James Brown quotes: wise famous quotes, sayings and quotations by James Brown

James Brown Famous Quotes & Sayings

Discover top inspirational quotes from James Brown on Wise Famous Quotes.

This is a revolution of the mind, get your mind together and get away from drugs.

Hair is the first thing. And teeth the second. Hair and teeth. A man got those two things he's got it all.

Get on up, stay on the scene, get on up, like a sex machine.

I got a wife who likes expensive things, so she takes all the cash.

Music has to breathe and sweat. You have to play it live.

I did the thing with bonds, which was about 30 million dollars, and didn't get none of the money on them.

I'd rather be Jack be smart, than Jack be quick. Watch out for the man with the big fat licking stick.

My son don't have to say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud. He don't have to be called those crazy names.

When God took it, he accepted it; when he brought it back, he accepted it. That's what's happening with me.

I've outdone anyone you can name - Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Strauss. Irving Berlin, he wrote 1,001 tunes. I wrote 5,500.

Sometimes, you like to let the hair do the talking!

You can't teach others if you are living the same way.

I'd like to cut down on the work a little bit.

I want to say to you, Help yourself, so you can help someone else.

I don't know karate, but I know crazy.

Tell the politicians and the hustlers: live and let live.

Sometimes I feel like I'm a preacher as well, 'cause I can really get into an audience.

I started Michael years ago. I saw him in Gary, Indiana, and we'd have him on the talent shows. He kind of emulated me, and did the best he could.

You're like a dull knife, just ain't cuttin', just talkin' loud and saying nothing

The white horse of heroin will ride you to hell.

I think the best thing about being James Brown is looking at my little son. Hopefully I can make my son a role model to a lot of people.

Michael Jackson has a very good heart. He was crying when he was giving me the award, 'cause his mind went back over the early days.

I'm a ghetto man who made good. I never forgot where I came from and who put me on top - God and Jack The Rapper.

I used to play one job and have 125 pair of shoes on the floor. What was I doing? I couldn't wear but one pair.

We can never be like it was at Penn State with Joe Paterno. That was an anomaly in an of itself.

Thank God that I had the ability to understand that I had a different beat and that I was a drummer.

I'm kidding about having only a few dollars. I might have a few dollars more.

Papa didn't cuss, he didn't raise a whole lot of fuss. But when we did wrong, Papa beat the hell out of us.

I don't know karate, but I know ka-razy!

I only got a seventh-grade education, but I have a doctorate in funk, and I like to put that to good use

You got to use what you got to get just what you want.

You got to live for yourself, yourself and nobody else.

For goodness sake, look at those cakes.

Take those kids and raise them up, teach them how to drink out of a righteous cup.

Sometimes you struggle so hard to feed your family one way, you forget to feed them the other way, with spiritual nourishment. Everybody needs that.

I've been knocked down a lot of times.

The hardest thing about being James Brown is I have to live. I don't have no down time.

Don't let nobody take care of your business better than you.

Money won't change you, but time will take you out.

Some like them fat, some like them tall, some like them short, skinny legs and all. I like them all.

If you don't get it the first time, back up and try it again.

I've got soul and I'm super bad.

I named my new son James Joseph Brown II. I think he's going to be a lot better than I was.

Takes a man or a woman to say I'm sorry, and it takes a fool to walk away.

Thank God for the journey.

The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing.

As I always said, if people wanted to know who James Brown is, all they have to do is listen to my music.

When you touch me, good God.

I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I'll Get It Myself)

I just thank God for all of the blessings.

I taught them everything they know, but not everything I know.

My expectations of other people, I double them on myself.

Our silence is deafening and deadly.

Music, it requires more than brawn. It requires a lot of heart. You gotta put love in there.

Like Christ said, love thee one another. I learned to do that, and I learned to respect and be appreciative and thankful for what I had.

I've been held responsible for taxes I know nothing about.

You're like a dull knife, it just ain't cutting.

I'm not going to be joining ZZ Top. You know they can't play my stuff. It's too complicated.

Got ants in my pants and I need to dance, so big fine mama, come give me a chance.

Retire for what? What would I do? I made my name as a person that is helping. I'm like Moses in the music business.

Everybody over there, get on up. Everybody out there, get into it. Everybody right there, get involved.

What everybody's looking for today, they're looking for escape-ism.

I'm twice as old, but I feel good.