A great quote speaks to me

I love music in general, and I love the notes and rhythm just as much as I love the lyrics, but I have noticed many people don’t focus on the words in songs.

Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I have to have the story/message to go with a song or a movie. No matter how great the rhythm is in a song or the storyline in a movie, the words being sung or the story being told has to reach me.

I’ve also noticed that the songs I love the most are those with little play on the radio, and the lines from movies that capture my attention most are the ones you don’t find on the Internet.

Go figure.

Since I shared in last week’s column that I collect quotes that I enjoy and hold special meaning for me, I thought I’d share some of my favorites.

“Even after all that rushing around, where we’ve ended up is the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. And maybe knowing isn’t the point. Where we’re standing right now, in the ruins in the dark, what we build could be anything.” — from “Choke” by Palahniuk

“This mission was never designed to succeed. If they were honest, they would tell us that. They would tell us that with this many people dying, who cares about art? They’re wrong, because that’s exactly what we’re fighting for is for culture and a way of life. You can wipe out a generation of people and you can burn their homes to the ground and somehow, they’ll still comeback. But if you destroy their achievements and their history, then it’s like they never existed. It’s just ash, floating.” — Frank Stokes (played by George Clooney in “The Monuments Men”

“The majesty and grandeur of the English language is the greatest possession we have.” — Professor Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady”

“The road to hell, along the way, is paved with good intentions, so they say. And some believe that no good deed goes unpunished in the end or so it seems. So when the day comes and the sun won’t touch my face, tell the ones who cared enough that I’ve finally left this place.… that’s been so cold. Look at my face. All the stories it will tell I can’t erase. The road is long. Just one more song. A little something to remind you when I’m gone.” — “Something to Remind You” by Staind

“There are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don’t respect the other person, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don’t know how to compromise, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don’t have a common set of values in life, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble.” —Morrie Schwartz from “Tuesdays with Morrie”

“Nonsense wakes up the brain cells. And it helps develop a sense of humor, which is awfully important in this day and age. Humor has a tremendous place in this sordid world. It's more than just a matter of laughing. If you can see things out of whack, then you can see how things can be in whack.” —Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss

“I never seem to know what's going on... Right from the very start, my life has been strange. I think I know what happened... I must have missed all the rehearsals.” — Charles Schulz

Alisa Boswell is managing editor for the Portales office of The Eastern New Mexico News. Contact her at: [email protected]