I don’t listen to much rap, really. I can rarely listen to a whole record of it, because musically, it’s very formulaic, and oftentimes it doesn’t have the best hooks on every track. – Nellie McKay
I think there are nice things about every era. I wish we could just take the nice things. – Nellie McKay
I have trouble with any kind of focus or concentrating, or getting anything done at all, really. – Nellie McKay
You can criticize something you strive for, and you can avoid something you dream about. – Nellie McKay
Love is such a fleeting emotion. It’s such a small part of the things you do in your life. – Nellie McKay
I thought I had a talent for alienating people, but I have no idea what it is that doesn’t go over. – Nellie McKay
I used to play in the subway. If everyone tossed in a quarter, at the end of the day it would add up. It shows you aren’t invisible. And it’s better than being ignored, or kicked in the head, or worse. – Nellie McKay
You know, I wanted to get married, and so I – but I, you know, I realize no matter what you want, it’s kind of a fantasy. – Nellie McKay
I’d love to give my music to someone who really likes to wow the crowd. I feel like half the time I just want to hide in the dressing room! – Nellie McKay
I love writing for dancers. You don’t have to worry about the lyrics. I think to write words without music must be so frustrating. It must be always be so good, so perfect. – Nellie McKay
If we went back to the basics of vegetables, legumes, grains – the things closer to the Earth – it’s a lot better for the Earth and for other people. We can feed more people, we can feed the starving people. – Nellie McKay
It’s always so nerve-wracking being up there on stage. It’s even harder playing in your hometown – and I have a couple of home towns – but, you’re playing for all the people you knew in high school, so it causes no small degree of panic in my mind. – Nellie McKay
In the hierarchy of instruments, if you’re a harpist, you’re considered someone with a brain much more than if you’re a singer. – Nellie McKay
In New York City, when they develop something, they never use the old buildings. It’s so wasteful. Why not use what’s there? – Nellie McKay
Public radio is the last oasis of free and independent music. For satellite radio channels, you have to subscribe; commercial stations are as corporate as basic cable. – Nellie McKay
I’m not sure I know how to make music anymore. Maybe you’re given a window into things for a time, and beyond that maybe it goes away. Why should you expect it to stay? – Nellie McKay
I tried to be just a singer of standards when I was starting out. And there was nothing special enough about my voice to make it that far. So I feel a bit like Rod Stewart. Once you’ve had that rock career, people will give you that chance where otherwise they might not. – Nellie McKay
If you look through the century, certain things have gotten better and certain things have gotten worse. I wouldn’t say overall that things have gotten better. I think you could say things have gotten worse, but I don’t think you could say that things have gotten better. Overall. You can’t say that. – Nellie McKay
In high school, I was always into Jerry Lee Lewis, and they decided they needed a piano player for the jazz band. I had my little boogie-woogie thing that I did, so I did my little boogie-woogie thing. I had a very high-pitched voice. – Nellie McKay
