Quotes from Ry Cooder

People who aren't as interested in recorded music as they used to be will say, 'Oh, 'Buena Vista?' Loved it.' And I'll say, 'Well, how about any of my other recent records. I've been doing some pretty good ones. You like those?' And they go, 'Huh?

Politics runs on power and money and on ignorance.

R&B and all that stuff was always very spare and spontaneous. Nobody made those records under solid gold situations. It was just in and out, and you didn't labor over the thing. I like music like that.

Some people have career plans, long-range career plans. I don't know anything about that. I'm no good at it.

The blues is so expressive - nostalgic but not sentimental, mournful but not pathetic, so humble and close to the earth. It's a nuance-filled thing.

The thing I always found about the gospel music was that it reached further into your being if you like, your mind. It takes hold of you - especially if you sing it and play it.

To me, the essence of the music is the most important thing.

Travelling is hard. I'm no traveller. I hate flying, and I hate hotels.

What kills music in films is when it's done as performance, drawing attention to the fact that someone's in the background playing it.

You have to be able to improvise and respond to what's going on around you. Then you might get a good piece of work done.

The thing I always found about the gospel music was that it reached further into your being if you like, your mind. It takes hold of you - especially if you sing it and play it.

I love listening to gospel records.

The Woody Guthrie 'Dust Bowl' tunes were really fascinating.

I think all the music I do, which ties together, as far as I'm concerned, is fun and entertaining.

People have all sorts of expectations which you can't meet. Me, I'm so reclusive I stay away from such things as much as I can. I never go anywhere.

Being the front guy is a hard job.

Country hillbilly music I love. Always have.

Who does this, at age 71, try to put a tour together from scratch? I have to say it's scary at times. But I like a challenge 'cause it keeps you on your toes.

If you're white working with non-white people, you will be branded as a colonialist by some people, regardless of your efforts or intentions.

I think I'm more relaxed; I think I'm more philosophical. I don't get worried as much as I used to about things.

Politics runs on power and money and on ignorance.

If you're taught to hate and fear a people or a country, and it works, it's because of your ignorance of that country. You have no contact with it, nor do you know what you're hating and fearing.

American global economic imperialism is a fact. It's a known fact. It's a simple fact.

I toured around for years, but the road was always a drag for me. I never made a dime. In fact, I lost a lot of money - it was horrible.