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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

The allusion was that I was actually naked. I loved that. It always, kind of shocked people enough that they became mine immediately.
NINA SIMONE

Kind Love Myself Naked People
Music has been a burden and a joy for as long as I can remember.
NINA SIMONE

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

Happiness Musician Myself Sorry World
We have ordered things so long in a certain way, we are numb. Nobody dares question it. This is what is wrong, symbolically, with America.
NINA SIMONE

Dare Order Question Symbol Wrong
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
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
Funk, gospel, blues is all out of slavery times, out of depression, out of sorrow.
NINA SIMONE

Depression Slave Sorrow Time
Since I was three I’ve been playing the piano. I’ve been onstage.
NINA SIMONE

Instrument Myself Play
My job is not done. I address my songs now to the third world. I am popular all over Asia and Africa and the Middle East, not to speak of South Africa, where I’m trying to go to see Nelson Mandela.
NINA SIMONE

Address Job Myself Popular See Song
Music is the center of my life.
NINA SIMONE

Life Music One Liner
How do you explain what it feels like to get on the stage and make poetry that you know sinks into the hearts and souls of people who are unable to express it.
NINA SIMONE

Explanation Expression Feeling Poetry Soul Stage Yourself
You can’t help it. An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.
NINA SIMONE

Artist Help Reflection Time
I was not reluctant to become a singer. Singing has been an activity I’ve done my whole life, without thought.
NINA SIMONE

Activity Life Myself Singer
When a child is gifted, people try to help that child.
NINA SIMONE

Children Gift Help People
I think the rich will eventually have to cave in too, because the economic situation around the world is not gonna tolerate the United States being on top forever.
NINA SIMONE

Economics Forever Myself Rich Thinking
Through music you can become sad, joyful, loving, you can learn. You can learn mathematics, touch, pacing Oh my God! Ooh Wow You can see colors through music. Anything!
NINA SIMONE

Colors Learning Mathematics Music Sadness Yourself
I’m just human, I have faults like anyone.
NINA SIMONE

Human Mistake Myself
I would like you to know, I am a doctor of music.
NINA SIMONE

Doctor Music Myself Yourself
I play piano, by ear. Yes, I write songs and good ones.
NINA SIMONE

Instrument Myself Writing
This is the world you have made yourself, now you have to live in it.
NINA SIMONE

Live World 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
My love is like the wind and wild is the wind. Give me more than one caress, satisfy my hungriness. Let the wind blow through your heart for wild is the wind.
NINA SIMONE

Blow Heart Love Myself Satisfaction Wild Wind
Once I understood Bach’s music, I wanted to be a concert pianist. Bach made me dedicate my life to music, and it was that teacher who introduced me to his world.
NINA SIMONE

Dedication Introduction Music Myself Teacher World
Music is an art and art has its own rules.
NINA SIMONE

Art Music Rule
If I get an idea I put it on tape and somebody else writes it out.
NINA SIMONE

Ideas Myself Writing
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

Talent is a burden not a joy. I am not of this planet. I do not come from you. I am not like you.

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Talent is a burden not a joy. I am not of this planet. I do not come from you. I am not like you.

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Popular Authors

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