You've got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn body's sermon on how to behave.
Billie HolidayRead
I joined Count Basie's band to make a little money and to see the world. For two years I didn't see anything but the inside of a Blue Goose bus, and I never got to send home a quarter.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the realities of pursuing dreams, revealing the contrast between expectations and actual experiences.
Billie Holiday's quote expresses the irony of her early career in music. She joined Count Basie's band with the hope of earning money and exploring the world, but instead found herself confined to the unglamorous life of touring on a bus, unable to fulfill her financial expectations or experience the adventures she sought.
Themes
MusicDreamsIronyTouringExpectations
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a speech about the sacrifices artists make for their craft.
More from Billie Holiday
All quotes →One day a whole damn song fell into place in my head.
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I'm always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where I've been.
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A kiss that is never tasted, is forever and ever wasted.
Billie HolidayRead
Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in the rain.
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Sometimes it's worse to win a fight than to lose.
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