Famous quotes

Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,808 quotes Who coined it · How we decide

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“I would have Simon Cowell sing 'Shiny Happy People' by R.E.M. just to show his true personality.”
Sanjaya Malakar (born 1989) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When I was a little kid I thought I would grow up to be black and sing jazz in nightclubs.”
Molly Ringwald (born 1968) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Funny Ladies: The Best Humor from America's Funniest Women (2001) by Bill Adler, p. 47
“Arctic Monkeys are a great band, but bands like that sometimes spend a lot of time reminding people about the shitiness of reality. I don’t want to sing for half an hour, reminding people about how shit Sheffield is — unless it’s for one verse or a joke.”
Shingai Shoniwa (born 1981) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The only person who could make me stop singing is the one who made me sing: God, the beauty up there!”
Simone (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am too close for him to dream of me. I don't flutter over him, don't flee him beneath the roots of trees. I am too close. The caught fish doesn't sing with my voice. The ring doesn't roll from my finger. I am too close.”
Wisława Szymborska (1923–2012) said by 2012 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Gone, lost, scattered to the four winds. It still surprises me how little now remains, one first person sing., temporarily declined in human form, just now making such a fuss about a blue umbrella left yesterday on a bus.”
Wisława Szymborska (1923–2012) said by 2012 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Come Grief, and sing a solemn dirge Beneath this midnight shade; From central darkness now emerge, And tread the lonely glade.”
Ann Eliza Bleecker (1752–1783) said by 1783 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The moment you meet him you're like 'this dude's famous,' whether a million people know it or no one knows it. The first time I met him, when I was like 16, I was like, 'This is a dude I want to know.' He just has a magnetic personality. And I think there's something kind of cool about the front man of our band being the bassist who doesn't sing.”
Joe Trohman (born 1984) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We shall lodge at the sign of the Grave, you say; Well, the road is a long one we trudge, my friend, So why should we grieve at the break of the day? Let us sing, let us drink, let us love, let us play,-- We can keep our sights for the journey's end.”
Percy Addleshaw (1866–1916) first seen 1895 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Travellers (1895).
“No matter what we are, and what we sing, Time finds a withered leaf in every laurel”
Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869–1935) first seen 1897 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Closing couplet- Quatrain 111 Children of the Night 1897 edition kindle ebook ASIN B004UJKLY2
“For you alone I ride the ring, For you I wear the blue; For you alone I strive to sing, O tell me how to woo!”
Robert Cunninghame-Grahame of Gartmore (1735–1797) said by 1797 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: If Doughty Deeds ("If daughty deeds my lady pleases."), The Oxford Book of English Verse (1939)
“Oh who and oh who will sing Jesus down to help with struggling and doing without and being colored all through blue Monday? Till way next Sunday?”
Robert Hayden (1913–1980) said by 1980 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Mourning Poem for the Queen of Sunday (lines 10-13), from Collected Poems (1985)
“Spring was in the air. But such radiant, joyous spring as one coming out of the dark shadows of the Ghetto never could dream. Earth and sky seemed to sing with the joy of an unceasing holiday. Rebecca Yudelson felt as if she had suddenly stepped into fairyland where the shadow of sorrow or sickness, where the black blight of poverty had never been. (beginning of "Dreams and Dollars")”
Anzia Yezierska (1880–1970) said by 1970 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What then is love but mourning? What desire, but a self-burning? Till she that hates doth love return, Thus will I mourn, thus will I sing, "Come away, come away, my darling.”
Thomas Campion (1567–1620) said by 1620 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Jobs are like going to church: it’s nice once or twice a year to sing along and eat something and all that, but unless you really believe there’s something holy going on, it gets to be a drag going in every single week.”
Thomas M. Disch (1940–2008) said by 2008 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Through the gloomy clouds break / Blue sky, sunshine, / On the heights and in the valley / Sing the lark and the nightingale God, I thank you that I live / Not forever in this world / Strengthen me that my soul rise / Upward toward your firmament.”
Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840) first seen 1802 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: some poetry lines of Friedrich, c. 1802-05; as cited by C. D. Eberlein in C. D. Friedrich Bekenntnisse, p 57; as quoted & translated by Linda Siegel in Caspar David Friedrich and the Age of German Romanticism, Boston Br…
“Lift every voice and sing Till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty. Let our rejoicing rise high as the listening skies; Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.”
James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) first seen 1900 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Lift Every Voice and Sing, st. 1 (1900).
“I think an important quality that I have is that if you turn on the radio and hear somebody sing, you know it's me. You don't confuse my voice with another voice.”
Luciano Pavarotti (1935–2007) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in The New York Times (7 September 2007)
“I never knew the charm of spring Never met it face to face I never knew my heart could sing Never missed a warm embrace 'Til April in Paris. Whom can I run to? What have you done to My heart?”
Yip Harburg (1896–1981) first seen 1932 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: April in Paris" (1932) - Sarah Vaughan & Ella Fitzgerald renditions - Doris Day version
“Come up, with white and crimson! O, shake your bells and sing; Let the porch bend, the pillars bow, Before our Lord, the Spring!”
Alfred Noyes (1880–1958) said by 1958 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Roger: Yeah, our bunks are right across from each other so sometimes we sing each other to sleep at night. It’s lovely, you should check it out.”
Roger Manganelli (born 1973) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Birds of prey don’t sing.”
James Richardson (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I'm just going to sing now because I want to, and I'll make records when I want to and not because someone is forcing me to do it. Not that anyone ever has. I'd fire them if they tried.”
Adele (singer) first seen 2024 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 15+ Uplifting Quotes By Adele To Motivate And Inspire You HerZindagi (30 September 2024)
“I've been living in New York for about seven years and a lot of the people that I started singing with don't sing any more, don't write any more. So the fact that I can still do that that's kind of a gift, that's what I sort of stay focused on.”
Lana Del Rey (born 1985) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Evening Standard (24 January 2012), p. 13
“A poet of one mood in all my lays, Ranging all life to sing my only love, Like a west wind across the world I move, Sweeping my harp of floods mine own wild way.”
Alice Meynell (1847–1922) first seen 1875 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: An earlier version of this poem was included in Preludes (1875).
“No nation is more abundant than Scotland in local bards that sing of streams & valleys & heathery hills”
James Grant Wilson (1832–1914) first seen 1876 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Preface to Poets & Poetry of Scotland Vol 1 , Blackie & Son , Edinburgh 1876
“I wish there were no more exams ever," said Kestrel. "I wish nothing bad happens to Kess," said Bowman. "I wish my darling children to be safe and happy for ever," said their mother. She always wished like that when she was worried. "I wish the wind singer would sing again," said their father.”
William Nicholson (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I bought a brand-new air-mobile It custom-made, 'twas a Flight De Ville With a pow'ful motor and some hideaway wings Push in on the button and you can hear her sing Now you can't catch me, baby you can't catch me 'Cause if you get too close, you know I'm gone like a cool breeze”
Chuck Berry (1926–2017) first seen 1956 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: You Can't Catch Me" (1956)
“Me still alone, me sip on the rum Me wonder when the boat she come To bring me love, oh sweet little thing She rock 'n' roll, she dance and sing She hold me tight, she touch me lips Me eyes they close, me heart she flip Havana moon, Havana moon”
Chuck Berry (1926–2017) first seen 1957 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Havana Moon" (1957)
“Baby doll! When bells ring out the summer free Oh baby doll! Will it end for you and me? We'll sing our old Alma Mater And think of things that used to be”
Chuck Berry (1926–2017) first seen 1957 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Oh Baby Doll" (1957)
“Can’t help it, but I love it Stand here, sing to you Brings back so many memories Many things we used to do ‘Till I see you here again Take care, good luck to you”
Chuck Berry (1926–2017) first seen 1973 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Bio" (1973)
“There was this whole thing of ‘Jack's voice breaking’ about three or four months ago, and I think I sort of laughed at the whole thing, 'cause they sort of made out like I couldn't sing anymore, and my whole life was over, which it wasn't.”
Jack Vidgen (born 1997) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Today Tonight, Jack Vidgen's rising star, 10 April, 2012.
“When I sing, trouble can sit right on my shoulder and I don't even notice.”
Sarah Vaughan (1924–1990) first seen 1988 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview The New York Times (1988)
“Good sportsmanship we hail, we sing, It's always pleasant when you spot it, There's only one unhappy thing: You have to lose to prove you've got it.”
Richard Armour (1906–1989) first seen 1958 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Richard Armour (1958) Nights with Armour: Lighthearted Light Verse. p. 97
“During the colonial epoch, the British forced Africans to sing,”
Walter Rodney (1942–1980) said by 1980 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If you go to the protests now, you will see something you never saw before: hundreds of women. They shout and sing, they even sleep there in tents. This is not just a political revolution, it's a social revolution”
Tawakkol Karman (born 1979) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One, two, three like a bird I sing, 'cause you given me the most beautiful set of wings. I'm so glad you're here today, 'cause tomorrow I might have to go and fly away. Fly away, fly away, fly away, fly away.”
Tim McGraw (born 1967) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When I speak, my Urdu isn’t very good but when I sing I make sure there are no flaws in my diction.”
Lata Mangeshkar (1929–2022) said by 2022 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Life is a jest; Take the delight of it. Laughter is best; Sing through the night of it. Swiftly the tear And the hurt and the ache of it Find us down here; Life must be what we make of it.”
Edgar Guest (1881–1959) first seen 1922 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Life, stanza 1, All That Matters, p. 80 (1922).
“Somebody said that it couldn't be done, But he with a chuckle replied That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried. So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin On his face. If he worried he hid it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn't be done, and he did it.”
Edgar Guest (1881–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We are but artless folk and not expert in rhythm, time, and tune, but that does not matter. He for whom we sing our hymns understands them all, and he pays no attention to our deficiencies of execution.”
Mahadev Govind Ranade (1842–1901) said by 1901 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Every civilisation has had its irrational but reassuring myth. Previous civilisations have used their culture to sing about it and tell stories about it. Ours has used its mathematics to prove it.”
David Fleming (1940–2010) said by 2010 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Lean Logic, (2016), p. 123, entry on Economics
“[Alicia Gavilán, to Miguel] "We are all birds in cages, but some of us find reason to sing.”
Michael Nava (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Why do people sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at the stadium when they're already there?”
Larry Andersen (born 1953) first seen 1997 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Larry Andersen cited in: Michael Pellowski, ‎Sanford Hoffman (1997) Baseball's Funniest People. p. 18.
“But there was a strong bond between us artistes in the old days. I remember when Siddheshwari Devi was laid in bed with paralysis, we went to meet her and asked her if she needed help. She asked me to sing Bhairavi for her. She listened with tears in her eyes.”
Gangubai Hangal (1913–2009) said by 2009 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I sing in the language of the Heart. It's an invented language that I've had for a very long time. I believe I started singing in it when I was about 12. Roughly that time. And I believed that I was speaking to God when I sang in that language.”
Lisa Gerrard (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A musician would not willingly consent that his lyre should be out of tune, nor a leader of a chorus that his chorus should not sing in the strictest possible harmony; but shall each individual person be at variance with himself, and shall he exhibit a life not at all in agreement with his words?”
Basil of Caesarea (329–379) said by 379 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What guides us is children's response, their joy in learning to dance, to sing, to live together. It should be a guide to the whole world.”
Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999) said by 1999 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Cited in Tessa Souter Anything I Can Do... You Can Do Better: How to unlock your creative dreams and change your life, Random House (31 July 2011), p. 156
“I always thought there were going to be things in my life that would go away, like beauty, youth, all of that stuff...But I never thought that my voice would leave me, because it’s so inherent to my nature. It was my identity. So when I couldn’t sing, that was unbearable. There were times I couldn’t even get out of bed – I was so depressed.”
Shakira (born 1977) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On almost losing her voice following a vocal hemorrhage in “Shakira: 'I needed surgery – or divine intervention'” in The Guardian (2019 Nov 11)
“Brain/body relationships might depend upon a chorus of individual hormones... which are released together to sing hormonal harmonies to the body.”
Richard Bergland wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source