Mac Demarco Quotes

Powerful Mac Demarco for Daily Growth

About Mac Demarco

Mac DeMarco (born Vernon Clark Demarco on April 27, 1990), is a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his lo-fi indie pop music style and eccentric stage persona. Raised in Edmonton, Alberta, DeMarco developed an early interest in music, learning to play the piano at the age of five and the guitar by thirteen. His musical influences include Elliott Smith, Neil Young, and John Prine, among others. In 2012, DeMarco moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he released his debut studio album, '2' under the Captured Tracks label. The album was praised for its lo-fi charm and catchy melodies, earning him a growing fanbase. His sophomore effort, 'Salad Days', released in 2014, gained critical acclaim and cemented his status as an indie pop star. Quotes from 'Salad Days' like "Let My Baby Stay" and "Chamber of Reflection" became anthems for the indie scene. DeMarco's unique approach to music is characterized by his DIY ethos, humorous stage antics, and a knack for crafting heartfelt, yet quirky, songs about love, life, and growing up. His music often incorporates elements of folk, rock, and psychedelia, creating a sound that is at once nostalgic and innovative. In 2017, DeMarco released 'This Old Dog', an introspective album that delved deeper into themes of maturity, self-reflection, and family. The album was met with widespread praise and further solidified his place in the indie pop pantheon. Quotes from this album like "My Old Man" resonated with many listeners, offering a poignant look at the complexities of father-son relationships. Today, Mac DeMarco continues to push boundaries with his unique brand of indie pop, consistently delivering music that is both catchy and thought-provoking. His quote, "I've always been more about the songs than the hype," encapsulates his approach to music and career, choosing to let his work speak for itself rather than chasing fleeting trends.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I don't know what I want, in life, y'know? I wanna be an astronaut, I wanna be a cowboy, I wanna be the number one ping pong player in the world."

This quote by Mac DeMarco suggests that he is uncertain about his future aspirations and desires. Instead, he expresses a series of fantasies or dreams, symbolized by wanting to be an astronaut (exploring unknown territories), a cowboy (a free-spirited, independent figure), and the number one ping pong player in the world (achieving mastery in a specific skill). This quote could indicate a desire for versatility, adventure, and self-improvement in life. It also reflects a creative imagination and a rejection of traditional or predictable paths.


"Sometimes when you're sad, you've gotta just go with it, let yourself feel that shit, and then after a little while, maybe do something fun."

This quote suggests that it's okay to experience sadness when it arises, acknowledging and accepting our emotions is an essential part of being human. However, after giving oneself time to feel these negative feelings, it's also important to engage in activities that bring joy or positivity back into one's life, promoting personal growth and emotional balance. Essentially, Mac Demarco is encouraging the reader to allow themselves to experience their emotions but not to be consumed by them, finding a balance between self-awareness and self-care.


"I like to remind people to always keep their heart open to happiness, but also to keep their mind open to stupidity because those two things are what make the world go 'round."

This quote suggests that maintaining a balance between openness to positive emotions (happiness) and receptivity to potentially foolish or naive experiences (stupidity) is crucial for a fulfilling life. The speaker implies that these contrasting states are essential components in the human experience, driving human interaction and growth. By keeping one's heart open to happiness, we allow ourselves to embrace joy and love; while keeping our mind open to stupidity allows us to learn from mistakes, grow as individuals, and develop empathy towards others.


"If you're sad, just imagine the saddest thing possible and then realize that it's not you."

This quote by Mac DeMarco suggests that when we feel down or sad, it can be helpful to shift our focus from our personal situation to a hypothetical scenario that is even more distressing. By doing so, we can remind ourselves that there are circumstances much worse than our own, thereby putting our current struggles into perspective and potentially helping us find solace and resilience in the knowledge that things could always be worse. It encourages empathy for those who are experiencing true hardship, and a realization of the relative nature of personal suffering. Ultimately, this can inspire a sense of gratitude and optimism, helping us to cope with our own sadness.


"I think it's important for people to know their own worth, but I also feel like it's impossible to truly understand your own worth because you can't see yourself from the outside."

Mac DeMarco's quote emphasizes the human difficulty in objectively determining one's personal value or "worth." While people should strive to recognize their self-worth, it is challenging due to our inherent bias and limited perspective. We cannot fully grasp our worth because we can only see ourselves from an internal point of view, and thus, may undervalue or overvalue ourselves compared to how others perceive us. This quote encourages introspection and self-reflection, reminding individuals that understanding their own worth is a complex process that requires time, effort, and an open mind.


For me, it's all about the Canadian tuxedo, and maybe a bolero. The province I grew up in in Alberta is pretty much the denim capital of Canada. The first premier of Alberta started Grand Western Garment, which Levi's bought later on.

- Mac DeMarco

Maybe, Capital, About, Tuxedo

When you play a guitar for a long time, you get your hand oils in there; it starts feeling good and behaving, and you just don't want to mess with that.

- Mac DeMarco

Play, Want, Your, Behaving

I love Jonathan Richman - I love a lot of his music, and the thing I really like about him is his attitude. He seems very happy, and the way he performs is like, 'Don't worry, everybody, just get into it. I'm just having fun; I like when you guys are having fun.'

- Mac DeMarco

Love, Very, Performs, Jonathan

I'm a pretty easygoing person, and it bleeds into the music. Even if I'm writing the most personal song, it's not going to come out totally serious; there's always a little tongue in the cheek.

- Mac DeMarco

Song, Always, Easygoing, Bleeds

One thing I hear a lot is, 'Dude, my mom loves your record,' or 'I got it for my dad for Christmas.' I'm essentially doing dad rock. Which is great, because I love Steely Dan, you know? Nothing wrong with dad rock!

- Mac DeMarco

Love, Doing, Steely, Dude

I'd probably describe my sense of humor as 'twisted,' I guess. It's not hard to make me laugh, especially when I'm surrounded by my close friends, especially my bandmates.

- Mac DeMarco

Surrounded, Close Friends, Make Me Laugh

The way I'm portrayed on the Internet is partly my doing, but it's partly the people that are presenting it so, you know, people come to know this strange version of a human. It can be pretty weird because people think I'm digging through dumpsters and smell like crap all the time.

- Mac DeMarco

Doing, Through, Smell, Digging

I'm just trying to have fun, and maybe the way I hold myself kind of freaks people out. I don't feel like an outsider, and I think my friends feel the same way I do. Now that we're playing to larger audiences, maybe we're weird to some people. But I'm trying to express what I am.

- Mac DeMarco

Some, I Think, Larger, Freaks

The crowd can be a little different in some places. For example, in Europe, people tend to be very respectful. They try not to make too much noise at inappropriate times. In other countries, people can be very still. Sometimes I'm not sure if a crowd is into it until the end, when they usually want me to do something crazy for the encore.

- Mac DeMarco

Some, Other, Very, Respectful

I actually had a really nice guitar as a teenager. I took jazz guitar, so my mom bought me this probably $1,600 guitar. But I got really into garage rock and local bands, and I noticed they played really crappy guitars. So I thought, 'Hey, I should get a crappy guitar, too!'

- Mac DeMarco

Thought, Jazz, Crappy, Hey

I like guitar. It just turned out that it's the instrument I learned to play. I have a lot of respect for it, and I'm learning more and more every day. For me, the classic band setup - guitars, drums, bass - will stay fresh forever. I don't know. I'm still into it.

- Mac DeMarco

Play, Every Day, Turned, Guitars

At the time I was writing the second album, I was sitting home in my underwear all day every day; I didn't have all that much to write about except for my own life and my family.

- Mac DeMarco

Every Day, My Own, Album, Sitting

I write for myself; I'm trying to keep myself interested in the music. But at the same time, I want to make the songs relatable in a way; I want to keep melodies pretty simple and the lyrics open-ended so that people could maybe relate them to their own life in different ways. Something for everybody to have a piece of.

- Mac DeMarco

Everybody, Melodies, I Write, Lyrics

I first started going to shows when I was about 16 - seeing local bands. I mean, I loved music before that, and I played a bit of guitar when I was younger and thought maybe I'd become a guitar teacher or something, but when I saw other kids doing it, I was like, 'Whoa, these are great bands! I can do it, too.'

- Mac DeMarco

Thought, Doing, Other, Whoa

A lot of people assume I have a great hat collection, but kids steal my hats at every show. I've had all these hats that I've loved, but now they're in some little kids' possession. It's difficult to replenish. I don't think the kids realize this.

- Mac DeMarco

Some, Steal, Possession, Assume

My grandma did opera singing for the better part of her life; she used to sing all over the place. My grandpa was a sax player, and he used to travel all over the place, too.

- Mac DeMarco

Singing, Opera, Over, Sax

I'll probably have to open a recording studio at some point because I won't be able to pay the bills.

- Mac DeMarco

Some, Studio, Recording, Open

I'm terrible at collaborating with people; nothing ever ends up coming out good.

- Mac DeMarco

Nothing, Ever, Ends, Terrible

Perfectionist? That's not something I am.

- Mac DeMarco

I Am, Something, Am, Perfectionist

If people are talking about you, that's great. You start making more money, that's great. You get to go to weird places, that's great. The music industry is weird, especially with the Internet. People are calling you all kinds of weird stuff, like 'jangly.'

- Mac DeMarco

Industry, About, Kinds, Music Industry

I don't necessarily like wearing lipstick; I just think it's funny to do. I think the darker the better, but it's whatever my girlfriend Kiera has in her purse.

- Mac DeMarco

Think, Like, I Think, Darker

I had a band called the Sound Of Love, and that was R&B songs about girls in my high school. I played in some other indie bands who were trying to make it big; those sucked. Then I started Makeout Videotape, and that was that.

- Mac DeMarco

Love, Some, Indie, Sucked

When people think of someone being prolific, it's like, 'He's got a vault with 5,000 songs in it,' or something, but I just kind of pick them out of the air when they float by.

- Mac DeMarco

Think, Like, Prolific, Float

I'm going to try to do music for the rest of my life, but that's just trying. Maybe it's not going to work out. Who knows?

- Mac DeMarco

Rest, My Life, Going, Work Out

A lot of the songs on '2' are pretty personal, but even if I'm writing about something like that, I still tend to keep it pretty simple and open-ended. I like the idea of people listening to my album and it meaning something to me but maybe meaning something else to them.

- Mac DeMarco

Idea, Maybe, Something Else, Meaning

Neil Young is the prime example, the grand goal, if you will. He's still shredding, and he never lost his credibility.

- Mac DeMarco

Goal, Prime, Still, Credibility

I don't care about what people might call my style. It's just like when people call my music 'jangly,' 'dream,' 'oceanside,' whatever - I don't care. I'm just wearing whatever I can scrap together.

- Mac DeMarco

Like, Might, About, Wearing

I live like a scumbag, but it's cheap.

- Mac DeMarco

Live, Like, Cheap

I don't want a job, and I think I've been trying my hardest to make sure I don't have a job.

- Mac DeMarco

Think, Been, I Think, Hardest

It's so crazy now with the Internet and being able to play shows to people who are actually interested in you. I still feel so lucky when that happens. Things just happen so fast.

- Mac DeMarco

Play, Lucky, Feel, Fast

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