Quotes by John Flansburgh

John Flansburgh

A lot of times I’ll post things on Facebook, and the immediate response will be like, “Stick to the music!”

Response

Actually, on a slightly more serious but kind of parallel level, I remember being on Loveline before both hosts ascended into loftier places in the culture. But I remember being shocked by Dr. Drew. He went into this extended monologue about how anyone with a baby voice is probably the victim of child abuse or has some daddy issue. As an intellectually curious person, all I could think is that there isn’t any clinical evidence about that. But to be the guy wearing the doctor’s hat on the radio and teaching everybody about this? It just seemed like a parody of good advice.

Baby

Children

Teaching

All rock music is fake news.

Fake

Music Is

Rock Music

Any time having international interviews is a language barrier, you don’t know how much you need to simplify what you’re saying for it not to be damaged in translation. But culturally, there are some interesting phenomena. I get the feeling that the way rock music gets described in Germany, it is all like Rolling Stone circa 1975, taken to the 10th power. If you’re a rock musician, you’re part of the counterculture. Your music is like a critique of everything that is wrong with America.

Feelings

Interesting

Taken

Being in a band, a lot of times people think of what you’re doing in terms of a competition. They talk about where you are professionally in your career, and all this other stuff. And if you’re a lifer, you know it’s going to be ups and downs. It’s not like anybody is always just steady on.

Competition

People

Thinking

Between me and my wife, there’s this joke where I’ll be doing some fun interview, and I’ll get off the phone and be like, “That guy was an idiot.” A lot of times, interviews are like being asked a list of questions. Invariably, there will be this part where they think you’re a writer for Letterman: “Just off the top of your head, tell me the 10 most influential bands on you.” And you’re actually asked to come up with a spontaneous list. It’s like, “Dude, I’m not living in High Fidelity.”

Fun

Thinking

Wife

Bill O’Reilly knew he could just filibuster and enjoy all the airtime that a full interview would give him, and then also grab the sensationalist headlines that he enjoys creating. He used this as fodder for his show for weeks. I wouldn’t want to be on the bad side of Bill O’Reilly. But then again, maybe I am now. By giving this interview.

Enjoy

Giving

Week

Every declarative statement that comes out of an interview with somebody is actually in response to a question. It’s like this very real interpersonal dance where one of the people involved is invisible.

Invisible

People

Real

For instance, our music, They Might Be Giants, has this element of humor, which is probably the most uptight part of what we include in our music, because we’re in part very self-conscious guys, and we want our music to stand up to the test of time, not just be visceral comedy records. We love humor and comedy, but there’s this aspect to it that runs counter to what is included in most music.

Comedy

Guy

Running

Have you heard Alanis Morisette trying to play the harmonica? She doesn’t know how to play the harmonica. Well guess what, Alanis, I INVENTED the ‘don’t-know-how-to-play-harmonica-harmonica-solo.’

Harmonicas

Play

Trying

Follow The Behaviour University in order to get the greatest quotes from the greatest people of all time so that you can tap into your own greatness.

Aging

Angel

Arguing

Army

Artist

Assumption

Awkward

Baby

Beautiful

Believe

Children

Comedy

Competition

Couple

Creativity

Culture

Done

Enjoy

Environment

Fake

Feelings

Fit

Focus

Footprint

Fun

Giving

Goal

Good Times

Guy

Harmonicas

Hell

Historical

Hours

Interesting

Interviews

Invisible

Look Up

Looks

Lucky

Lying

Mean

Men

Mistake

Motivation

Music Is

Musician

My Friends

People

Play

Political

The Future Blueprint

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The Home Therapist: Anti Anxiety

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Quotes by John Flansburgh

John Flansburgh

A lot of times I’ll post things on Facebook, and the immediate response will be like, “Stick to the music!”

All rock music is fake news.

Being in a band, a lot of times people think of what you’re doing in terms of a competition. They talk about where you are professionally in your career, and all this other stuff. And if you’re a lifer, you know it’s going to be ups and downs. It’s not like anybody is always just steady on.

Every declarative statement that comes out of an interview with somebody is actually in response to a question. It’s like this very real interpersonal dance where one of the people involved is invisible.

Have you heard Alanis Morisette trying to play the harmonica? She doesn’t know how to play the harmonica. Well guess what, Alanis, I INVENTED the ‘don’t-know-how-to-play-harmonica-harmonica-solo.’

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Topics by John Flansburgh

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The Future Blueprint

The Home Therapist: Anti Anxiety

The Autobiography

The Behaviour Diary

The Dating Diary

The Relationship Therapist

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