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I’m sorry that I did not become the world’s first black classic pianist. I think I would have been happier.

Nina Simone

What kept me sane was knowing that things would change, and it was a question of keeping myself together until they did.
NINA SIMONE

Change Known Question Sanity Togetherness
Music has been a burden and a joy for as long as I can remember.
NINA SIMONE

Burden Joy Music Myself Remember
I feel more alive now than I ever have in my life. I have a chance to live, as I’ve dreamed.
NINA SIMONE

Alive Chance Dreams Feeling Myself
From the beginning, it has been a no-no for a black man to touch a white woman.
NINA SIMONE

Beginning Black Woman
I play piano, by ear. Yes, I write songs and good ones.
NINA SIMONE

Instrument Myself Writing
The worst thing about that kind of prejudice is that while you feel hurt and angry and all the rest of it, it feeds you self-doubt. You start thinking, perhaps I am not good enough.
NINA SIMONE

Angry Enough Kind Prejudice Worst Yourself
You can’t be different if you look at it. Being gifted is different. I had that in my piano playing. I’m very thankful for that. I’m very aware of that. The style and what I fed is just me. I never worked at it. It just happened.
NINA SIMONE

Awareness Different Gift Myself Thankful Work
You have to learn to get up from the table when love is not being served.
NINA SIMONE

Learning Love Serve Table Yourself
It’s time to take a look at my failures and stop calling them successes. Now I can start working at something that can use me best.
NINA SIMONE

Failure Start Success Time Work
Talent is a burden not a joy. I am not of this planet. I do not come from you. I am not like you.
NINA SIMONE

Burden Myself Planet Talent
It is difficult to retain your standards with the pressure of trying to make money, which always has its rules. It’s hard to walk the tightrope of doing what you think is your best and making money at it.
NINA SIMONE

Difficult Hard Money Rule Standard Yourself
I do love to sing Jacques Brel songs, intensely. I get terribly excited, just by reading a couple of lines in any one of his songs.
NINA SIMONE

Couple Excitement Intense Love Myself Reading
Music is a gift and a burden I’ve had since I can remember who I was.
NINA SIMONE

Burden Gift Music Myself Remember
I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about… Now it was dedicated to freedom, and that was far more important.
NINA SIMONE

Dedication Excellence Freedom Music Myself Pursue
My singing, if you want to call it that is merely another medium of expression. Just an instrument I play. That’s how I see my voice.
NINA SIMONE

Call Expression Instrument Myself See Singing Voice
Music is the center of my life.
NINA SIMONE

Life Music One Liner

I’m sorry that I did not become the world’s first black classic pianist. I think I would have been happier.

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I’m sorry that I did not become the world’s first black classic pianist. I think I would have been happier.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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