“When I look at you girl, I see a true work of art. So many beautiful things coming in one little heart.”

And you’d sure better not be doing it because it’s a way to make a living, ’cause that ain’t always going to be easy. You got to believe it, believe in the music. You got to mean it.

You’ve got to care about the music…You’d better not be doing it for the publicity, the fame or the money.

Don’t you be so nice to me; I fall in love so easily.

You know, in the days when I started, if you had Chet Atkins’ name on your record as a producer and it was on RCA, you could work the road. It didn’t have to be a big hit record, it just had to have that on it.

Was an American archetype, the bad guy with the big heart.

There’s always one more way to do things and that’s your way, and you have a right to try it at least once.

And yet his greatest desire was the simple warmth of love’s fire, cause it’s cold on the dark side of fame.

What I did. I’ve listened to it, and I think it was more a west coast rock thing, you know? But it fit. It was country, but it was my own interpretation of country.

I say, Lord, do right be me, I’m tired of being lonesome, on’ry, and mean.

I ain’t got no reverse. I’ve learned, a little later in life, it works out pretty good to have one every once in a while.

I was king of the mountain for a long time, well, I don’t want that no more.

Lately I’ve heard rumors that the eagle may be lame. Just because I’ve been idle, don’t mean that I’m tame.

This is getting funny, but there ain’t nobody laughing.

He gave us all a mind to think with and to know what’s right or wrong, he is that inner spirit that keeps us strong.

I don’t think there’s anything you can do this way or that way to change anything.

But ya know what, I am a part of something that happened.

See no one loves you more than me and no one ever will.

My sense of humor will always stand in the way of my seeing myself, my family, my race or my nation as the whole intent of the universe.

A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.

Our elders said back then that if Black folks really wanted to see Change, they had to step up to the plate and do it themselves. Somebody has to be First. Will that be you?

Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.

There’s no vocabulary For love within a family, love that’s lived in But not looked at, love within the light of which All else is seen, the love within which All other love finds speech. This love is silent.

She wasn’t doing a thing that I could see, except standing there leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.

If you kin see de light at daybreak, you don’t keer if you die at dusk. It’s so many people never seen de light at all.