William Christopher Handy Quotes

Saving Was Slow And Painful.

I Knew The Whistle Of Each Of The River Boats On The Tennessee.

The Name Of My Ailment Was Longing, And It Was Not Cured Till I Finally Went To The Department Store And Counted Out The Money In Small Coins Before The Dismayed Clerk. When I Came To The House, I Held Up The Instrument Before The Eyes Of The Astonished Household.

Where The Tennessee River, Like A Silver Snake, Winds Her Way Through The Clay Hills Of Alabama, Sits High On These Hills, My Home Town, Florence.

I Hate To See The Evening Sun Go Down.

Nature Was My Kindergarten.

Whenever I Heard The Song Of A Bird And The Answering Call Of Its Mate, I Could Visualize The Notes In Scale, All Built Up Within My Consciousness As A Natural Symphony.

A Lean, Loose-jointed Negro Had Commenced Plunking A Guitar Beside Me While I Slept. His Clothes Were Rags; His Feet Peeped Out Of His Shoes. His Face Had On It Some Of The Sadness Of The Ages. As He Played, He Pressed A Knife On The Strings Of The Guitar In A Manner Popularized By Hawaiian Guitarists Who Used Steel Bars. The Effect Was Unforgettable.

You've Got To Appreciate The Things That Come From The Art Of The Negro And From The Heart Of The Man Farthest Down.

You Can Never Tell What's In A Woman's Mind, And If She's From Harlem, There's No Use O' Tryin

Sometimes I Feel Like Nothin,' Somethin' Throwed Away, Somethin' Throwed Away. And Then I Get My Guitar, Play The Blues All Day.

My Big Ears Indicated A Talent For Music. This Thrilled Me.