bring something to the table and let God in the room and let things happen naturally. ~ Jack White

I grew up in the 90s in the time of grunge when if you didn't go on stage in jeans and a T shirt you weren't 'real.' That seemed ridiculous to me. ~ Jack White

It's harder to put yourself in a place where you could easily be seen as a fake. But that's more interesting to me. ~ Jack White

This is a fact. If you don't make art people like, you will never earn a living as an artist. ~ Jack White

I didn't really even think of recording under my own name for a long time. I thought, 'I've got the rest of my life to do that.' ~ Jack White

I stand humbled on bended knee but, of course, the response to that would be 'Duh!' And to be given that incredible honor means that I represent the piss and vinegar, the energy, the defiance, the musicality of the Funk Brothers and Motown and Mitch Ryder and Bob Seger, Brownsville Station and Grand Funk Railroad and Eminem and Jack White and Kid Rock - are you kidding me? ~ Ted Nugent

Captain Lone Wolf Gonzaullas was one of a kind. I'm sure he would agree to this truth, If you continuously compete with others, you will become bitter. If you constantly compete with yourself, you can become great. ~ Jack White

One time, just passing by, I happened to see Jack White from the White Stripes. I'm a huge White Stripes fan, and I did a whole 180. It was like my jaw hit the ground. ~ Reid Scott

Some people consider the way Shakespeare was writing about Ophelia as erotomania-that she was delusional in thinking that Hamlet was in love with her. But I don't think so. ~ Jack White

I trust no one who hasn't time for music. ~ Jack White

Relationships of any kind are powerful, and they always influence an artist. It's inescapable. ~ Jack White

Well you're in your little room
and you're working on something good
but if it's really good
you're gonna need a bigger room
and when you're in the bigger room
you might not know what to do
you might have to think of
how you got started sitting in your little room ~ Jack White

In all my songs, I take on roles and play characters. It's a unique way to explore ideas and decisions I might not think or make in real life. ~ Jack White

The Guinness book is a very elitist organization. There's nothing scientific about what they do. They just have an office full of people who decide what is a record and what isn't. ~ Jack White

Worry means tormenting yourself with disturbing thoughts or fretting about things we have zero control over. If you live in the north there is no need to worry about the snow. You will get plenty each year. If you live in California or Texas you needn't worry about rain because we won't receive any. ~ Jack White

As an artist, you take things from your environment, and there's going to be a style coming out of your environment. ~ Jack White

There is actually this one dream I keep having where I'm sitting at a table in a fancy restaurant. Across from me at the table are Jack Black and Jack White. Jack Black is dressed in head-to-toe white, top hat and all, and Jack White is dressed the same, but in head-to-toe black. I sit there motionless, staring at the Jacks, totally confused. They don't move, they just stare right back at me. It's f**king weird ~ Renee Carlino

I never wanted to play guitar when I was younger. I wanted to be a drummer because everybody plays guitar, and I didn't want to do what everybody else wanted to do. ~ Jack White

It is the pursuit of happiness that brings us happiness, and not the happiness achieved. ~ Jack White

This generation is so dead. You ask a kid, 'What are you doing this Saturday?' and they'll be playing video games or watching cable, instead of building model cars or airplanes or doing something creative. Kids today never say, 'Man, I'm really into remote-controlled steamboats.' ~ Jack White

People have sort of a problem trying to see an end to a situation as being positive or romantic. ~ Jack White

We were like a white family from the 1920s or something. My parents had this bizarre, different way of looking at things from the people that surrounded us. I went to an all-Mexican grade school and an all-black high school, and not many people in those places liked the same stuff as me. ~ Jack White

I've always worked to find really deep meaning of song and also at the same time having it covered in sugar, so it can be taken two or three different ways. ~ Jack White

I'm excited by the band [White Stripes]. It really excites me. But it wouldn't excite me if there weren't those limitations, if we weren't living in that box, if we weren't trapped. Once that goes away, then I'll know that it's not worth doing it any more. ~ Jack White

Amy Winehouse: Did she invent white soul? Wearing a beehive? No. But she did something brand new and fresh, altogether as a package, and you see who's in her wake, from the Duffys to the Lana Del Reys ... Adele selling 20 million records? That would not have happened if Amy Winehouse was alive. ~ Jack White

Like the eagle, we (artists) must be able to see clearly. ~ Jack White

Can there be enough books to answer all your questions? ~ Jack White

When Jack White called and wanted me to do a video and play mandolin with The Raconteurs, I didn't know anything about The Raconteurs at that time. ~ Ricky Skaggs

I have so much music inside me I'm just trying to stay afloat. I don't tend to write for a particular band - you have to just write the songs and then let God into the room and let the music tell you what to do. ~ Jack White

If you want to put out a million CDs and sell them and get them played on the radio, and even videos, or whatever, if that still exists, that kind of muscle can only come from a label like Columbia. ~ Jack White

I definitely have a Google obsession of Juliette Binoche. I'm obsessed. I'll read everything she's ever said. I can tell you anything you want to know about Juliette Binoche, or Jack White. Those are my two creepy obsessions. ~ Elizabeth Reaser