Skip to main content

Creativity Quote by Zakk Wylde

"If you bleed Black Label and you're going to be a man, you gotta get up there and do what you gotta do every day, relentless and as tired as you can be"

About this Quote

Wylde’s line runs on grit and adrenaline, like it’s been barked between sets with sweat still dripping off the guitar strap. “Bleed Black Label” isn’t just fandom; it’s tribal identity. He’s invoking Black Label Society as a creed you carry in your body, not a brand you wear. That’s why the language is so physical: bleed, get up there, do what you gotta do. The point isn’t inspiration-as-platitude; it’s the unglamorous mechanics of staying in the fight.

The loaded phrase is “be a man.” In 2026, it can clang with old-school masculinity, but Wylde’s subtext is less about dominance than obligation: show up, endure, produce. It’s a working-class ethic translated into metal mythology. “Every day” and “relentless” strip away the fantasy that artistry arrives on perfect nights. He’s describing professionalism as a form of stubbornness, the way touring musicians and crew grind through exhaustion, injury, and boredom because the machine doesn’t care how you feel.

“as tired as you can be” lands hardest because it refuses the clean narrative of motivation. Wylde isn’t promising that passion will make it easy; he’s saying you do it when it’s hardest, when the body’s tapped out and the persona still has to ignite. The context is a genre that prizes authenticity and toughness, where survival - physical, mental, financial - is part of the story. This is metal’s blunt self-help: not enlightenment, but repetition, loyalty, and sheer output.

Quote Details

TopicPerseverance
SourceHelp us find the source
Cite

Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Wylde, Zakk. (2026, January 16). If you bleed Black Label and you're going to be a man, you gotta get up there and do what you gotta do every day, relentless and as tired as you can be. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-bleed-black-label-and-youre-going-to-be-a-120915/

Chicago Style
Wylde, Zakk. "If you bleed Black Label and you're going to be a man, you gotta get up there and do what you gotta do every day, relentless and as tired as you can be." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-bleed-black-label-and-youre-going-to-be-a-120915/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"If you bleed Black Label and you're going to be a man, you gotta get up there and do what you gotta do every day, relentless and as tired as you can be." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-bleed-black-label-and-youre-going-to-be-a-120915/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

More Quotes by Zakk Add to List
Zakk Wylde on Relentless Work and Metal Loyalty
Click to enlarge Portrait | Landscape

About the Author

Zakk Wylde

Zakk Wylde (born January 14, 1967) is a Musician from USA.

27 more quotes available

View Profile

Similar Quotes

Steven Biko, Activist
Steven Biko