Corey Taylor Quotes

Powerful Corey Taylor for Daily Growth

About Corey Taylor

Corey Todd Taylor, born on December 8, 1973, in Marshalltown, Iowa, is an acclaimed American musician, singer-songwriter, author, and actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the bands Slipknot and Stone Sour. Taylor's musical journey began in his teenage years when he formed a band called Baby Doll with future Slipknot member Paul Gray. After Baby Doll disbanded, Taylor pursued a solo career under the moniker Corey Storm, releasing an album titled 'Leech' in 1996. However, it was his collaboration with Paul Gray, Joey Jordison, and Jim Root that led to the formation of Slipknot in 1995. The band gained international fame with their self-titled debut album in 1999, characterized by a fusion of heavy metal, hardcore, industrial, and nu metal styles. In addition to Slipknot, Taylor is also the lead vocalist of Stone Sour, which he formed in 1992 under the name 'Acid Reign'. Stone Sour's debut album, 'Stone Sour', was released in 2002, and their fifth studio album, 'Hydrograd', reached number one on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart in 2017. Taylor has also ventured into writing, publishing a memoir titled 'Seven Deadly Sins' in 2011 and co-authoring 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven: Twisted Tales from the Spiral Stairs of Metal' with David Yow in 2015. His influences range from classic rock artists such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to punk bands like Dead Kennedys and hardcore acts like Agnostic Front. Known for his powerful vocals, aggressive stage presence, and insightful lyrics, Taylor remains a significant figure in the world of heavy metal music.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"We're not a band, we're a cult."

This quote by Corey Taylor signifies that Slipknot, the band he is a part of, embodies more than just musicians playing music together; they represent a unique subculture with dedicated followers. The members of Slipknot aren't merely a group, but an influential entity that has cultivated a strong bond and shared identity among their fans, who often adopt similar styles and values - essentially forming a cult-like following.


"I have a really dark sense of humor. I think that's why my lyrics resonate with people. Because there's truth in it."

The quote suggests that Corey Taylor's dark sense of humor infuses his music, particularly the lyrics, making them relatable to many listeners due to their raw, truthful nature. This "truth" likely refers to a shared understanding or experience of difficult emotions, pain, or the absurdity of life, which people often find cathartic in artistic expression. The dark humor serves as a coping mechanism and a means to convey complex feelings and situations in a unique and engaging way.


"Rock and roll is the last place for freedom, because it's the last place where nobody tells you what to do."

Corey Taylor suggests that rock and roll serves as a sanctuary for individualism and self-expression, free from external control or authority. This genre of music is considered a space where artists can freely express themselves without being dictated to by others, allowing them to create art that reflects their unique perspectives and ideas.


"The beauty of life is not just in the destination, but also in the journey, the memories we create, and the stories we tell."

This quote by Corey Taylor emphasizes that life's true beauty lies not only in reaching our goals or destinations, but also in the experiences, memories, and tales gathered along the way. It encourages us to cherish every moment of our journey and understand that each experience contributes to the richness and uniqueness of our lives. The stories we share are a testament to this journey, connecting us with others and passing down wisdom across generations.


"When things get tough, I always remember that if you can't stand the heat, get out of the fucking kitchen." (This quote is often misattributed to Taylor, but it was actually said by actor Alec Baldwin)

This quote emphasizes resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. If a situation becomes challenging or uncomfortable, it encourages one to embrace it rather than backing down. It suggests that if you cannot handle the stress or pressure, then it's time to step aside and let someone else take on the task at hand. In essence, it's a call to action for those who are willing to push through difficult circumstances and prove their mettle.


You gotta remember: we're musicians... we're just crazy people who can't get along sometimes. I've definitely come to the table with my knife in my pocket a couple of times; you know how it is. It's part of being human. Now add fame and money and all that rock and roll craziness to it - we're lucky we don't eat each other in this industry!

- Corey Taylor

Rock And Roll, Lucky, Other, Couple

I'm not gonna do the same, tired, standard 'I was born in a log cabin...' kind of book. There's so much more I want to do.

- Corey Taylor

Kind, Standard, Gonna, Log

To be honest, and this comes out of left field, but I would love to do something with Jay-Z or Eminem. I have no limitations when it comes to the stuff I want to do musically. So to be able to do something like that I think would be really, really cool.

- Corey Taylor

Love, Out, I Think, Jay-Z

'The Blair Witch Project' is great for motion sickness. The first time you see it, it is extremely creepy. The first time I saw it, I saw it on a bootleg tape on a tour bus before it had even come out. It was one of the first movies I'd seen like that. I didn't even realize it was a damn movie!

- Corey Taylor

Bus, Movie, Before, Bootleg

I write almost all my songs on an acoustic guitar, even if they turn into rock songs, hard rock songs, metal songs, heavy metal songs, really heavy songs... I love writing on an acoustic because I can hear what every string is doing; the vibrations haven't been combined in a collision of distortion or effects yet.

- Corey Taylor

Love, Doing, Been, Collision

With 'Seven Deadly Sins,' there was a lot of personal stuff in there that I didn't even realize I'd been carrying around for awhile. And a lot of guilt involved, a lot of emotion, a lot of depression. Once I was done writing that book, I was able to really let go of that stuff.

- Corey Taylor

Book, Seven, Been, Deadly

I have ideas every day, and if I'm not carrying a pad of paper, I'm typing it into the notes thing on my iPhone, and it's just ridiculous - idle hands are the devil's plaything, and I can't be the devil's plaything. I got to be the devil; I got to be the guy making it all happen.

- Corey Taylor

Hands, Notes, Plaything, Pad

I don't mean to be overly sensitive or anything like that, but you just have to take a minute in every day, and just reflect on where you are, and just realise what you've got, because you just never know where the next huge change in your life is going to come from.

- Corey Taylor

Every Day, Next, Your, Overly

I've seen everything from 'Wicked' to 'The Book Of Mormon,' and I don't make any bones of the fact that I love both. But 'Les Mis' is not only my favorite musical, but it's also my favorite story. I love the book, which I read as a kid, and I identified so much with Jean Valjean.

- Corey Taylor

Love, Book, Fact, Wicked

I always tell the fans, 'Screw it! Like what you like. Listen to what you want.' Insisting that one type of music is better than the next is snobbery, and I have no time for that. Check out all the music that's out there. There's great stuff you're probably missing.

- Corey Taylor

Next, Tell, No Time, Great Stuff

People such as Hunter S. Thompson and the Beats were a huge influence on me, not just in what they were saying, but how they said it.

- Corey Taylor

People, Influence, Beats, Huge Influence

If you are too overwhelmed, then when you sit down and try to write something, it feels forced. There's nothing worse than forced music. I mean, this world has enough of that right now, where it's basically McDonald's making music. 'Everybody needs another hamburger and fries.' Here's a piece of crap that nobody's gonna care about it two years.

- Corey Taylor

Here, Everybody, Feels, McDonald

People can talk about punk all they want, but after new wave put that down, metal is the voice of the disenfranchised and that need to become unhinged. That's why it appeals to so many people when they are younger and carries over when those people, at 40, don't want to grow up.

- Corey Taylor

Voice, Why, About, Disenfranchised

I'm a very lucky guy. I get to write music that I love, and lo and behold, people seem to really like it. I know how fortunate I am.

- Corey Taylor

Love, Lucky, Very, Behold

My biggest influences were 1980s punk and metal. Metallica were my biggest influence because they were good at everything - riffs, energy - but with such an ear for melody, it was hard not to get pulled into it and become a fanatic.

- Corey Taylor

Metal, Pulled, Riffs, Metallica

As iconic a band as Metallica has become, I think sometimes we forget just how raw they were in the beginning of their career, and to a 15-year-old kid like me, it was just shattering. I mean, it was beyond.

- Corey Taylor

Career, Think, I Think, Metallica

When I'm working on a Slipknot song, it's like a switch flips in my head. I can go there easily - it doesn't take a lot of soul searching - and it's a dark, almost sinister place. Stone Sour is more the way I've always written. It's a different tone.

- Corey Taylor

Soul, Tone, Almost, Flips

I grew up poor in crappy situations... various crappy situations. What kept me sane was reading and music. I had so many different literary tastes growing up, be it fiction like Stephen King or Piers Anthony or non-fiction like reading Hunter S. Thompson essays or reading the Beats. I was a huge fan of the Beat movement.

- Corey Taylor

Fiction, Crappy, Tastes, Essays

I was a Marvel kid, and I would have to say that Spiderman is my all-time favorite character. As I got older, my tastes developed a little bit more, and I would follow certain writers; like, I really got into Grant Morrison. From the time I was 5, I was into comic books. From the time I learned how to read, it was all about comic books.

- Corey Taylor

Kid, Comic Books, Tastes, Grant

Slipknot is the darkness; Stone Sour is the light. Slipknot is chaos; Stone Sour is structure.

- Corey Taylor

Light, Chaos, Darkness, Stone

There's a certain darkness to Slipknot, but at the same time, there's a very strong dose of positivity. Stone Sour is the same way. There's a certain melancholy that comes with the slower stuff, but at the end of the day there's also that other side that is very positive. It's all how you deliver.

- Corey Taylor

Strong, Other, Very, Dose

Everyone knows Spiderman is my favorite superhero of all time. My favorite supervillain? George W. Bush.

- Corey Taylor

Everyone, George W. Bush, Spiderman

The fact that the public are mesmerised by Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and all these miserable people makes me laugh because those celebrities are more miserable than the people reading about them for escapism.

- Corey Taylor

Fact, About, Celebrities, Lindsay

The first year I was sober was probably the worst year of my life. My immune system was screwed. I completely isolated myself. I was weak all the time. I didn't know who I was.

- Corey Taylor

My Life, Screwed, Immune, Sober

Too many people chase dreams that they don't understand. Too many people try to go for things that they'd like to do, but they're not realistic enough to know they don't have the talent.

- Corey Taylor

Understand, Go, Like, Too Many People

There's such a huge difference between a great arrangement of riffs and a song. Sometimes the two can be the same. But the difference is a song doesn't necessarily need a riff, whereas a riff doesn't necessarily mean you've got a good song on your hands.

- Corey Taylor

Hands, Good Song, Riff, Whereas

I've had to really teach myself that when you're not feeling it, you shouldn't write anything down because you're going to end up coming back and re-writing it later. Whereas, if you write when you're feeling something, when you're really in the streak, then that's when you're going to get your best stuff.

- Corey Taylor

Best, Back, Had, Whereas

I am the kind of guy who has never taken myself too seriously. I mean, I am very serious about what I do; I'm very serious about the creative process and everything, but at the end of the day, I am just another lucky geek who got to live out a dream, you know?

- Corey Taylor

Lucky, Another, Very, Creative Process

I have that love for music, when you are finding either old gems that you never heard or newer stuff that perks your ear. It keeps you trying to look for new stuff to write about it. You don't spin your wheels. I take that same approach to music and books.

- Corey Taylor

Love, Wheels, About, Gems

I have a really good idea for a novel and would like to just kind of try my hand at fiction. I'm starting to kind of get a really good body of work going from a literary standpoint. As long as the audience is there, man, I'll keep cranking them out.

- Corey Taylor

Fiction, Idea, Literary, Standpoint

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