Welcome to a collection of insightful and inspiring quotes by Robert Trujillo. As an accomplished musician, Robert Trujillo has made significant contributions to the world of music, particularly in the realm of heavy metal and rock. Born on October 23, 1964, in Santa Monica, California, Trujillo’s journey in music has been marked by his exceptional talent as a bassist, his versatility across various genres, and his profound impact on the industry. From his early days with Suicidal Tendencies to his current role as the bassist for Metallica, Trujillo’s career spans decades and has earned him a place among the most respected figures in the world of rock music.
Throughout his career, Robert Trujillo has not only showcased his remarkable skill as a musician but has also shared his wisdom and insights on life, creativity, and the pursuit of excellence. His words resonate with aspiring artists, seasoned professionals, and fans alike, offering valuable perspectives on perseverance, artistic integrity, and the power of self-expression. Whether discussing the challenges of the music industry or the importance of staying true to one’s passion, Trujillo’s quotes are a testament to his depth of experience and his unwavering dedication to his craft. Explore the wisdom of Robert Trujillo through the quotes below, and let his words inspire and motivate you on your own journey of creativity and self-discovery.
If you choose to take care of yourself, you’re going to get more mileage for your career. Robert Trujillo
‘Some Kind of Monster’ is a challenge, and ‘Through the Never’ is an extension of that. Even the album we made with Lou Reed, it was a challenge. Robert Trujillo
That’s all I ever do, just try and do the best I can and cater to the song, cater to the music. Robert Trujillo
You just go out and do the best that you can. I think people feel that, and they embrace it, and it’s a part of what makes Metallica special. Robert Trujillo
I feel that music is such an inspirational form of energy, as baseball is. And especially with Metallica, believe it or not, our shows are very physical. Sports is a very physical thing, too. Robert Trujillo
I play in Metallica, and I have fun in Metallica. I tell you, I am the luckiest man on the planet because we have a good time and we’re happy. When we put on our guitars, we’re teenagers again, and that’s where the fun comes in. Robert Trujillo
There is a lot of energy between Lars and James, and sometimes that energy can erupt. I know that before I was in the band, Kirk was the guy who was often in the middle, and it was important at that time. And now I feel like sometimes I’m the guy that’s in the middle between not just James and Lars, but even Kirk. Robert Trujillo
It’s very important to us, family, and the balance of family within the band is probably the most important. Metallica is important, but when you have your wife and your kids, and you need to maintain that and keep the peace, it’s important to work around the schedule of the kids’ schools. Robert Trujillo
My father had a friend who actually had a hollow-body bass guitar and didn’t work through an amp, but because it was hollow body, I could play it. So I kind of played on that for about a year, learning scales and all that. And here I am. Robert Trujillo
You’ve gotta be careful because art is really important to most people, and you wanna respect that as much as possible. So I live by that rule. Robert Trujillo
Mike Clark, who’s a really amazing surfer, got me back into surfing. I surfed a lot from ’82 to ’86, and then I kind of started slacking. Robert Trujillo
You can make an album, and people won’t get it. Or won’t connect with it. Or won’t – whatever is going on in the universe at that time, it doesn’t really register. Robert Trujillo
Lemmy is, I think, for anybody in the world of rock n’ roll – you don’t have to be a bass player – he is a pioneer, and he was true to his music and also the lover of a lot of different styles of music. Robert Trujillo
It’s all about the experience and having a good time and connecting with the fans. Robert Trujillo
Back in the day, being a young, inspired bass player, I started to gravitate toward jazz fusion. I almost would have called myself an elitist. I got to the point where, for a little bit there, I was more interested in instrumental music. Robert Trujillo
We absolutely cherish our kids. But the fact that we all have them – it’s definitely created an additional bond. It’s not just Metallica – it’s our families. And we also have Metallica. Robert Trujillo
‘Tallica Parking Lot’ is, basically, roughly about a four-minute animated short which is centered around the parking lot of Metallica, and that can be anywhere in the world. Robert Trujillo
The first album I ever bought was Santana’s ‘Abraxas.’ Obviously, I was a huge fan of Carlos because he had the unique guitar sound, and he had incorporated a lot of the percussion and really, really fun rhythmic bass lines in there, too. Robert Trujillo
Being able to surf in Tahiti and places like Brazil was unreal. Robert Trujillo
Joe Walsh is somebody who… he’s a writer, obviously, and he’s a singer-songwriter, whatever, but at the end of the day, when it comes to the Eagles, he’s there to play guitar, and he’s there to supply whatever is needed for that band, and that is what I feel with Metallica. Robert Trujillo
We just like to make great songs and have fun, and if people want to nominate us for a Grammy and celebrate it, then we’ll take it. Robert Trujillo
‘Frayed Ends Of Sanity’ off the ‘Justice’ album is a song that I really wanted to play with the band, and for years and years, I was always like, ‘Let’s play this song!’ But I’ll tell you something: I started working on that song almost from the very first time I joined the band. Robert Trujillo
Any band that you have, any relationship in your life, is gonna come with moments of tension. Robert Trujillo
There were a lot of different styles in the house – Motown, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, jazz – and my dad played flamenco guitar. Soon I realized that bass was what was really grooving me. Robert Trujillo
I’ve been a baseball fan in the early part of my life, so through the ’70s and the ’80s, I was a huge fan. I actually followed the Dodgers back then, back in the Kirk Gibson years, Steve Garvey. Robert Trujillo
Sabbath is always some of the best music ever. And the reason is because it grooves. It’s funky. It’s heavy. It’s got lots of great changes, twists, and turns. Robert Trujillo
Don’t make music to make money, because that’s not why you should be doing it. Have fun, be creative, and embrace the past. Robert Trujillo
It’s really, really great; it’s special when people embrace your music. Robert Trujillo
I think every Metallica album is unique in its own way. Robert Trujillo
Writing a Metallica song is a journey and a process, and it takes time, but that’s what’s special about it. Robert Trujillo
We see kids out there on their parent’s shoulders rocking out. And that’s really special. Robert Trujillo
I was in a party band in the early ’80s, and we played Sabbath and Ozzy songs as well as Rush and Van Halen… all that kinds of stuff. Robert Trujillo
I feel like I’ve always been a great mediator. Robert Trujillo
In a lot of ways, Metallica is like a fusion band. It’s not necessarily jazz or any of that, but the music is grooving. Robert Trujillo
We enjoy playing small shows, big shows, whatever. There’s the energy of the visual production, and all that stuff starts to happen, so when you see it come to life, it’s pretty exciting. Robert Trujillo
I always say my role in Metallica is to support the song and to support my team, and whatever that means, I’m there for it. Robert Trujillo
I think Slayer is a funky band. Robert Trujillo
Playing with Ozzy was a dream come true. Robert Trujillo
The great thing about Santa Monica civic auditorium was it was a place you could ride your bike to. In this case, my dad dropped me and my friends off, and we’d go see Ronnie James Dio or Jean-Luc Ponty or Weather Report or the Pretenders. Robert Trujillo
I’ve been wearing Vans since I was a little kid. I wear them on stage, and I grew up skateboarding and surfing. Robert Trujillo
James Hetfield, I mean, the minute he plugs in his guitar and adjusts the tone knob, he comes up with the world’s greatest riff. Robert Trujillo
I feel, in my life, in any situation I’ve been in, I’ve always been sort of in the middle. Robert Trujillo
It’s always nice, no matter what style of music, as long as it’s grooving and you feel that, I feel that’s what makes… part of what makes a great song, for sure. Robert Trujillo
With our producer, Greg Fidelman, it was really a joy to work with him and to try different things and experiment. Robert Trujillo
Sometimes artists die young, and we don’t know exactly why. I think that, in life, you have these special individuals, whether it’s Jimi Hendrix or Janis Joplin or Kurt Cobain. They’re on this journey – they’re on this earth to change things, to make things incredible – and then they’re not with us anymore. Robert Trujillo
I believe in rock and roll and heavy music in general. Robert Trujillo
What I have learned about Metallica is that it’s all about taking chances and challenges. Robert Trujillo
Bill Ward, when you hear his beats, he’s not just playing a straight 4/4 beat; he’s doing almost a hip-hop beat. There’s a song called ‘Sweet Leaf.’ The drum beat that he’s playing, he’s trying to kind of swing and funkify it. Now, is he doing a great job of it? Maybe not. Maybe. Robert Trujillo
When Lars said, ‘We want you to be in Metallica,’ I was blown away. Robert Trujillo
I don’t generally like things that are too pedestrian. But at the same time, and if I’m in the right mood, hey – I ain’t gonna lie – I listen to Joni Mitchell. I listen to ‘Blue,’ I listen to Miles Davis. Robert Trujillo
I call it a process of elimination. You’re nurturing ideas, and that takes time. What happens is there’s so many, what I say, ‘great ideas.’ What you have to do is try to consolidate them and put them into one song, and then your song becomes eight minutes long. Robert Trujillo
It’s really a rush and a thrill to feel you’ve been part of a body of music that’s inspiring. Robert Trujillo
I knew Rocky George, the guitar player, ’cause I went to junior high school with him, so I’ve known him for many years. Robert Trujillo
As long as there is communication, everything can be solved. Robert Trujillo
‘Justice’ is the biggest challenge ’cause it’s also complex in the arrangements. Robert Trujillo
I just wanted to experiment with the bass, and my main influence from Jaco Pastorius inspired me to write music in a certain way. Robert Trujillo
I’ve always been a fan of animation. As a kid, I used to watch a lot of the Saturday-morning cartoons, and I was always a fan of even claymation and that whole medium. Robert Trujillo
The great thing about Metallica’s music and the lyrics, it’s always going to be hopefully a motivating experience. Robert Trujillo
We like to challenge ourselves, and having new material and presenting it to the world is fun and exciting and fresh. Robert Trujillo
To have the opportunity to bring ‘Tallica Parking Lot’ to life through images was really special. And also to have a lot of my heroes and my friends in the film was really, really special. People like Lemmy from Motorhead. Robert Trujillo
I’m always pulling and really feeding off of my inspirations. I think most musicians do. Robert Trujillo
With my experience with Metallica, I’ve already surfed Portugal, Morocco, and all over Australia with Kirk. Robert Trujillo
Between ‘St. Anger’ and ‘Death Magnetic,’ we had, if I’m not mistaken, five kids born. And, of course, that would allow things to take time. Robert Trujillo
What we’re doing is special and unique in its own way but still keeping it heavy. For me as a listener, part of the journey I’m on with Metallica, there’s just a certain edge that needs to be there. Robert Trujillo
A lot of the hardcore fans wanna hear the deep cuts – songs like ‘Orion’ or maybe like a ‘Disposable Heroes’ – you know, songs that we don’t play all the time – and then, of course, they wanna hear ‘Sandman’ and ‘Nothing Else Matters’ and some of the hits. Robert Trujillo
I didn’t write ‘Enter Sandman.’ Robert Trujillo
I’m a person that takes on situations from passion. I get passionate about things, and I try to help. Robert Trujillo
Jaco Pastorius gave the bass a new voice. I mean, he was very inspired by singers like Frank Sinatra. And in a lot of ways, maybe he wanted to be a singer himself. Robert Trujillo
Flamenco was probably the first music that I may have heard as a baby, because my father played flamenco. Robert Trujillo
I had a band called Infectious Grooves back in the Nineties. That music was really a mixture of styles, and we had some stuff that was punk rock, ska, but then we had a lot of funk in there. Robert Trujillo
You want your fanbase and new fans too, to embrace the music, the new music. Robert Trujillo
I was fortunate to not get wrapped up too hard in anything that was too dangerous. Robert Trujillo
That’s what I find so special: when you actually imagine something. But really, when it comes to you in a dream, and then you can bring it to life on the screen, it’s very powerful. Robert Trujillo
We all grew up with Black Sabbath. I mean, there’s no secret there. Any of us, any of the members of any band I’ve ever been in, or anyone I’ve ever worked with. Robert Trujillo
Each album you make, each body of music, you just never know how the world’s going to relate to it. Robert Trujillo
Lars Ulrich is not a jazz drummer, but he grew up listening to jazz. Why? Because his father, Torben – an incredible tennis player – loved jazz. Jazz musicians used to stay at their house. Robert Trujillo
My first gig with Metallica was at San Quentin State Penitentiary. Robert Trujillo
The Big 4 tour was really great. Robert Trujillo
You can be an incredible player, but when you get onstage, you’ve gotta be yourself, and you’ve gotta bring it, as we say, and that just means give 120 percent. Robert Trujillo
I’ve been friends with Jaco Pastorius’s son since 1996 – Johnny Pastorius, the eldest son. And I remember when I first met him, I said, ‘Some day, you’ve gotta make a film about your father,’ because his influence is so broad. Robert Trujillo
We used to go to Palm Springs, ditch school when I was in eleventh grade, and go hang out poolside with our ghetto blaster and listen to Pat Metheny ‘Offramp’ and kind of trip out on a lot of his music. Robert Trujillo
I like that Metallica has found a way to have these non-pedestrian arrangements but then the vocal melody is strong and intense. I’ve always appreciated that as a fan. Robert Trujillo
I went to jazz school. Not to say I’m a great jazz musician, but I studied under some great teachers. It was an important part of my life. Robert Trujillo
When I was younger, I was trying to create from attitude more than anything else. Robert Trujillo
You listen to a Metallica song, and you listen to the drums, and they’re not necessarily swinging, but the arrangements are different. Why is that? Because it’s more in tune with jazz arrangements. It’s very different. It’s not a traditional rock and roll production, in terms of the drums. Robert Trujillo
With the fretless bass, you have a different tone and different sound, a different dynamic to the instrument, so you can really make it sing. Robert Trujillo
When I first heard the song ‘Eruption,’ which is Eddie Van Halen’s most famous solo composition, I was confused because it sounded incredible, but I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know if it was a guitar. I didn’t know if it was a synthesizer or a keyboard. I couldn’t figure it out. Robert Trujillo
I think that young people should embrace artists like Lemmy from Motorhead but also be open to different styles. Robert Trujillo
One thing about being in Metallica is I’ve always felt challenged. Robert Trujillo
With our fans, a lot of times, people get upset because maybe they didn’t get what they wanted, whatever. But we always write the songs for us, number one. Robert Trujillo
One of the things that I’ve noticed since I’ve been in the band is that, as players, Lars, James, and Kirk truly enjoy making music and performing. Robert Trujillo
I’ve played with the best drummers in rock, ranging from Josh Freese to Brooks Wackerman to even Dave Lombardo. Robert Trujillo
With Metallica, it’s hard. I tend to like it all, but the older stuff, when we get into the deeper cuts, it really excites me personally. Robert Trujillo
Traditionally, the role of the bass player was just to keep things simple and solid, so it’s really a special thing when you can get a player that can actually bring in a lot of presence and also a visual presence, too. Robert Trujillo
‘Mama I’m Coming Home’ is one song that I think is incredible. One of his best songs ever written. Lemmy wrote the lyrics to that. Robert Trujillo
There’s a lot of personality in Lars’s drumming. That’s what makes it unique. Robert Trujillo
For me, the most important thing that I tell young people is to have fun. Robert Trujillo
I always say, ‘Hey, I’m in Metallica, but I wasn’t on the Black Album.’ Robert Trujillo
The cool thing about the smaller gigs – it’s the intimacy. You really feel connected to the crowd. Robert Trujillo
