Top 79 Quotes & Sayings by James Brown

Explore popular quotes and sayings by an American musician James Brown.

Last updated on December 22, 2024.

James Joseph Brown was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer, and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honorific nicknames "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business", "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986.

American - Musician | May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006

Source: Wikipedia

I've been knocked down a lot of times.

James Brown

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

James Brown

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.

James Brown

Thank God for the journey.

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

I think what I came through is great, but my son can take it to another level, not having to fight racism. His mother's a Norwegian and I'm mixed up four or five times, so he can face the world.

James Brown

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.

James Brown

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

James Brown

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.

James Brown

You can take care of yourself, and God helps those who help themselves.

James Brown

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.

James Brown

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

James Brown

You only live once.

James Brown

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.

James Brown

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

James Brown

When I'm on stage, I'm trying to do one thing: bring people joy. Just like church does. People don't go to church to find trouble, they go there to lose it.

James Brown

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.

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

I used to think like Moses. That knocked me down for a couple years and put me in prison. Then I start thinking like Job. Job waited and became the wealthiest and richest man ever 'cause he believed in God.

James Brown

I had to tell about my colonic, which expresses the fact why I'm so neat today as opposed to a few years ago. I never knew that the weight made that much difference.

James Brown

I just thank God for all of the blessings.

James Brown

I was stillborn. The midwives laid me aside, thought I was really gone. I laid there about an hour, and they picked me back up and tried again, 'cause my body was still warm. The Good Lord brought me back.

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

It doesn't matter how you travel it, it's the same road. It doesn't get any easier when you get bigger, it gets harder. And it will kill you if you let it.

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

I'm the most sampled and stolen. What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine, too... I got a song about that... But I'm never gonna release it. Don't want a war with the rappers. If it wasn't good, they wouldn't steal it.

James Brown

I don't really care what people think, ... I just do my own thing. ... I like being loud and letting people know I'm there.

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

In our advanced technological age, most people deny the possibility of miracles.... Miracles don't happen, we are told, because they contravene the laws of nature and worse, they sound religious! Yet we live and move in a sea of miracle.

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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.

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

My music wasn't written by Mozart, Beethoven, Bach or Schubert. It's written by God and me. They go "a one and a two and up." We start on the downbeat. Bam! And that's where we got them.

James Brown

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

James Brown

When I'm on stage, I'm trying to do one thing: bring people joy.

James Brown

Don't terrorize. Organize. Don't burn. Give kids a chance to learn . . . The real answer to race problems in this country is education. Not burning and killing. Be ready. Be qualified. Own something. Be somebody. That's Black Power.

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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

James Brown

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