Quotes and Sayings By A Musician

I liked blues from the time my mother used to take me to church. I started to listen to gospel music, so I liked that. But I had an aunt at that time, my mother's aunt who bought records by people like Lonnie Johnson, Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and a few others.

Blind • Johnson • Listen • Lonnie • Me • Mother • Music • People • Records • Time

I started to like blues, I guess, when I was about 6 or 7 years old. There was something about it, because nobody else played that kind of music.

Blues • Kind • Music • Nobody • Old • Something • Years

Touring a segregated America – forever being stopped and harassed by white cops hurt you most 'cos you don't realise the damage. You hold it in. You feel empty, like someone reached in and pulled out your guts. You feel hurt and dirty, less than a person.

America • Cops • Dirty • Empty • Feel • Forever • Guts • Hurt • Less • Person • Segregated • Someone • White • You

I don't care for the music when they're talking bad about women because I think women are God's greatest gift to the planet – I just like music.

Bad • Care • Gift • God • Music • Think • Women

I would sit on the street corners in my hometown of Indianola, Mississippi, and I would play. And, generally, I would start playing gospel songs.

Corners • Hometown • Indianola • Mississippi • Play • Playing • Songs • Start • Street

I used to play – when I first started trying to be professional, I disk jockey from 1949 to 1955 in Memphis, Tennessee, and I was quite popular there as a disk jockey.

First • Jockey • Memphis • Play • Professional • Tennessee • Trying • Used

When I do eventually drop, I pray to God that it'll happen in one of three ways. Firstly, on stage or leaving the stage, then secondly in my sleep. And the third way? You'll have to figure that out for yourself!

Drop • God • Sleep • Stage • Third Way • Three • Ways • You • Yourself

If T-Bone Walker had been a woman, I would have asked him to marry me. I'd never heard anything like that before: single-string blues played on an electric guitar.

Anything • Blues • Electric Guitar • Guitar • Him • Me • Never • Singlestring • TBone • Walker • Woman

As for my band, well, my mentors were Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Jimmie Lunceford, and no one had a band more smartly dressed than Duke.

Band • Benny • Dressed • Duke • Ellington • Jimmie • Lunceford • Mentors • More • One • Than • Well

I have not been a good father, but no father has loved his children more. Like my father, I decided the best thing I could do for my kids was work and provide. Fortunately, I've been able to do that. Unfortunately, my work was on the road, and that's meant a life of one-nighters.

Able • Best • Children • Father • Fortunately • Good • Kids • Life • Onenighters • Road • Thing • Work

I've always tried to defend the idea that the blues doesn't have to be sung by a person who comes from Mississippi, as I did.

Always • Blues • Defend • Idea • Person • Tried

I was a regular hand when I was 7. I picked cotton. I drove tractors. Children grew up not thinking that this is what they must do. We thought this was the thing to do to help your family.

Children • Family • Grew • Hand • Help • Regular Hand • Thing • Thinking

I don't feel that no big stone should be put over my head, saying he did this, he did that. Unless there's something that I really did do. I believe I'm just ordinary. And I'd like for people to think of me that way, as just a guy that tried. Wanted to be loved by other people because he loved people.

Believe • Big • Guy • Head • Loved • Me • People • Saying • Something • Stone • Think • Unless • Way

I've seen myself on those lists of the 100 best guitarists, and if they think that I'm that good, thank them. Thank God for them. But I don't think so.

Best • God • Good • Guitarists • Lists • Myself • Seen • Thank God

My dad died, I think, at 87. So I'll be lucky if I make 87. But in a lot of cases, the younger people live longer than their parents. And they know more. My dad used to tell me he ate the hog from his rooter to his tooter. So do I when I'm not trying to lose weight.

Died • Live • Lot • Lucky • Me • Parents • People • Rooter • Think • Tooter • Trying • Younger

I never met a woman I didn't like. I love 'em all, in their different ways.

Different • Different Ways • Like • Love • Met • Never • Woman

'She's Dynamite' was a 100 years ago, and I recorded that song because the company thought that it was a great song and it was hot. That was the beginning of rock n' roll, and I guess they thought it would be a BB King version of rock n' roll.

BB • Beginning • Company Thought • Dynamite • Great • King • Rock • Song • Thought • Version • Years

Everything I record, I just try to sound like me and come up with songs that suit what I do and then just go for it. I never know what the public's going to like, anyway.

Everything • Go For It • Know • Me • Never • Public • Songs • Sound • Suit • Try

The problem is that a lot of the blues stations are late on Saturday night, and like a lot of people, I ain't no vampire!

Blues • Late • Lot • Night • People • Problem • Saturday • Stations

I like jazz, rock n' roll, some hip hop – I can't think of any music I don't like.

Jazz • Jazz Rock • Like • Music • Rock • Roll • Think

My last divorce was in '68. What made it come to a head was a promise. See, I had promised her that the next year I wouldn't work as much. But then I got in trouble with the IRS, and I had to continue working just as much to pay the government. So she said I lied, which is something I never did.

Divorce • Government • Head • IRS • Last Divorce • Much • Next Year • Promise • She • Something • Trouble • Work

Once in a while, the thumb that fits over the neck of the guitar kinda bothers me a little bit, but not that much yet. I figure in time I won't do much because of my age.

Age • Bit • Guitar • Kinda • Little • Me • Much • Neck • Once • Thumb • Time

I tell my children now that they are older, 'If something happens to me… don't make no big fuss over me. Don't make no big expense on my funeral. Don't put any pressure on the rest of the family. I've loved everybody, and I hope they loved me. But don't create this big expense for the family.'

Big • Big Fuss • Children • Everybody • Expense • Family • Funeral • Hope • Loved • Me • Older • Pressure • Rest • Something

I've been a loner all the time throughout my life… I haven't been the best father… Many times… my children have accused me of not giving them enough attention. And, frankly, I never have been good at handling that.

Best • Children • Father • Frankly • Good • Handling • Life • Loner • Many • Time • Times

In our local Baptist church, I sang in the choir and formed a gospel quartet. When our minister caught me messing with his guitar, he taught me three positions – one, four and five. After that, I taught myself to play.

Baptist • Choir • Church • Gospel • Guitar • Local • Me • Minister • Myself • One • Play • Positions • Taught • Three

I was a singing disc jockey who heard every type of music there was – and loved it all.

Every Type • Heard • Loved • Music • Singing • Singing Disc Jockey • Type • Who

I won't eat anything green.

Anything • Anything Green • Eat • Food • Green

There's nothing better than having a baby. I've always loved children. I used to work summers at the YMCA and be in charge of, like, 30 preschool kids. I knew that when I had a child, I'd be overwhelmed, and it's true… I can't tell you how much my attitude has changed since we've got Frances. Holding my baby is the best drug in the world.

Attitude • Baby • Best • Better • Charge • Child • Children • Drug • Kids • Nothing • Overwhelmed • Preschool • Summers • True • Work • World • YMCA

A friend is nothing but a known enemy.

Enemy • Friend • Known • Nothing

I never listen to 'Nevermind.' I haven't listened to it since we put it out. That says something.

Listen • Never • Out • Since • Something

I'm really interested in smells. I think I'd like to own a perfumery someday.

Interested • Like • Own • Perfumery • Smells • Someday • Think

I've always wanted male friends that I could be real intimate with and talk about important things with and be as affectionate with that person as I would be with a girl.

Friends • Girl • Important • Male • Person • Real Intimate • Talk • Things

I wanted to have the adoration of John Lennon but have the anonymity of Ringo Starr. I didn't want to be a frontman. I just wanted to be back there and still be a rock and roll star at the same time.

Adoration • Anonymity • Back • Frontman • John • Lennon • Ringo • Rock • Rock And Roll • Roll Star • Starr • Time • Want

I have to admit I've found myself doing the same things that a lot of other rock stars do or are forced to do. Which is not being able to respond to mail, not being able to keep up on current music, and I'm pretty much locked away a lot. The outside world is pretty foreign to me.

Able • Current • Doing • Foreign • Lot • Me • Music • Myself • Outside • Pretty • Respond • Rock • Stars • Things • World

Every time I see documentaries or infomercials about little kids with cancer, I just freak out. It affects me on the highest emotional level… Anytime I think about it, it makes me sadder than anything I can think of.

Anything • Anytime • Cancer • Emotional Level • Every • Highest • I Can • Kids • Little • Me • Sadder • See • Think • Time

I like guitars in the Fender style because they have skinny necks.

Because • Fender Style • Guitars • Like • Necks • Skinny • Style

I like to have strong opinions with nothing to back them up with besides my primal sincerity. I like sincerity. I lack sincerity.

Back • Nothing • Opinions • Primal Sincerity • Strong • Up

I wanted to be in a punk band before I had even heard any punk music.

Band • Before • Heard • Music • Punk • Wanted

I like to complain and do nothing to make things better.

Better • Complain • Like • Nothing • Things

Looking back on the production of 'Nevermind,' I'm embarrassed by it now. It's closer to a Motley Crue record than it is a punk rock record.

Back • Closer • Looking • Looking Back • Motley Crue Record • Nevermind • Production • Punk • Punk Rock • Rock

I like to make people feel happy and superior in their reaction towards my appearance.

Appearance • Feel • Happy • Like • People • People Feel • Reaction

I get a thrill meeting kids who are into alternative music.

Alternative Music • Get • Kids • Meeting • Music • Thrill • Thrill Meeting • Who

I own a '66 Jaguar. That's the guitar I polish, and baby – I refuse to let anyone touch it when I jump into the crowd.

Anyone • Baby • Crowd • Guitar • Jaguar • Jump • Own • Refuse • Touch

If I wouldn't have found Courtney, I probably would have carried on with a bisexual lifestyle.

Bisexual • Bisexual Lifestyle • Courtney • Found • Lifestyle • Would

It's okay to eat fish because they don't have any feelings.

Because • Eat • Feelings • Fish • Food • Okay

Sometimes I wish I had taken the Bob Dylan route and sang songs where my voice would not go out on me every night, so I could have a career if I wanted.

Bob • Career • Dylan • I Wish • Me • Night • Songs • Voice • Wish

I'm left-handed, and it's not very easy to find reasonably priced, high-quality left-handed guitars. But out of all the guitars in the whole world, the Fender Mustang is my favorite. I've only owned two of them.

Easy • Favorite • Fender • Find • Guitars • Highquality • Lefthanded • Mustang • Only • Out • Reasonably • Two • Whole • World

I had a really good childhood up until I was nine, then a classic case of divorce really affected me.

Case • Childhood • Classic • Divorce • Good • Good Childhood • Me • Nine • Really

We're so trendy we can't even escape ourselves.

Escape • Even • Ourselves • Trendy

When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily I should have been in that band – or at least in a Pixies cover band.

Band • Connected • First • First Time • Pixies • Time