Skip to main content

Creativity Quote by Matthew Sweet

"They said, 'If we put you in first class with Brian, will you do it?' So I flew after not having flown in eight years. If there's one person who doesn't like flying as much as me, it's Brian"

About this Quote

A throwaway tour anecdote turns into a small manifesto about how working musicians barter with their anxieties. Sweet frames the decision in the language of negotiation - "They said" and "will you do it?" - which instantly locates him as labor, not legend. Flying isn’t a glamorous perk; it’s a job requirement he’s managed to dodge for eight years, until the right incentive (first class, a specific companion) makes the fear manageable. The candor is disarming because it refuses the myth of the rock star as fearless, hypermobile, always game.

The punchline lands on relational comedy: Brian is both the bribe and the shield. Sweet admits vulnerability, then flips it into a dry, affectionate one-upsmanship: if anyone hates flying more than he does, it’s Brian. That inversion does two things at once. It undercuts self-pity (he’s not asking to be coddled) and builds a subtle bond through shared dread. Misery becomes companionship, and companionship becomes coping strategy.

There’s also a quiet comment on class - literally. "First class" isn’t just legroom; it’s the promise of control, comfort, and reduced exposure to the chaos that triggers fear. In a culture that sells touring as perpetual freedom, Sweet lets the seams show: the road is logistics, bargaining, and finding a way to keep going even when your nervous system votes no.

Quote Details

TopicTravel
SourceHelp us find the source
CiteCite this Quote

Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Sweet, Matthew. (n.d.). They said, 'If we put you in first class with Brian, will you do it?' So I flew after not having flown in eight years. If there's one person who doesn't like flying as much as me, it's Brian. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/they-said-if-we-put-you-in-first-class-with-brian-97298/

Chicago Style
Sweet, Matthew. "They said, 'If we put you in first class with Brian, will you do it?' So I flew after not having flown in eight years. If there's one person who doesn't like flying as much as me, it's Brian." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/they-said-if-we-put-you-in-first-class-with-brian-97298/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"They said, 'If we put you in first class with Brian, will you do it?' So I flew after not having flown in eight years. If there's one person who doesn't like flying as much as me, it's Brian." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/they-said-if-we-put-you-in-first-class-with-brian-97298/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

More Quotes by Matthew Add to List
Matthew Sweet on fear, comfort, and companionship
Click to enlarge Portrait | Landscape

About the Author

USA Flag

Matthew Sweet (born October 6, 1964) is a Musician from USA.

22 more quotes available

View Profile

Similar Quotes

Bo Jackson, Athlete
Denzel Washington, Actor
Denzel Washington
Allison Janney, Actress