Top quotes by Michael Franti

During my travels in Iraq, Israel, Gaza, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Europe and all over the United States, I have seen and heard the voices of people who want change. They want the stabilization of the economy, education and healthcare for all, renewable energy and an environmental vision with an eye on generations to come. Votes: 40

Music is sunshine. Like sunshine, music is a powerful force that can instantly and almost chemically change your entire mood. Music gives us new energy and a stronger sense of purpose. Votes: 25

Traveling to the Middle East and playing music for people on the street, for soldiers, for people in hospitals, and for people who lost their homes, and seeing people open up through the experience of music really restored my faith in music, in art, and in culture to change things. Votes: 23

With all the people hating and hurting each other, I don't understand how people could get upset about people of the same sex caring for each other. Votes: 22

We have a saying in my house, my kids and my girlfriend. We say, 'Be your best for the greater good, and rock out wherever you are.' Votes: 21

When you're in Jamaica, unless you're in a tourist spot, you don't hear Bob Marley; you mostly hear dance hall music. Votes: 20

Playing on the streets of Iraq, or in Israel or the Gaza strip, I'd sing angry protest songs against war. People would say, 'Make us clap, make us dance, and laugh and sing.' It really made me think about the importance of happy music. Votes: 19

Star Wars' is mythology. It's like Greek mythology or Shakespeare. It's the story of good versus evil over a very long span of time. The storytelling is universal and timeless. Votes: 16

I'm a news junkie who's constantly reading newspapers and magazines. I look around and see what's happening in the world. Votes: 15

Music was a central part of my childhood because my mother played organ and piano in the church, and that meant all us kids had to be in the church choir. Votes: 14

I went to the University of San Francisco on an athletic scholarship. I didn't study in high school. I was just there to get by and to play basketball. But a funny thing happened to me when I got to college. I got challenged by the work and the professors. Votes: 13

Collectively, we activists are essential to advancing U.S. policy to help empower marginalized people to lift themselves and their communities out of poverty for good. Votes: 13

It doesn't matter if you're black, white, gay, straight, come from different countries, different language... every single person is significant and is meaningful. Votes: 12

Like sunshine, music is a powerful force that can instantly and almost chemically change your entire mood. Votes: 11

Jamaica's a country of great dichotomy. On the one hand you have a tourist industry with great beaches and resorts, but on the other you have such great poverty and the violence that goes along with that. Votes: 10

I always identified with that feeling of being an underdog. So I always was looking to connect with and meet people from other cultures, to experience people living a different life that I am. Votes: 10

My greatest sense of accomplishment has come from having two amazing sons, but it's also a paradox in that the times when I felt like the biggest failure have been times when I felt like, as a parent, I wasn't making the right decisions or succeeding in the way that I should. Votes: 9

I've always found that the poorer the places that I go, the more smiles I see, and the more happiness I see. Votes: 9

In Jamaica, the music is recorded for the sound system, not the iPod. It's about experiencing music together, with other people. Votes: 9

My parents said sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you. But I always felt a sense of exhilaration after a fight; it was the names that really hurt me. Votes: 9

I took a trip in 2004, a year after the war started in Iraq. I played music on the streets of Baghdad for Iraqi civilians. I'd also play for U.S. soldiers at night when they were off duty in the bars. Then I would talk to people, and I would film them and ask them about their life and the conflict. Votes: 8

Recording in Jamaica is like nothing else. The studios are always closed in America. But in Jamaica, the studio doors are wide open, and there's music blasting out in the street. You can see the reaction of people immediately. Votes: 8

Bonnaroo has kind of become the granddaddy of all American festivals. The thing I love about it most is that it wasn't born out of picking the top ten bands off the Billboard chart and creating a festival around it. Votes: 8

The corporate media is there to push the agenda of the sponsors, and many of those sponsors are weapons manufacturers. So it stands to reason that you won't get a diversity of opinions on television. Votes: 7

People worry that gas prices are high and how they are affecting their pocket book. But they want to know about renewable energy. People are really starting to question things, and that's made people look to the future in a positive way. Votes: 6

I think that fear comes about when there's things in the world that we want to change, things we're scared or angry about, and we can't change them, and so we become fearful; we develop anxiety. Votes: 5

There are so many things to be worried about, and I wanted to make a record that people could put on, and it would lift them up the way the sun did for me each day. Votes: 2

When I first started out, I thought it was enough to make an angry song that pointed out the problems of the world. Votes: 2

My mother, she made sure all of us were treated the same and had the same opportunity to grow and develop, so that when we left the house, we could fly on our own. And she also knew when we got out into the world, we'd treat others that we came across with that same treatment and respect. Votes: 2

I'd play music on the street, especially in developing nations where a lot of kids couldn't wear shoes. In order to relate with kids that would be following me barefoot, I would take off my shoes, and they would all laugh at me because I couldn't go three steps without wincing. Votes: 1

If we do not change our negative habits toward climate change, we can count on worldwide disruptions in food production, resulting in mass migration, refugee crises and increased conflict over scarce natural resources like water and farm land. This is a recipe for major security problems. Votes: 0

I'm not an idealist. I know we're not going to be living in a world that's peace and love all the time. But we can live in a world where we kill each other a lot less. Votes: 0

All the freaky people make the beauty of the world. Votes: 0

I don't know if music can change the world overnight but I know that music can help someone make it through a difficult night. Votes: 0

I hope I inspire people to dream bigger than what they are living, but a dream within their reach. Votes: 0

I eat bags and bags of cashews. I've got them in the kitchen, and about ten feet away I've got another bowl on the kitchen table. In my backpack, I've always got a bag of cashews. I started eating them in the airports because that's the one food that you can find in every airport that's actually nutritious. Votes: 0

The world can't have a global solution to climate change with U.S. action alone; and the world can't have a global solution without U.S. action. Votes: 0

Everybody's opinion is equally valid, and I feel like everybody should have an opportunity to speak out, and everyone should have the courage to speak out. Votes: 0

I really encourage people to travel so we can see how the rest of the world views our country. That's really important. Secondly, as artists, activists, and citizens who vote, we have to begin to vote from our heart. Votes: 0

My mother birthed three children and she adopted myself and another African-American son. My adoptive parents were Finnish. I grew up in a white picket neighborhood. Votes: 0

No life's worth more than any other, no sister worth less than any brother. Votes: 0

My music is part of the quest I have to find new ways of telling stories, and also, I want to inspire people. Votes: 0

The rap community has been singled out as more homophobic than other groups, but I don't think that's right. It's homophobic, all right, but no more so than the heavy-metal community or the Hollywood community or any other community. Votes: 0

To sit back and say, 'Oh, we're going to let the government do whatever they want, right or wrong,' is giving up. Votes: 0

History shows that Americans believe in doing the right thing. Votes: 0

My usual day is I get up around 11 o'clock and do yoga and then eat afterwards. Then I have sound check and play soccer and do running with the guys in the band after sound check, and then do the show and eat dinner after the show and usually get to bed around 3 o'clock by the time we get everybody on the bus and get rolling. Votes: 0

Music gives us new energy and a stronger sense of purpose. Votes: 0

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is just to stay human. Votes: 0

Not all artists have a responsibility to be socially or politically aware, but they do have a responsibility to make great art. They have to find some truth and put that in their music. Votes: 0

People underestimate the hip-hop audience and the capacity to understand politics when it's part of music. Votes: 0

Our country was founded on immigration. We are all occupying Native American land here. At what point do we say 'It's our land, and nobody else can come here.' Votes: 0

I don't know if it's so grand that I can change the entire world, but I know that I can help one person. So that's the goal. Votes: 0

My house was filled with music. We had a piano, and my brothers and sisters played instruments. Even though I was around it, I played basketball. Votes: 0

Today we are in a war against war - music is our power. Votes: 0

Many kids in foster homes have a lot of emotions that are hard to get out. It's important to let them know they can make a difference in the community. Votes: 0

You get everything you could have ever wished for if you're willing to give that eternal bliss away to somebody else, to give it back. Votes: 0

You learn a lot when you're barefoot. The first thing is every step you take is different. Votes: 0

Don't let mistakes be so monumental, don't let your love be so confidential, don't let your mind be so darn judgemental, and please let your heart be more influential. Be thankful for all that the spirit provides and be thankful for all that you see without eyes. Votes: 0

We can bomb the world to pieces, but we can't bomb it into peace. Votes: 0

Johnny Cash was a rebel, not only just in the musical sense, but he was somebody who was for the people, and an advocate for labor, for workers, for prisoners, people who have been trapped by the criminal justice system. Votes: 0

Through music I either tame my demons or unleash them and allow them to be what they are. I don't want the music to be about provocation, I want the music to bring you to a place where you feel at home Votes: 0

Star Wars is mythology. Its like Greek mythology or Shakespeare. Its the story of good versus evil over a very long span of time. The storytelling is universal and timeless. Votes: 0

Every bit of land is a Holy land, and every drop of water is Holy water, and every single child is a son or a daughter of the one Earth mama, and the one Earth papa. Votes: 0

I went to Iraq because I wanted to see what one year of occupation had done to Iraqi society, and I went to the West Bank and Gaza Strip because I wanted to see what three generations of occupation had done to Palestinian society. I found a lot more hopelessness and despair in Palestine. Votes: 0

A lot of times we look at the whole world and think, 'it's so daunting, how can we change the whole world?' and you don't need to do that, what you need to do is change your world a little bit, and see if you can, through example, inspire others to do the same thing. Votes: 0

I think right now is when we need to hear different voices coming out of all parts of the world. You can't just hear the politicians and the military leaders. You have to hear from the taxi drivers. You have to hear from the painters. You have to hear from the poets. You have to hear from the school teachers and the filmmakers and musicians. Votes: 0

The music industry has been hijacked by corporate interests, but the way music affects people and resonates with them hasn't changed. Votes: 0

Only a rat can win a rat race. Votes: 0

I could be really sad and I start to cry; I feel alive then. I could be at a concert and I throw my hands up in the air and I feel elation; I feel alive then. Votes: 0

I came up playing in both punk rock bands and hip-hop bands, and I found a more universal way of reaching people, especially with music that has a message to it. Votes: 0

Every single soul is a poem. Votes: 0

My favorite band of all time is The Clash. The thing I love about The Clash is they started out as guys who could barely play three chords. They dabbled in reggae, punk, rap, jazz. They came to a sound that could only be defined as The Clash. It was impossible to say what it was. I admire them for that. Votes: 0

It's never too late to start the day over. Votes: 0

Those who start wars never fight them, and those who fight wars never like them. Votes: 0

Through music I either tame my demons or unleash them and allow them to be what they are. I don't want the music to be about provocation, I want the music to bring you to a place where you feel at home. Votes: 0

Television, the drug of the nation, breeding ignorance and feeding radiation... Votes: 0

We would play songs live on stage, and then we'd watch their reaction we were receiving immediately, if people were dancing and singing along. If they weren't, then we'd go into the dressing rooms of the different NBA teams that we were playing in their arenas, and we'd change the songs right there. Votes: 0

Music has the power to bring people together like no other art form. Votes: 0

After a show, I'll get the 16-year-old white kid whose lip is pierced, his head is shaved and his parents hate him, and the young gangster from the screwed-up 'hood, and they say that now they realize there's someone out there who thinks like they do. Votes: 0

San Francisco has always been a haven for misfits and weirdos. I'm both of those, which is why I came here. Votes: 0

'Star Wars' is mythology. It's like Greek mythology or Shakespeare. It's the story of good versus evil over a very long span of time. The storytelling is universal and timeless. Votes: 0

The U.S. has historically been the world's largest contributor to climate change. Votes: 0

Rap has so many possibilities that need to be explored. There are different factions of rap, but some are in a rut. Rap doesn't have to be about boosting egos and grabbing your crotch and dissing women. There's a way to make political and social issues interesting and entertaining to the young rap audience. Votes: 0

All my songs are different, but from the overall experience, I want people to sense that they can overcome and move through difficult times and find strength in my music. Maybe it's a song that makes them cry and move through something else. Votes: 0

I think my soul is intact, but my methods of reaching people are completely different. Votes: 0

Investing now in safe-guarding people by helping them to adapt to climate change, will help save money and lives while building resilience. Votes: 0

Be as radiant as the sun, as healing as the rain, as generous as a tree. Votes: 0

Be who you are nothing more nothing less, and let the beauty that you love be the very best. Sing praises to the highest with your feet on the ground, and reach for your brother with the words that you sound, and don't let mistakes be so monumental, and don't let your love be so confidential, and don't let your mind be so darn judgmental, and please let your heart be more influential. Be thankful for all the Spirit provides, And be thankful for all that you can see without eyes, Give thanks to music that keeps us alive, And give thanks to all DJs worldwide. Votes: 0

Be who you are, nothing more... nothing less. Votes: 0

Can't keep Love like money in the bank Votes: 0

Don't fear the nighttime, cause the monsters know that you're divine. Don't fear the sunshine, cause everything's better in the summertime Votes: 0

Don't settle for something that's not great. Don't feel like having a relationship that is not serving your needs is more important than having a relationship with yourself. Votes: 0

Every single soul is a poem, written on the back of God's hand Votes: 0

Everyone deserves music. Votes: 0

God is too big for just one religion. Votes: 0

Having personal things in balance is more important than the other. Votes: 0

I always know when a song is good or close to finished. When I sing it, it makes me feel the emotion. My tears will start flowing or I'll start laughing. I'll start feeling whatever intensity or emotion was the seed of that song. Votes: 0

I believe that in order to tackle the big issues of the world today, like environmental issues, we need everybody's involvement. We need the resources of the corporate world. We need the cooperation of governments. We need the wisdom of indigenous people. Votes: 0

I believe that through positive thoughts, speech, action and attitudes, we change things for the better. Votes: 0

I drive a hybrid. It's a Ford Escape. That's my only car. Votes: 0

I feel alive when I feel ease of heart. Votes: 0

I have a passion to make a difference in the world. And that difference can be just making the fans at my show leave with a smile on their faces and feeling uplifted. Votes: 0

I think of love as an action. Finding something that's outside of yourself, to serve someone else's soul, helping to ignite someone else's spirit, to bring about ease of heart and joy, serenity in somebody else. Votes: 0

I think that the transformative nature of love is why we are so drawn to it. Votes: 0

I think the main thing I would say is, don't settle. Don't settle for something that's not great. Votes: 0

I want to promote positivity. Votes: 0

I was adopted when I was a baby. My mother carried me for nine months and she held me for one hour, and didn't see me again. Votes: 0

If the first casualty of war is innocence, then perhaps with each bullet fired, bomb detonated, leader overthrown, wall built, economy destroyed and family member killed, we are not creating goodwill and harmony, but rather another child who believes violence is the only means to bring about change in the world. Votes: 0

If you love the planet or the neighborhood - you're finding ways to satisfy the soul of the planet or satisfy the soul of the neighborhood. Votes: 0

It ain't about who ya love, it's all about do ya love. Votes: 0

It doesnt matter if youre black, white, gay, straight, come from different countries, different language... every single person is significant and is meaningful. Votes: 0

It shouldn't be a Republican or Democratic issue whether we take care of the environment. That should be a human issue. Votes: 0

It was hard for me, as a father, to imagine going through what my birth mom went through, to raise a child inside of her for nine months, and then have to say goodbye. And so it's hard for me to understand that pain and that process. Votes: 0

It's also hard for me to understand growing up not knowing where I came from. I searched for my parents - I started when I was twenty; I found both my mother and my father when I was twenty-two. Trying to catch up on twenty-two years that we can never get back, trying to reconcile that - that's a hard thing for me. Votes: 0

It's that transformative nature of love and music and yoga that really inspires me. Votes: 0

I've always wanted to be a communicator of ideas through music. Today, I wanna be the most effective musical communicator of social change I could be, so I try to find different ways to do it and I'm always challenging myself to find new things, learn new instruments. But I always try to find in my heart, what it is I really want to say with words. Votes: 0

I've been in those relationships. You go through years of your life and at a certain point you wake up and you go, god, what am I doing here? What have I spent the last three years doing? Part of it is learning, this process you've gotta go through. You have to recognize the point at which you're not learning anymore, and be able to let it go. Votes: 0

I've never really been into flags of any kind, cause flags can bring people together, but they always bring people together against other people, and I don't really consider myself to be a patriot in the sense that I say, 'okay, this is my nation,' I consider myself to be a child of this whole planet. Votes: 0

Life is too short to make just one decision, music is too loud for just one station, love is too big for just one nation, and God is too big for just one religion! Votes: 0

Love is the action of soul satisfaction. Votes: 0

Music and yoga have a great synergy. Votes: 0

Music gets us in touch with our emotions in a way that's more intimate than any other art form. Votes: 0

Music is also one of the great heart openers. Sometimes, you hear the lyrics of a song and you dance, laugh, smile, or perhaps even cry. Votes: 0

My goal has not ever been to change minds, my goal is to open minds. Votes: 0

My mother and father took me in and provided everything for me - the love, nurturing, basic necessities - to give me the space to grow wings, so that when I went out into the world, I could fly. Votes: 0

One of the things I love about yoga is that it brings you into the present moment. You aren't worried about what will happen tomorrow and you aren't thinking about what happened yesterday. It's about opening your heart and living from your heart. Votes: 0

People ask me a lot, 'what can one person do,' and I say 'I'm not really sure what one person can due except come together with other people. Votes: 0

Power to the peaceful! Votes: 0

Sometimes, I feel like I can do anything, and, sometimes, I'm so alive, sometimes, I feel like I could zoom across the sky and, sometimes, I wanna cry. Votes: 0

The hardest part about what I do, the most vulnerable place is my relationship with my family and Sara, my amazing partner, because I'm leaving a lot. And as a touring artist, I'm constantly coming and going, but also when I'm at home, my studio's at home. I'm leaving to go into a music world in my head. Votes: 0

The main thing is to be myself. What I mean by that is, to be honest when called upon to express your feelings. The other thing is - maybe this should come first - to be a good listener. To close your mouth and to listen, and to be able to echo back what your partner says to you. Votes: 0

The more I see, the less I know. Votes: 0

The most difficult part for me is feeling connected to the people that I love but always being on the go to different places. Votes: 0

The personal revolution is far more difficult, and is the first step in any revolution. Votes: 0

The times when I feel not alive is when I feel stifled, when I feel like the emotion that's in me is not coming out. I'm too busy, too hectic. I'm serving my iPhone more than my spirit. Those are the times I feel bad. Votes: 0

There's sometimes when I feel really balanced, and there's other times when I feel like I'm trying to keep juggling too many balls in the air, and I feel like I'm on the edge of dropping all of them and having them all land on my head, you know? Scheduling is a big part of it, and the other is just remaining flexible and keeping a sense of humor about things. Votes: 0

We don't have to be good, you know? No one's telling us that we have to do good things, but we do them because we know it makes other people feel good and it makes us feel good. Votes: 0

We only have X amount of days and time on this planet - how am I going to spend that time? The way that I want to spend it is caring about the people that I love the most, and fighting to make the world a more livable place for everybody. Votes: 0

When many little people in many little places do many little things, then the whole world changes. Votes: 0

When we all see justice, then we'll all see peace! Votes: 0

Whenever people go out of their way to help other people - there's power and beauty in our diversity. Votes: 0

You say you're a Christian, cause God made you, you say you're a Muslim cause God made you, you say you're a Hindu and the next man a Jew, but then we all kill each other cause God told us to? Naw! Votes: 0

My yoga practice, I do it because when I get on my mat, I know I'm going to be transformed. I know that whatever stresses are in my life or whatever worries I have or whatever monkey mind is happening for me, when I get off the mat, I'm going to be transformed. Votes: 0

The human interest, and the natural interest, and the spiritual interest of this planet need to begin to take a priority over the corporate interest, the military interest, and the materialistic interests. Votes: 0