Top 325 Quotes & Sayings by Ani DiFranco - Page 2

I was attracted to a lot of different art forms - dancing, painting. But there's something about music that people hold so close. It's such a powerful art form, and that's why I live for it.

I had a little bit of resistance to the idea of taking energy away from my work, and the baby comes along and, lo and behold, that's exactly what happens.

When I first started writing songs and being very explicit, it was hard, but one of the main things people respond to in my writing is that 'just say it' attitude of my songs. There really is nothing personal or private; it's all universal, if you can just find the courage to be open about your life.

I think the gay community should get smart and drop the word 'marriage.' Do you really need to change every right-wing Christian to make sure you get your equal rights? Eyes on the prize, we should be sticking to getting equal rights.

It can be very frustrating and very deflating to be constantly defined and described by other people, so I've stopped reading anything written about me, and I find it much healthier. I just sort of concentrate on what I do and don't worry too much about that.

Feminism is not only for women It's something everyone can participate in, and evolve together, as the first step in the right direction. I see feminism as a tool to achieve that balance and peace.

I don't hate being compared with female musicians. I don't mind that at all. I have no problem with seeing connections between women's work.

When all you can think of is your own personal problems, you have nothing to give to your society. If you're trying to figure out where your next meal is coming from, you can't go march on Washington.

Playing show after show is like my bread and butter.

Having more exposure is kind of a bittersweet thing for me, honestly, because it's nice to have a little more job security in life now.

Music has as many roles as people make it.

I do believe that music has an intense power to connect us together, to inspire us to become ourselves.

My political mission is as acute as ever. For me, in addition to kind of looking at the world and trying to engage in my society politically, having the kid around sort of makes me check in with myself. I think you're all busy trying to fix the world, but what about yourself?

Self-Preservation is a full-time occupation.

Words are hotter than flames. Words are wetter than water.

I walk like I'm on a mission 'cause that's the way I groove. I got more and more to do and less and less to prove.

When I look down, I miss all the good stuff And when I look up, I just trip over things.

God help you if you are a phoenix and you dare to rise up from the ash a thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy while you are just flying past

There's a crowd of people harbored in each person There are so many roles that we play.

I hope progressive ways of thinking will permeate the "mainstream" more and more in the coming years. Goddess knows we have endured a very long spell (thirty plus years) of regressive thinking and hyper conservativism dominating our culture and national discourse. It necessitates risk taking and rule breaking by people in all walks of life to swing that pendulum back though.

I believe the act of giving birth to be the single most miraculous thing a human being can do and it is surely the moment when a lot of women finally understand the depth of their power. You think it can’t possibly be done, you think you can’t possibly take the pain, and then you do-—and afterward you look at yourself in a whole new way. If you can do that, you can do anything.

What doesn't bend, breaks.

I sing sometimes for the war that I fight, 'Cause every tool is a weapon if you hold it right.

When I was four years old they tried to test my IQ, they showed me this picture of three oranges and a pear. They asked me which one is different and does not belong; they taught me different was wrong.

If you want to challenge the system, don't go to bed with it.

I always wanted to be commander-in-chief of my one-woman army, But I can envision the mediocrity of my finest hour.

Virtue is relative at best, there's nothing worse than a sunset when your driving due West.

I am not a pretty girl. I don't want to be a pretty girl. No, I want to be more than a pretty girl.

Maybe you can keep me from never being happy, but you're not going to stop me from HAVING FUN!

And thoughts of no other man but you could possibly get through the picket lines to enter into my mind.

To split yourself in two is just the most radical thing you can do

I sincerely believe patriarchy to be at the root of all of our social diseases and feminism, it's antidote, to be a prerequisite to peace on earth. feminism provides an alternative way of thinking and structuring things that focuses on and prioritizes relationships and de-emphasizes hierarchy, separation and domination.

The world owes us nothing; we owe each other the world.

We are taught to view pain as an enemy, not a teacher. But pain is the right hand of growth and transformation. Pain is in the history of all human wisdom.

There's a paradox in every paradigm.

Love isn't over when the sheets are stained.

My country tis of thee, to take swings at each other on talk show TV.

Smile pretty and watch your back

I don't take good pictures 'cause I have the kind of beauty that moves.

I know my mind is made of matter but I need to know exactly what is the matter at it's core? Because my heart is just a muscle and simply put, it's sore.

Those who call the shots are never in the line of fire.

I think the music industry, for instance, is such a huge, multibazillion-dollar industry and it's become very, very savvy. There's a very short grace period in which actual human rebellion or resistance can thrive before it's co-opted by these huge companies. And all of youth culture is packaged and sold back to us at this furious rate these days. I think it's part and parcel to this corporate encroachment on our lives in general.

Privilege is a headache, that you don't know that you don't have.

We are wise, wise women. We are giggling girls.

You rhapsodize about beauty, and my eyes glaze. Everything that I love is ugly. I mean really, you would be amazed. Just do me a favor, it's the least that you can do, just don't treat me like I am something that happened to you.

We barely have time to react in this world, let alone rehearse.

Every time I say something they find hard to hear, they chalk it up to my anger, and never to their own fear.

TIME is not a thing that's ours to lose.

I just don't know any other word than "feminist" that describes a person who believes women are people.

If you don't ask the right question, every answer seems wrong -

I wonder what you look like under your t-shirt. I wonder what you sound like when you're not wearing words. I wonder what we have when we're not pretending.

But as bad as I am, I'm proud of the fact that I'm worse than I seem

Someday you're going to get hungry and eat most of the words you just said.

I am still praying for revolution.

Freedom and democracy, That's the word from Washington every day. Put America to sleep with warm milk and clichés, And people are expendable along the way.

I am 32 flavors and then some.

One of my rules is: Never TRY to do anything. Just do it.

I envy your ignorance, I hear that it's bliss.

I have earned my disillusionment.

When I need to wipe my face, I use the back of my hand, And I like to take up space just because I can, And I use my dress to wipe up my drink. I care less and less what people think.