50 Bill Bailey Quotes for You to Enjoy

Bill Bailey

English Comedian

Born: Jan 13, 1965

Comedy Me Music People Think You

When I was 15, I went to see the Stranglers at Bath Pavilion. I saw Jean-Jacques Burnel take off his bass and whack a skinhead over the head with it because he gave a Nazi salute. I thought: 'This is brilliant!' Bill Bailey

Brilliant Thought Bass Gave Bath Saw See Take He Head Over Because His Off Salute Whack

The devil's in the detail and sometimes if you're thinking too big, you can miss the detail. Bill Bailey

You Sometimes Devil Big Thinking Too Detail Miss

The point with me is that it's always been, even with the stand-up, that the music has to be right. You have to take it seriously. You have to try and play it as faithfully as possible. That way it helps the comedy. Rather than just playing it in a silly way. Bill Bailey

I did a show in this tiny town called Longyearbyen. We went snowmobiling around Svalbard and saw Arctic foxes, snow bunting, polar bear footprints and almost got lost in a blizzard. Bill Bailey

Lost Saw Arctic Bear Almost Polar Footprints Town Around Got Blizzard Snow Did Tiny Show Foxes

I was always part of the end-of-term review at school. We would mercilessly mock any slight weakness in the teachers. Bill Bailey

School Slight Weakness Would Part Always Review Mock Any Teachers

My earliest memory is feeling soil between my fingers when I was around three years old. Bill Bailey

Memory Old Soil Three Feeling Fingers Between Around Years Earliest

My grandparents lived with us. And I remember watching 'Doctor Who' with my granddad on his new telly. These were the days before remote controls but my granddad, being quite a resourceful sort of chap, had fashioned his own remote control - which was a length of bamboo pole with a bit of cork that he'd glued on the end. Bill Bailey

Doctor Remember Before Own Control Cork Resourceful Chap Bit I Remember Telly Had He New Pole Days Remote Doctor Who Sort Glued Were His Bamboo End Quite Controls Being Which Length Us Grandparents Who Lived Watching

There was something about stand-up that music wouldn't give me, which was my love of the spoken word and the mercurial tendency of language to respond to what happens to you. Bill Bailey

Love Music Me You Word Language Respond About Give Something Give Me Tendency Spoken Spoken Word Happens Which

If I'm a national treasure, does that mean I'm like the Elgin Marbles and will get repatriated at some point? Bill Bailey

Will National Some Point Like Does Get Mean Marbles Treasure

There was an existential moment - I don't know if I want to call it crisis - when I turned 50 and I felt 'this is interesting; how did this happen?' It affected me in a way I wasn't expecting. It made me pause for reflection. Bill Bailey

Me Reflection Made Way Crisis Know Call Felt How Affected Existential Did Expecting Want Happen Interesting Pause Turned Moment

As I get older, I have a very strong urge to know about stuff. I want to learn the names of trees and birds; that's the sort of knowledge I want to pass on to my son. Bill Bailey

Knowledge Son Strong Older Trees Birds About Stuff Names Know Learn Sort Pass Very Get Want Urge

We live in the age of entitlement, as opposed to enlightenment. Bill Bailey

Age Entitlement Live Opposed Enlightenment

I was an only child but I never longed for a sibling. It just didn't occur to me. Bill Bailey

Me Only Only Child Never Occur Child Just Sibling

I am pretty laid-back as a parent, but I do like a lot of activity. So I am constantly suggesting things to do that involve some physical activity: cycling, mountain biking and paddleboarding. Bill Bailey

I Am Cycling Constantly Physical Physical Activity Some Pretty Parent Like Involve Am Lot Mountain Biking Activity Things Suggesting

Comedy is an indoors thing, so I take every opportunity to go outside. A lot of that involves finding places that are remote, or places where you can look at birds, or do mountain biking or paddle boarding or walking. Bill Bailey

You Comedy Opportunity Every Birds Finding Take Outside Indoors Remote Look Involves Go Lot Mountain Walking Where Places Boarding Paddle Biking Thing Every Opportunity

I love to watch birds and wildlife. Bill Bailey

Love Birds Wildlife I Love Watch

If you're going to perform, you're going to attract criticism. You can't please everyone all the time. You don't know how things are going to come out. But that's part of the fun of it, the adventure of doing any kind of art. Bill Bailey