Creativity Quote by Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond’s line lands with the breezy confidence of a touring artist who’s been loved loudly in a lot of places, yet still wants to single out one crowd as different. It’s not a manifesto about national character; it’s a small, strategic compliment with a big payoff. “Probably” and “just a little” are key: they soften what could sound like arrogance or cliché, letting him flatter Australians without triggering the eye-roll reserved for performers who pander too hard. The word “taste” does the rest of the work. It’s a loaded, status-conscious term that suggests discernment, not just enthusiasm. He’s praising fans for liking him in the “right” way.

The subtext is an artist’s mutual-aid pact with an audience: you validate me as quality, and I validate you as people who recognize quality. That’s especially potent for Diamond, whose career has often lived in the tension between mass popularity and critical sniffiness. Calling Australians people of “taste” quietly reframes his own work as something beyond singalong sentimentality.

Context matters, too. Australia has a long history of embracing big live acts with an intensity that can feel both rowdy and sincere, and performers regularly note the difference. Diamond’s compliment taps into a national self-image that enjoys being seen as plainspoken but perceptive - not easily impressed, yet fully ready to belt the chorus when it’s earned. It’s crowd-work dressed up as cultural observation, and it works because it flatters without begging.