Trevor Rabin Quotes

Powerful Trevor Rabin for Daily Growth

About Trevor Rabin

Trevor Rabin, born on June 13, 1954, in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a renowned musician, film composer, and record producer, best known for his work with the band Yes. Rabin's musical journey began at a young age when he started playing guitar. Inspired by artists like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton, he formed his first band, The Paramount Rhythm Boys, while still in school. After completing his studies, Rabin worked as a session musician and producer in South Africa before moving to the UK in 1978. Upon arrival in the UK, Rabin joined Yes as their guitarist, songwriter, and producer. His work with Yes includes iconic albums like "90125" (1983), which marked a significant commercial success for the band with hits like "Owner of a Lonely Heart," and "Big Generator" (1987). Rabin left Yes in 1995 but returned to the group for their 40th-anniversary tour in 2008. Apart from his work with Yes, Rabin has also scored several films, including "Armageddon," "Con Air," and "Mighty Joe Young." His film scores showcase his versatility as a composer, blending orchestral arrangements with contemporary sounds. Rabin's contributions to music have been recognized with multiple Grammy Awards and nominations. Despite his international success, Rabin remains humble about his achievements, often crediting his South African roots and early influences for shaping his unique sound.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The only limits in our life are those we impose on ourselves."

This quote emphasizes that personal limitations are often self-imposed, suggesting individuals have control over shaping their own lives. It encourages self-belief and the understanding that one's potential is not fixed but can be expanded through personal effort and determination. In other words, it urges people to break free from self-imposed restrictions and pursue their goals fearlessly.


"Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered along the way."

This quote by Trevor Rabin suggests that the true measure of success lies not only in achieving one's goals or ambitions, but also in overcoming obstacles and facing adversity on the journey to those accomplishments. In other words, it is the challenges encountered and the resilience displayed while pursuing success that truly defines it.


"Believe in yourself and your dreams will come true."

The quote emphasizes the power of self-belief and personal dreams. It suggests that if one has faith in oneself, personal aspirations and goals are more likely to be realized. This encourages individuals to trust their abilities and persist in pursuing their dreams with conviction, as belief in oneself can serve as a catalyst for success and achievement.


"Chase your dream with all your heart, and never give up."

This quote by Trevor Rabin encourages relentless pursuit of one's dreams with undying passion and perseverance. It emphasizes the importance of tenacity in the face of adversity and reiterates that giving up should never be an option when striving for personal fulfillment and success.


"The harder you work for something, the greater you'll feel when you achieve it."

This quote emphasizes that the effort and hard work invested in achieving a goal significantly amplify the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment one feels upon its attainment. Essentially, putting in substantial effort into something meaningful makes the end result more rewarding and fulfilling.


You can't judge an album by a single song; it's like judging a book by only reading a single chapter.

- Trevor Rabin

Song, Album, Like, Chapter

I will be doing a film called Whispers, for Disney. It's about elephants, and doesn't have any people in it. It will be a live action film - I don't know how much I can say about it, since I still don't know too much about it.

- Trevor Rabin

Doing, I Can, About, Elephants

Several record companies had rejected my song 'Owner of A Lonely Heart' on the grounds it was 'too left field.' I never create to make a hit just to satisfy some record company executive's quarterly profit statement.

- Trevor Rabin

Some, Rejected, Several, Profit

Yes was a band where we could explore some of those ideas, but I knew that if I wanted to get into orchestral music and make a living at it, movies seemed to be a perfect spot.

- Trevor Rabin

Explore, Living, Some, Orchestral

You're a white South African, and right away you have to explain yourself. Occasionally, I get hassled until I explain my point of view. I have to make it clear that I don't live there anymore, and I don't approve of the brutal racial policies.

- Trevor Rabin

Away, Explain, South, South African

I grew up in such a musical family, and my dad was the first chair in the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, and my mom was a piano teacher and a painter, so it was kind of a creative environment, and it was kind of in my DNA.

- Trevor Rabin

Chair, Musical, Dad, Symphony

When you do a record like 'Talk,' and you're happy with it, and it reaches your ambitions and then doesn't sell as well as you wanted, it kind of takes the wind out of your sails a little.

- Trevor Rabin

Kind, Sails, Like, Wind

I've done that quite often, but I've got to be quite honest... as much as you would want to only do one at a time, sometimes projects overlap and there's nothing you can do. Sometimes you to have begin writing a new project just as you're finishing off another.

- Trevor Rabin

Sometimes, Another, Projects, Overlap

Yes well I've done three movies with Samuel L. Jackson, so I've met him a couple of times already. Well, I see him everyday, but its only on the screen.

- Trevor Rabin

Yes, Screen, Couple, Everyday

I thoroughly enjoyed working on Enemy of the State. Tony Scott is an important director, and has an amazing ability to express himself, and he doesn't do it in musical terms, he does it in emotional terms. I got along really well with him.

- Trevor Rabin

Enemy, Express, Got, Scott

In my day, when I was a young kid, army duty was compulsory in South Africa or you go to jail. I had the choice, so I spent a year in the entertainment unit, and outside of doing shows - and I used to write for, arrange for the big band - outside of doing that, I actually had a rock band in the army.

- Trevor Rabin

Doing, Young, Big, Compulsory

I just loved classical music, but I also loved playing rock guitar, and I loved playing piano, so it was a natural thing that those things would merge at some point.

- Trevor Rabin

Natural, Some, Classical, Classical Music

Unless the guitar works as a color, then I don't use it, so I haven't been playing guitar too much lately.

- Trevor Rabin

Color, Been, Works, Lately

When you listen to a Yes album, you should listen to the whole thing through headphones with the lights off.

- Trevor Rabin

Through, Yes, Album, Lights

We were a very politically active family. My father was one of the first lawyers in South Africa to have a black partner, so I grew up very aware of the struggle going on. Coming from that background, it really gave me chills to have my music be a part of the election of the first black American president.

- Trevor Rabin

Lawyers, Very, South, Chills

Getting back to the point, a guy like Jerry, he deals with the business, and he doesn't see it as being evil or ugly, it's what you have to do, and I mean I know there's some really ugly parts to it and parts which drive me nuts, but not in the same way as music business.

- Trevor Rabin

Back, Some, Music Business, Jerry

Jerry Bruckheimer is the most hands-on producer that I've worked with. Jerry's very involved in the music, and he's such a fan of film. When you watch him playing back the cues to the picture, he's like a kid in a candy store.

- Trevor Rabin

Kid, Candy, Very, Jerry

I hate how things must be classified. How this is applied to musicians implies that they somehow contrive their products and have studied the demographics of the audience.

- Trevor Rabin

Audience, Applied, Studied, Implies

I belong in America more than South Africa. I can't remember the feeling of living there anymore. It's like it was in another life. That's sad in a way. It is my country. It's where I grew up. You don't know what it's like to have these negative feelings about your homeland. There are roots you can't escape.

- Trevor Rabin

Country, Belong, South, Escape

While I'm quite happy and love doing the atmospheric and quirky stuff, the melodic stuff, I've done quite a lot of. It's also another reason why I try not to do two or three at the same time.

- Trevor Rabin

Love, Doing, Reason, Quirky

The process of composing the film score for each movie is completely different. They all have their own personality and their own completely different life, but there's never been a formula. Each time, it's a new thing.

- Trevor Rabin

Process, New, Been, Composing

You know, usually with movies there are periods, dark areas, where I might not be getting what I wanted out of a theme. I'll have to go over and over it again.

- Trevor Rabin

Over, Over It, Might, Theme

I don't mind snakes. Growing up in South Africa there were a couple a snakes around... and I'm not talking just about the government!

- Trevor Rabin

Mind, Africa, South Africa, Snakes

When I finished a song that I thought was good, I thought, I don't know where that came from, so I have no idea if I can do that again. I'm talking like, a hundred and fifty songs down the line. I still feel that.

- Trevor Rabin

Thought, Idea, Hundred, No Idea

The reason I stopped doing the band is that I wanted to do something different... Yes had become like 'Groundhog Day' for me. I loved being in the band, but it was album-tour, album-tour, different album-different tour.

- Trevor Rabin

Doing, Reason, Stopped, Tour

I love being in a band. I love that collaborative spirit, although some would suggest that I don't get involved in the collaborative spirit, but it's not true.

- Trevor Rabin

Love, Some, Collaborative, Suggest

I never actually had a guitar lesson. I taught myself the guitar from piano exercise books, which led me to have a pretty good technique on the guitar and allowed me to find different ways to do things.

- Trevor Rabin

Exercise, Allowed, Technique, Pretty Good

I really love writing themes and melody.

- Trevor Rabin

Love, Writing, Themes, Melody

Writing a simple melody can take weeks to get it right where I want it, but I do quite enjoy it.

- Trevor Rabin

Writing, Take, Weeks, Melody

I was in Hiroshima with my assistant, and I said to him, 'You know, I've done close to a thousand shows with Yes. I think I'm done. I don't think I can do another one.' I went back to L.A. and left the band and got into film.

- Trevor Rabin

Back, I Think, Another, Hiroshima

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