About this quote

Sound can carry the things you can't force into a sentence. When words feel clumsy or thin, a melody or a simple phrase of music can make the feeling plain and true. Try using a song or an instrument the next time you can't explain something; notice how it changes the room and how people respond. Let the music open the way for clearer talk or for quiet acceptance.

When to use it

• At a team presentation about a branding mood, I cue a short track and tell the group, "Victor Hugo said music expresses what words can't—listen to that."
• After a breakup while making a late-night playlist, I tell my friend, "Some of this I can only say through a song, like Hugo said."
• Sitting at my father's hospice bedside, I play his favorite record and tell the family, "We don't have to explain everything; let the music do it."
• Before a student recital, I remind the players, "If you can't find the right words for the piece, play what you feel and the audience will understand."