Benjamin Clementine Quotes

Powerful Benjamin Clementine for Daily Growth

About Benjamin Clementine

Benjamin Clementine (born 1987), the enigmatic British singer-songwriter, pianist, and multi-instrumentalist, is renowned for his eclectic and emotionally charged music. Born in London to Ghanian parents, Clementine spent his formative years surrounded by a rich tapestry of musical influences that would shape his unique artistic voice. Raised in a family deeply rooted in Christian faith, he developed an early affinity for gospel and classical music, with artists such as Chopin, Mozart, and Mahalia Jackson playing significant roles in shaping his musical sensibilities. His academic journey led him to the BRIT School, where he honed his skills and met future collaborators including Jack Steadman of Bombay Bicycle Club. In 2013, Clementine released his debut album, "At Least for Now," which won the Man Booker Prize for Music, an award created especially for him due to its blend of literature, poetry, and music. His sophomore effort, "I Tell a Fly," followed in 2017, earning him a Mercury Prize nomination. Quotes from Benjamin Clementine often reflect his introspective nature and poetic mindset. Here are some thought-provoking statements: 1. "Everyone's an artist; everyone's creative; but if you're only raised to think that you've got to do things in a certain way, then that's all you know." 2. "I think it's important for people to recognize that they are not their past." 3. "When you get older, you realize how much time is actually spent on being untrue to yourself." 4. "The greatest fear I have is not of being inadequate – the greatest fear I have is of being unoriginal." Benjamin Clementine continues to captivate audiences with his profound lyrics, haunting vocals, and intricate compositions, proving himself as a dynamic force in contemporary music.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Life is a series of crises that test you, and if you pass them, you move ahead."

This quote by Benjamin Clementine suggests that life is a sequence of challenges or trials (crises) designed to evaluate one's abilities, strength, and resilience. Overcoming these crises allows an individual to progress in their journey. It emphasizes the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and personal growth as key aspects of human development. In essence, it implies that life's struggles serve a purpose: to help us grow stronger and wiser so we can continue our progress through life.

"We're all put on this earth for a purpose, and our unique duty is to find it."

This quote emphasizes the notion that every individual has a specific role or purpose in life. It suggests that we should strive to identify and fulfill our unique duty or mission in the world. This idea encourages personal growth, self-discovery, and living with intention, as each person's purpose might differ from others. Ultimately, it underscores the importance of seeking one's true calling and contributing positively to society through it.

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

This quote by Benjamin Clementine emphasizes the importance of individuality and authenticity in a world that often pressures individuals to conform to societal norms or expectations. It suggests that true success lies not in becoming what others want us to be, but rather in remaining true to ourselves and staying authentic, thus overcoming external influences and pressures. The quote highlights the difficulty of maintaining individuality amidst societal expectations, but also underscores its significance as a profound accomplishment, as it requires self-awareness, courage, and resilience.

"Every day brings new possibilities, let us be open to change."

This quote emphasizes a mindset that embraces the inherent potential for growth and transformation in each new day. By being open to change, we can seize opportunities, learn from experiences, and adapt to the shifting circumstances of life. This openness fosters resilience, flexibility, and progress, as it encourages us to let go of outdated beliefs or habits that no longer serve us, and adopt new perspectives and practices that enrich our lives. In essence, this quote urges us to maintain a positive and receptive attitude towards change, viewing it not as a threat but as an invitation for personal and collective growth.

"The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation."

This quote by Benjamin Clementine emphasizes the importance of collaboration and unity among humans as a means to overcome our inherent flaws and improve society. In essence, he suggests that self-interest and competition have led to many problems in the world, and true progress can only be achieved when we work together, pooling our strengths, resources, and ideas for the greater good of humanity. This cooperation not only helps us conquer challenges more effectively but also fosters empathy, understanding, and mutual respect among people, thus creating a more harmonious and peaceful world.

I clearly remember my father cutting our jumpers and our sports clothes with scissors - because he didn't want us to wear jogging bottoms and hoodies. He thought that would somehow set the police on us.

- Benjamin Clementine

Father, Thought, Wear, Jogging

I dedicate all my time to music. And I'm glad that it's paying off in some ways.

- Benjamin Clementine

Some, Off, Dedicate, All My Time

Poetry itself is music. I'm just lucky that I can convert it into music. William Blake is my favorite poet of all time, and he said that he wasn't quite familiar with the sounds of music. If so, he would have been a musician. All of his poems are all like songs, and that's how I always try to start my thoughts.

- Benjamin Clementine

Lucky, I Can, Been, Convert

If I weren't musical, then I would have just published a book, you know? But I'm lucky enough to play piano, and so I use piano to convert my poems.

- Benjamin Clementine

Play, Lucky, Musical, Convert

If I win the Mercury Prize, I'll be very honoured. If I don't win it, I won't have lost it. Someone else will have won it. And that will also be good.

- Benjamin Clementine

Will, Very, Mercury, Honoured

I personally wouldn't want my second album to sound like my first; it might sound very rocky or hard rock - and that wouldn't be melancholy. So if people think my music is melancholic, then so be it. It's meant to be uplifting, and I'm just basically saying what needs to be said.

- Benjamin Clementine

Sound, Very, Rocky, Hard Rock

Music is the reason I started talking to people. When I started singing in bars and trains, I began to learn the behaviour of people. Music was the bait that helped me get something from them and give myself to them.

- Benjamin Clementine

Singing, Reason, Give, Bait

I'm from a middle class family, but my father squandered all the money, so I didn't really run around with rich people.

- Benjamin Clementine

Father, Middle, Rich People, Class Family

I would describe myself as outspoken. Not political. Outspoken about what I want to say. There are things that need to be said... and I think it's my obligation to say them.

- Benjamin Clementine

Think, Need, I Think, Outspoken

If I'm being forced to do something I don't want to do, my real self comes out. But whether or not I'm aware of it, no matter what happens, I'm always going to have a fake self, and I'm not going to judge my fake self.

- Benjamin Clementine

Always, Going, Forced, Real Self

When I think about Edmonton, Silver Street and Pymmes Park, the old people whose faces are so unhappy, it pushes me to be better. I want to be better to help places like this.

- Benjamin Clementine

I Think, About, Pushes, Old People

In this life, I've learned to be patient. And I'm still learning... Even now, I wish things would go quicker.

- Benjamin Clementine

I Wish, Still, Learned, Be Patient

The fact is, it wasn't enjoyable being in secondary school. I was a weird kid.

- Benjamin Clementine

Weird, Fact, Enjoyable, Secondary

Studying music involves a lot of mathematics and a lot of exercises of memory. Or you've got to be able to be like somebody, to play like somebody, to play Mozart's music the way he played it and how he intended it. You've got to make it perfect, and that's not what I want to do. Although it is beautiful.

- Benjamin Clementine

Memory, Play, Perfect, Mozart

I'm from London, and you hardly see stars because of the pollution of light. But in Arizona, there's nothing, so I can see the stars.

- Benjamin Clementine

London, Nothing, Arizona, Hardly

The meaning of love is obviously huge - but for me, it means be nice to people, and people will be nice to you back. Love is a selfless place to be. There is no safer place to be than under the canopy of love.

- Benjamin Clementine

Love, Will, Means, Meaning Of

At home and in church - which I didn't go to a lot, I was very rebellious, but my family was strict Christians - they would ask us, 'What's the shortest verse in the Bible?' and I was the one who always said 'John 11:35' straightaway. It stayed with me: the Bible has stayed with me.

- Benjamin Clementine

Church, Very, Lot, Strict

Why are there not cabs in Edmonton? Why are there cabs in central London but not here? And if they're going to be here, they should be cheaper. And travelcards, they're expensive.

- Benjamin Clementine

London, Here, Cheaper, Edmonton

If you live in central London, that's probably fine for you, but in places like Edmonton, where you're almost out of sight of London, you've got to pay more and more to get into central London. How does that work?

- Benjamin Clementine

London, Like, Almost, Edmonton

I always try to be as discreet as possible, so I wear black.

- Benjamin Clementine

Black, Always, Wear, Discreet

The greatest in heroes in life are the anonymous. That's what I believe. Your neighbours are heroes. People who, when you walk down the street, you see them feeding their little baby - these people are heroes because they are living under difficult situations, but they're still trying to save a life.

- Benjamin Clementine

Believe, Save, Your, Anonymous

I just wanted to eat, to survive. I started singing a cappella in bars. I saved up money to get my first guitar and started writing songs.

- Benjamin Clementine

Singing, Saved, Survive, To Survive

I personally don't know what nerves are. I don't get scared when I'm going to play music. But I think something, maybe my fears, are buried into my songs. Because I'm singing them.

- Benjamin Clementine

Play, Maybe, I Think, Play Music

I was on the train; I did play, but I also played in bars, in the streets, at birthday parties for people who discovered me on the train.

- Benjamin Clementine

Birthday, Play, Discovered, Train

When I was a kid, I remember seeing Michael Jackson. I thought he was an alien. You don't grow up to be like Michael Jackson. I'm not saying I'm Michael Jackson, but Mercury Prizes are for aliens, basically. So I was very chuffed that I got nominated, and then I won.

- Benjamin Clementine

Thought, I Remember, Very, None

Now I'm standing in front of a thousand people. They're all looking at me, but they're sitting down. They're surrendered, so I have to keep on proving myself to them and giving them all my passion.

- Benjamin Clementine

Myself, Them, Proving, Sitting

It stayed with me - the Bible has stayed with me. I've grown out of it because, obviously, you live life for yourself and have your choice to believe what you want to believe in, but I know that the Bible can be used to appreciate life.

- Benjamin Clementine

Bible, Want, Obviously, Live Life

I started writing music in a French way: more focused on lyrics than melody.

- Benjamin Clementine

Music, More, Melody, Lyrics

When I first started singing in Paris, I sounded horrible: I was just singing to get some money to eat. And I wasn't singing my own songs: it was Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix. Eventually, when I wrote my own music, my style just came out of my own place.

- Benjamin Clementine

Own, Some, Eventually, None

People want a beautiful story. Hopefully my life story is still beautiful, but that metro stuff doesn't make it much more pitiful.

- Benjamin Clementine

My Life, More, Still, Life Story

My heroes: Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Nina Simone.

- Benjamin Clementine

Cave, Nick, Tom, None

I'm literally nowhere yet... When things started going well, this French designer called Ami gave me some shoes and clothes to wear. But when I sat down to play the piano, the very new shoes kept slipping off the pedal. So I took them off, threw them away, and have never worn shoes while playing the piano from then on.

- Benjamin Clementine

Play, Some, Very, French

I'm actually doing what I like doing, which is mixing opera music and classical music with soul and folk. And I was writing and talking about what I've actually experienced, and I don't think that's very common.

- Benjamin Clementine

Think, Very, Which, Classical Music

I've learned my lessons, but I'm also still learning them.

- Benjamin Clementine

Still, Learned, Also, Lessons

I adopted this feeling that the stage is my home, so just keep my coat on and not wear anything else.

- Benjamin Clementine

Feeling, Wear, Anything Else, Adopted

I don't have a flat anywhere. I'm registered in the U.K. for tax purposes, I suppose, and my mail goes to my parents.

- Benjamin Clementine

Tax, Goes, Mail, Registered

My parents always said that I would be a lawyer or pilot or doctor - and I always just thought that's what I would do.

- Benjamin Clementine

Doctor, Pilot, Always, Lawyer

If you have parents who can't show you love, a kid can grow up to look arrogant. Because they need to create a fake self. Or they think they're more powerful than they really are.

- Benjamin Clementine

Love, Kid, Show, Fake

Where I'm staying, near Lafayette Street, Bowery, and Houston, you get different people with different spirits, and that's what I like.

- Benjamin Clementine

Different People, Like, Houston

I didn't blend well with my classmates or my teachers.

- Benjamin Clementine

Teachers, Blend, Well, Classmates

I never thought I'd say this, but to any child listening, the world is your oyster.

- Benjamin Clementine

Listening, World, Never, Oyster

I found it quite pleasing to be alone from a very young age. The piano became my source of release.

- Benjamin Clementine

Young, Very, Became, Pleasing

I don't think I'm a singer, I think I'm an expressionist. But it takes time to put it in people's minds that this guy is not singing, 'Baby, I want to have you.' This guy is actually thinking about what he's saying. This guy has something to say.

- Benjamin Clementine

Singer, I Think, About, Expressionist

I know that New York is big - there are huge buildings - but, in fact, it's quite small and contained... I like it when cities are melancholic. When it started snowing, for example, I felt very lonely. I felt very comfortable and very relaxed. When that happens, I write. So I've been writing, not a lot, but I'm inspired every day.

- Benjamin Clementine

Small, Big, Very, Relaxed

Paris is very dear to me, and I'll never forget Paris.

- Benjamin Clementine

Forget, Never, Very, Never Forget

I accept the fact that angels are great heavenly beings, and I think some people give me the feeling that I'm with an angel.

- Benjamin Clementine

Think, Give, Some, Give Me

I always see my music for its rewards rather than its awards. But I always thought if there was one award I'd want to win, it would be the Mercury.

- Benjamin Clementine

Thought, Always, Rather, Rewards

I appreciate my city very much. When I go to America and Europe, and I tell everyone I'm from London, I'm proud.

- Benjamin Clementine

Proud, London, Very, Europe

When I lived in Paris, I would shop at antique shops and buy these huge coats because I was very cold. And then I started performing in them because I felt safe. I never stopped doing that.

- Benjamin Clementine

Doing, Very, Stopped, Antique

My music isn't mainstream music.

- Benjamin Clementine

Music, Mainstream

People don't always realize that as a performer, you've got to relive those moments. Memories crash through your brains, and you've got to think about your past and the reason why you wrote the song. All that emotion comes back.

- Benjamin Clementine

Reason, Through, About, Relive

I've learned in the little bit of my life so far that you can't fool people. And so I only tell people what I think about: my ambitions, my dreams, what inspires me.

- Benjamin Clementine

My Life, Think, I Think, Inspires

When I was very young, my brother and I, we used to go into charity shops to buy suits. The thing about clothes is that people judge you by what you wear, unfortunately. So when we wore suits, people gave us respect - we were very young, and it made them think we were older.

- Benjamin Clementine

Young, Buy, Very, Unfortunately

In Paris, I was really singing for the sake of living. But eventually people said, 'Keep going; you've got a great voice,' and I started having confidence in my voice all of a sudden. That's when I started creating my own music.

- Benjamin Clementine

Voice, Own, Eventually, Sake

There are things that need to be said... and I think it's my obligation to say them.

- Benjamin Clementine

Think, Need, I Think, Obligation

Arizona - I've only spent a few days there, but it's inspired me the most. It's so peaceful.

- Benjamin Clementine

Arizona, Most, Spent, Peaceful

I was lucky to have read a lot of poetry when I was younger; it helped me to remember a way to write.

- Benjamin Clementine

Remember, Lucky, Lot, Helped

I like black a lot because I can't really see colors - so I wear a lot of dark-colored clothes. You've got to be aware of what you're wearing because you might become that.

- Benjamin Clementine

Black, Like, Might, Clothes

Not all families stay together.

- Benjamin Clementine

Together, Stay, Families

I believe when the music is being sung or being played, at the end of it, there's some sort of grace and understanding. And that's all I want for humanity. I just want us to understand each other. That's the point of my music.

- Benjamin Clementine

Believe, Some, Other, Sung

Fame is like icin' on the cake.

- Benjamin Clementine

Fame, Like, Cake

The minute I stop singing, I'm back to being shy. I'm soft-spoken because I never really talked to people. I didn't learn to do it.

- Benjamin Clementine

Singing, Learn, Shy, Minute

Where you're from shapes you, but you can actually do whatever you want.

- Benjamin Clementine

Want, Where, Actually, Shapes

I got into a lot of trouble. Maybe that's why my parents didn't really like me and I didn't blend in with my family. I was always the naughty one.

- Benjamin Clementine

Always, Like, Maybe, Trouble

We always blame other people when things go wrong. For example, family to friends, you think they'll stay by your side, and you realise they never do. But that's life.

- Benjamin Clementine

Think, Always, Other, Blame

The thing is: I was quite slow when I was younger. I might have been smart - I don't know - but I was slow talking to people. And as you can see, I don't talk very loud.

- Benjamin Clementine

Loud, Been, Very, Smart

I do music to tell people my thoughts and opinions about life, emotions, politics, everything.

- Benjamin Clementine

Music, Politics, Thoughts, Opinions

Most people think a song is a song - three minutes, and you're done. I don't think this way. Songs are my wings. They're what I use to fly. It's very important for me to put everything in the right place.

- Benjamin Clementine

Three, Very, Use, Wings

Personally, I wouldn't mind going on stage naked, totally naked.

- Benjamin Clementine

Mind, Stage, Going, Personally

I know, deep down, that what makes my music what it is are my words. It always starts from me wanting to say something. Once I've run out of things to say, I'll be done.

- Benjamin Clementine

Deep, Always, Wanting, Starts

It's my only freedom, music, and I'm not going to give it up to anyone else.

- Benjamin Clementine

Music, Freedom, Give, Anyone Else

Music isn't a competition.

- Benjamin Clementine

Music, Competition

I realised that we're all equal - it's all about helping each other.

- Benjamin Clementine

Other, Equal, Helping, Realised

People say my world is dark. No, there's a lot of lightness in my world. But I know very well that I'm not normal when I'm performing.

- Benjamin Clementine

Normal, Performing, Very, Lightness

I'm a very honest person, and I'm quite emotional for a man. If I want to say something, I'll say it.

- Benjamin Clementine

Want, Emotional, Very, Honest

With this sort of career, you need determination. You've got to sacrifice a lot of things: family, friends - not that I had any - but you sacrifice everything.

- Benjamin Clementine

Sacrifice, Career, Need, Determination

Life is life. You have to learn how to forgive people and how to gain forgiveness for yourself.

- Benjamin Clementine

Learn, Forgive, How, Gain

Honestly, I still don't know a lot of artists, and I want to keep it that way for a while. I think that's why I might be quite original.

- Benjamin Clementine

Think, I Think, Still, Artists

I wanted to find people who were like me, and I did, in the people I was reading.

- Benjamin Clementine

Find, Like, Wanted, Reading

Sometimes it feels like my story overshadows my music.

- Benjamin Clementine

Music, Sometimes, Like, Feels

It's amazing how people believe you if you use long words.

- Benjamin Clementine

Amazing, How, Use, Long Words

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