The flute was an alternative to being a small fish in an increasingly bigger pool filled with a number of great guitar players. Ian Anderson More Quotes by Ian Anderson More Quotes From Ian Anderson Unnur Birna is a Reykjavik-based violinist and singer. She has performed as a session musician with countless Icelandic and international artists while recording and appearing as a solo artist as well. Unnur has joined me as an unpaid guest on a few Icelandic shows in recent years, so it is a great pleasure to return the favour and appear on one of her songs at last. This new track, Sunshine, came about in Italy, written as an ode to sunlight and happiness after fleeing the dark winter in Iceland Ian Anderson sunshine dark song I can never make up my mind if I'm happy being a flute player, or if I wish I were Eric Clapton. Ian Anderson player being-happy happiness Seek that which within lies waiting to begin the fight of your life that is everyday. Ian Anderson fighting waiting lying Why do the faithful have such a will, to believe in something? And call in the name they choose, having chosen nothing. Ian Anderson faithful names believe It's only the giving that makes you what you are. Ian Anderson giving Another tea-time, another day older. Ian Anderson tea-time another-day tea There's always going to be a little bit of autobiographical content to everything. It's how you lend some authority to what you write - you give it that weight by drawing on your direct experiences and indirect experiences from people that you know well, or a little. Ian Anderson drawing writing people I make up my own mind in light of available facts, with my own experience and a sense of personal ethics. Ian Anderson light mind facts A lot of pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. Ian Anderson rock-n-roll pockets children But the tune ends too soon for us all Ian Anderson tunes ends life We do hear perhaps too many accolades generally aimed at people like Steve Jobs. We have to remember that there are other classic things in life that we undervalue and take them for granted. If you think of the classic lines of the modern jet aircraft, it's really been there since early World War II. Ian Anderson jobs war thinking I think it's really the job of the composer, the artist, the painter, the writer to present people with options. I'm just really reflecting the thoughts and actions around me. Ian Anderson artist jobs thinking As a musician, life is not over just because you are getting older, and so I find retirement a very frightening and dark thought. Ian Anderson getting-older dark retirement I don't think successful musicians were really put on this planet in order to have a great time, pat themselves on the back and say, 'Oh, what a clever boy I am!' I think that, like most artists, we were put on the planet to suffer just a little. And we do. Ian Anderson artist successful clever It was instilled in me that the money I was given was not to be lost or spent on any other purpose. Ian Anderson given purpose lost Question all as to their ways and learn the secrets that they hold Ian Anderson secret way The original Jethro Tull was a 19th century English agriculturist who invented a seed drill you see. The first automatic process where by small holes were made in Mother Earth and even smaller seeds were deposited one at a time and neatly covered over as a cat does after having being naughty. Ian Anderson naughty cat mother Oh father high in heaven - smile down upon your sonWho's busy with his money games - his women and his gun. Ian Anderson gun games father I'm really terrible with small children; they're small, noisy, irritating, damp and soggy. Ian Anderson irritating terrible children When I was a young boy, I preferred cats to dogs. From the age of seven or eight onwards I just felt more comfortable with cats. And I felt more comfortable with girls, I didn't really like hanging out with guys. When I was about ten or eleven, I was friendlier with the girls in my school than with the guys. Ian Anderson girl dog school