"Everything that's rock n roll is ever meant to be is happening now. I need to get over the shock that that thing is actually happening and that thousands of millions of people around the world are watching"
About this Quote
The intent is part confession, part manifesto. He's naming the psychological lag between imagining impact and actually wielding it. "I need to get over the shock" is the human sentence inside the myth: the frontman admitting he's not emotionally built for the power he's stumbled into. Subtext: rock's promise was always bigger than the clubs and the charts - it was about collective feeling, solidarity, and a kind of anti-establishment communion. Now those ideals are being tested under floodlights, where sincerity has to survive the machinery of spectacle.
Context matters because Geldof isn't just an actor or singer here; he's a reluctant impresario of a worldwide event culture (the Live Aid era), watching entertainment mutate into humanitarian theater. The quote holds that tension: awe at mass attention, dread at what it demands, and a flicker of suspicion that the "now" could be peak - the moment rebellion becomes appointment viewing.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Geldof, Bob. (2026, January 17). Everything that's rock n roll is ever meant to be is happening now. I need to get over the shock that that thing is actually happening and that thousands of millions of people around the world are watching. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/everything-thats-rock-n-roll-is-ever-meant-to-be-44005/
Chicago Style
Geldof, Bob. "Everything that's rock n roll is ever meant to be is happening now. I need to get over the shock that that thing is actually happening and that thousands of millions of people around the world are watching." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/everything-thats-rock-n-roll-is-ever-meant-to-be-44005/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Everything that's rock n roll is ever meant to be is happening now. I need to get over the shock that that thing is actually happening and that thousands of millions of people around the world are watching." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/everything-thats-rock-n-roll-is-ever-meant-to-be-44005/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.





