"Well, these days, if you're away five years, you might not be able to get back"
About this Quote
On the surface, it’s about career momentum. Step away for five years and the world doesn’t hold your place. Underneath, it’s a comment on how the industry metabolizes people, especially women, as if they’re perishable goods. The clock doesn’t just tick louder; it starts sounding like a verdict. Turner knew what it meant to be underestimated, written off, and then forced to return not as a nostalgia act but as an essential artist. Her own comeback story - breaking from Ike, rebuilding in midlife, making "Private Dancer" a global reboot - gives the quote its bite. She’s not speculating; she’s reporting.
The genius is the double meaning of "get back". It’s literal (touring, travel, borders), but it’s also existential: once the narrative moves on, you may not reclaim your identity in the public mind. In a media environment that rewards constant visibility, Turner’s line reads like a grim pep talk: protect your continuity, because the machine won’t. It’s pragmatic, slightly ominous, and very Tina - plainspoken truth with an edge of thunder.
Quote Details
| Topic | Long-Distance Relationship |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Turner, Tina. (2026, January 15). Well, these days, if you're away five years, you might not be able to get back. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-these-days-if-youre-away-five-years-you-169754/
Chicago Style
Turner, Tina. "Well, these days, if you're away five years, you might not be able to get back." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-these-days-if-youre-away-five-years-you-169754/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Well, these days, if you're away five years, you might not be able to get back." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-these-days-if-youre-away-five-years-you-169754/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.






