"Miles Davis would have this lineup of all these amazing musicians and one day would just say, 'We're done.' After tons of great records and tickets sold, he said, 'Now I'm going to grow my hair out and play my horn through a wah-wah pedal.' Rather than play it safe, he went on."
Henry RollinsTiny Panda Quotes
Quotes by Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins, born on February 13, 1961, in Washington, D.C., is a multifaceted artist known for his roles as a punk rock musician, spoken word performer, actor, and author. Rising to prominence as the frontman of the influential band Black Flag, Rollins’ raw energy and poignant lyricism captured the spirit of the punk movement. Beyond music, he has carved a niche as a compelling storyteller, delivering introspective and socially conscious narratives through his writings and performances, leaving an indelible mark on both music and literature.
Learn more in our Tiny Panda blog post about Henry Rollins.
32 quotes found
"To anger female voters in America is to tread on the tiger's tail. Women turn out in huge numbers, and they are well aware of how their bodies work and what they need."
Henry Rollins"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better."
Henry Rollins"We all learn lessons in life. Some stick, some don't. I have always learned more from rejection and failure than from acceptance and success."
Henry Rollins
"I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone."
Henry Rollins
"For many years, I tried to make New Year's resolutions. I made lists and shot for great heights: I would show altruism and exert moral strength, patience and all those other great attributes."
Henry Rollins
"When people hold you in high esteem, it's very delicate relationship. When they meet you they're putting all their chips up. It's make or break."
Henry Rollins"Everyone who knows me knows that I'm a hopeless romantic who listens to love ballads and doo-wop songs all the time."
Henry Rollins
"The ecstatic insanity of romantic pursuit can be so enhanced by music that entire romantic conquests, victories and ruinous, crushing defeats can be tied to songs to such a degree that it's almost unbearable to listen to them again, as they bring back the memories so vividly."
Henry Rollins"August used to be a sad month for me. As the days went on, the thought of school starting weighed heavily upon my young frame. That, coupled with the oppressive heat and humidity of my native Washington, D.C., only seemed to heighten the misery."
Henry Rollins"The history of apartheid-era South Africa is incredibly sad and at times infuriatingly incomprehensible."
Henry Rollins"'SMiLE' is perhaps the Beach Boys' most legendary album. It was recorded in 1966 and 1967 but only saw a formal release in 2011. That's a long time to wait for what was said to be Brian Wilson's masterpiece."
Henry Rollins"Weakness is what brings ignorance, cheapness, racism, homophobia, desperation, cruelty, brutality, all these things that will keep a society chained to the ground, one foot nailed to the floor."
Henry Rollins
"I think self-reliance and self-responsibility and self-accountability will help you as a parent, a teacher, as a citizen as a friend."
Henry Rollins
"There is not one single police officer in America that I am not afraid of and not one that I would trust to tell the truth or obey the laws they are sworn to uphold. I do not believe they protect me in any way."
Henry Rollins"Now and then, someone is able to look at an empty space, conclude it would be a great place to start a revolution, and bravely go forward."
Henry Rollins"When a young non-white male is stopped and searched at the whim of a police officer, his idea of personal space, privacy and self esteem are shattered, to say nothing of his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment protections. The damage goes deep quickly and stays. Stop & frisk, as well as a tactic, is also an incitement."
Henry Rollins"As a teen, I heard the second Velvet Underground album, 'White Light/White Heat,' and it was too much for my limited scope of appreciation. It was intense, but I didn't get it."
Henry Rollins
"It is instilled in thousands of American males from an early age that one of their requirements is to be able to both dish out and take a lot of pain. They are taught the rules of this road in gyms, rings, backyards and fields all over America."
Henry Rollins
"I consider any gun that can chamber a round and send a projectile down its barrel at a high rate of speed into my body - causing me injury or death - to be an assault weapon."
Henry Rollins
"I have come to regard November as the older, harder man's October. I appreciate the early darkness and cooler temperatures. It puts my mind in a different place than October. It is a month for a quieter, slightly more subdued celebration of summer's death as winter tightens its grip."
Henry Rollins