List of James Weldon Johnson Quotes

Shortly After This I Was Made A Member Of The Boys Choir, It Being Found That I Possessed A Clear, Strong Soprano Voice. I Enjoyed The Singing Very Much.

Through My Music Teaching And My Not Absolutely Irregular Attendance At Church, I Became Acquainted With The Best Class Of Colored People In Jacksonville.

The Fortress Inspired A Tremendous Confidence. It Was The Only Propeller Driven Aircraft I Have Flown That Was Completely Viceless; There Were No Undesirable Flight Characteristics. The Directional Stability Was Excellent And, Properly Trimmed, The B-17 Could Be Taken Off, Landed And Banked Without Change Of Trim.

At A Very Early Age I Began To Thump On The Piano Alone, And It Was Not Long Before I Was Able To Pick Out A Few Tunes? I Also Learned The Names Of The Notes In Both Clefs, But I Preferred Not Be Hampered By Notes.

There Are A Great Many Colored People Who Are Ashamed Of The Cake-walk, But I Think They Ought To Be Proud Of It.

In Berlin I Especially Enjoyed The Orchestral Concerts, And I Attended A Large Number Of Them. I Formed The Acquaintance Of A Good Many Musicians, Several Of Whom Spoke Of My Playing In High Terms.

My Luck At The Gambling Table Was Varied; Sometimes I Was Fifty To A Hundred Dollars Ahead, And At Other Times I Had To Borrow Money From My Fellow Workmen To Settle My Room Rent And Pay For My Meals.

In The Life Of Everyone There Is A Limited Number Of Experiences Which Are Not Written Upon The Memory, But Stamped There With A Die; And In The Long Years After, They Can Be Called Up In Detail, And Every Emotion That Was Stirred By Them Can Be Lived Through Anew; These Are The Tragedies Of Life.

I Found Cause To Wonder Upon What Ground The English Accuse Americans Of Corrupting The Language By Introducing Slang Words. I Think I Heard More And More Different Kinds Of Slang During My Few Weeks' Stay In London Than In My Whole "tenderloin" Life In New York. But I Suppose The English Feel That The Language Is Theirs, And That They May Do With It As They Please Without At The Same Time Allowing That Privilege To Others.

...one Of The Best Things About Running Is That No Matter How Fast You've Run In The Past, Running Fast In The Future Does Not Come Easily Or With Any Guarantees.

Any Musical Person Who Has Never Heard A Negro Congregation Under The Spell Of Religious Fervor Sing These Old Songs Has Missed One Of The Most Thrilling Emotions Which The Human Heart May Experience.

It Is From The Blues That All That May Be Called American Music Derives It Most Distinctive Characteristics.