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Rolling Stones Quotes: Mick Jagger about having a vocation
“People always question why we continue to do it, it’s very odd but people question it all the time that why you should do it, you know, it’s like, people… I don’t know why, people think in their own lives, if they work, you know, in an office, or whatever, they think well if I made lots of money I wouldn’t do any work at all. And I think that’s how they approach what you’re doing in this kind of… – but it isn’t like that, you know, when you’re in a different kind of career. I’m just trying to explain why people always question why you would wanna do what you do…
…I mean it’s not really like having a regular job, you know, because you stop for an incredibly long time. Like a year you don’t do it, you don’t go on stage, say for a year, or very little bursts here and there. And then you spend like you do four shows a week or something. It’s very very hard work, but it’s also quite rewarding and it’s very exciting… It’s not really a workadays job. It isn’t really like that at all… Performing is a great thill. It’s my vocation. It’s what I do. If I can do it well, I enjoy it. And if I can’t do it well, I’ll make sure I do it better.” mick jagger vocation quote
For Mick Jagger, being a performer isn’t just a gig—it’s a calling. In a 1997 reflection, he pushed back against the notion that people only work for money and would stop the moment they had enough. “People always question why we keep going,” he said, noting how odd it is that others assume he’d simply quit if he could. But for Jagger, music and performance aren’t just a way to make a living—they’re what drive him. It’s not about being stuck in a routine job; it’s about doing what he loves, even when it’s hard. That’s what makes it a vocation.
Why Jagger Keeps Hitting the Stage
Jagger explained that his work isn’t like a regular 9-to-5. He might not perform for a whole year, then suddenly dive into a series of shows, four a week, with all the physical and emotional demands that come with it. The rhythm is unpredictable, the schedule intense, and yet he finds it all deeply rewarding.
“It’s not really a workaday job,” he said. “Performing is a great thrill. It’s my vocation.” He admitted that the process is exhausting but fulfilling, and made it clear that what matters most is doing it well. “If I can do it well, I enjoy it. And if I can’t do it well, I’ll make sure I do it better.” That commitment to craft, even after decades on stage, shows that Jagger’s drive comes from within—not fame, not fortune, but a lifelong love of the stage.
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