Literary Tattoos

The tattoo revolution

Not so many years ago, before computers, the internet and hot desking totally took over our working lives, many of us used to have real desk diaries on real desks.

One of the pleasures in sitting down at our desk at the start of the day’s work was to open up our diary at a new page and read the daily quote that was embossed in black ink at the top of each page. Some quotes were amusing, some were philosophical, some were wise sayings or adages, and some were famous quotes from books, poems or by famous people.

Whatever the source, they were always good value; some more memorable than others, and a few were so good that we would say – hmm… I must remember that one.

These days, we read quotes in our digital diaries and share them with our friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.

But while the digital revolution was in full flight, there was also another revolution in process – the tattoo revolution – that opened up a whole new world of artistic self-expression to people throughout the world and from all walks of life.

Along with the diagrams, drawings, pictures, and depictions taken from almost every conceivable source, there was also a trend developing to imprint written words on our bare skin.

Meaningful and inspiring tattoo quotes

Quotations have been part of the tattoo culture for many years and there has been an increasing demand for this kind of tattoos in recent decades.

Some tattoo quotes may come with a related drawing or illustration, but most quotations stand by themselves. The quotes are usually tracts of writing that not only mean something to the wearers but can also be words of wisdom that the wearer wishes to pass on to the world at large.

Younger people tend to find quotes that make personal statements – something that they feel strongly about – or maybe something that reflects their personal feelings or their own homespun philosophy.

Older people have generally experienced more of life’s ups and downs, and often seek a quote which expresses a difficult time in their life – a lost love, a death of a friend or family member – a reversal of fortune, or a lesson in life that they and others can learn from.

On the other hand, many music celebrities tend to go for a line from one of their song lyrics.

Some of the quotes we see on people’s bodies appear to be baffling or enigmatic in nature. There is occasionally an interesting story behind them which only the wearer will be aware of – unless they decide to impart their secret to you.

Undoubtedly, tattooed quotes can often be an inspiration for the wearer, so if you are thinking of going in this direction, chose carefully.

Where to find great tattoo quotes?

If you have some ideas, and you are in Bangkok, come and see us at ALL DAY Tattoo and discuss your ideas with one of our artists – let us show you how your selected quote may look on your skin.

There is a wealth of material from which you can make your choice of a quote – such as the Bible, classic or contemporary novels, non-fiction books, poems, song lyrics, plays, films, or quotes from celebrities or famous people from the past or still living. In fact, the permutations are almost endless, but in spite of this, it is surprising how many people go for the same quote.

Relationships come and go and rarely last a lifetime. So while one day you may grow tired of a tattoo that you inked to reflect your undying love for your partner, it is highly unlikely that you will ever tire of your favorite author, song writer or poet. Literary and other quotes will continue to mean something to you throughout your life.

Where on your body should you get your tattoo?

Having chosen your quote, the next step is to decide on body placement and the size and style of script. Quotes can go almost anywhere on your body – from completely visible on your wrist or hands, to somewhere never visible to the public; or just about anywhere in between – your upper arms, legs, chest, back or stomach, or even on or your face or neck.

Whatever you decide, it is important that you check with your tattoo artist and make sure he can tattoo the script that you want – be it capital letters, lower case, long hand writing, or maybe in a special style script, such as gothic.

If you come to ALL DAY Tattoo in Bangkok, we will show you samples of our tattoo lettering skills and can show you a mock-up for your approval.

So the world of tattoo quotations is your oyster, but if you need some inspiration to help you get your tattoo juices flowing – then read on below:

Examples of popular literary tattoos quotes

• For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open – Bible, Psalm 34:15
• Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of themselves – Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
• Even angels fall – Song, Jessica Riddle
• Live by faith, not by sight – Bible, 3 Corinthians 5:7
• Love me for what I am – Carpenters, song of the same name
• Too weird to live, too rare to die – American rock band Panic! at the Disco,
• We accept the love, we think we deserve – 2013 film, Perks of being a Wallflower
• How sweet the sound – Amazing Grace, a Christian hymn, John Newton.
• Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love bears a memory no one can steal. – from an Irish headstone”
• I should have been a pair of ragged claws, scuttling across the floors of silent seas – TS Elliot, The Love song of J Alfred Prufrock
• As it was, in the beginning, one love so shall it be in the end one heart – Bob Marley, One Love.
• When you left me behind you set me free.
• Life’s roughest storms prove the strength of our anchors – Bible, Hebrews 6:19
• Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee – Mohammad Ali
• Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today – James Dean
• We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy – JK Rowling, Harry Potter, Dumbledore.
• Have faith
• Tremendous things are in store for you – Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• My life is my art, My art is my life
• It’s history it’s poetry dash – The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger
• 451 °F – Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
• So we beat on – Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
• In a world of my own – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
• You have great truths within you if only anyone would bother to look – The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
• 9 ¾ – JK Rowling, Harry Potter
• Simple like a mountain is simple – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer.
• Still I Rise – Still I Rise, Maya Angelou.
• We don’t see things as they are we see things as we are – Origin uncertain
• Don’t panic – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams.
• So it goes – Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut.
• Not all those who wander are lost – JR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
• We are all mad here – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
• Meeting is the saving of Life – Virginia Woolf
• The great work begins – Angels in America, Tony Kushner
• What’s past is Prologue – Shakespeare, The Tempest
• Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt – Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut.
• And it was still hot -Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak.
• The world was hers for the reading – A tree grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith.
• Mischief managed – JK Rowling, Harry Potter
• Miles to go before I sleep – Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening, Robert Frost.
• Always – JK Rowling, Harry Potter
• I am. I am. I am. – The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath
• I feel infinite – film 2012, The Perks of Being a Wallflower,
• Boundless love – Meditations in an emergency, Frank O’Hara.
• Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt – Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut.
• Invincible – the song, Invincible, by Muse
• She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs Without Fear of the future – the Bible, Proverbs 31 25
• My heart is what it was before a house where people come and go from – Alms, the poem
• And she was a hurricane from looking for Alaska – John Green
• Let Love write on you – the poem, Everything is Illuminated.
• I saw the best Minds of my generation destroyed by Madness starving hysterical naked – the poem, Howl by Allen Ginsberg
• Curiouser and curiouser – Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll.
• Have I gone mad – Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
• We’re all mad here – Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
• What matters most is how well you walk through fire from how is your heart – Charles Bukowski.
• May the odds be ever in your favor – The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins.
• There are other ways of turning people into ghosts -To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee.
• Walk lightly – Walk lightly, J Patrick Lewis.
• Brevity is the soul of wit – Hamlet, Shakespeare.
• So we beat on boats against the current Borne back ceaselessly into the past -The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald.
• Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt – Slaughterhouse, Kurt Vonnegut.
• Go then there are other worlds than these – the Gunslinger, Stephen King.

Shakespeare, The Bible, JK Rowling, Lewis Carrol, F Scott Fitzgerald and especially Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughter House Five are amongst the most popular source of tattoo quotes, and of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands of others.

Strangely, one of the most popular tattoo quotes that we see over and over again is “So it Goes” from Slaughter House Five. Why? – Who can say?

What we can say is if you are interested in joining the throng of tattoo lovers who have inked a quote on their bodies, then just click on the button below.

We, at ALL DAY Tattoo, will be delighted to arrange a free appointment with you to discuss your tattoo ideas. Whether you want to ink a quote, or maybe an illustrated quote, or do something entirely different, we are here to service your tattoo requirements. Give us a try – we promise you won’t regret it.