Top 92 Quotes & Sayings by Smokey Robinson - Page 2

My mother was a churchgoing lady, so I always heard about God at home

That's what love is made of, snakes, snails, and puppy dog tails, sugar, spice, and everything nice.

Motown will always be a heavy-duty part of my life because those are my roots

Hickory dickory dock, I just want to be your clock. Just set me for a lifetime, and I'll wake you up every morning.

Everybody has their own soul.

You are most certainly the inspiration for all of today's rock 'n' roll guitarists. Your music is timeless.

There is nothing that means more to a woman than a love she can count on.

I've been speaking at churches for years, as well as juvenile jails, rehabs and hospitals, and I always talk about my faith. That is a declaration of my relationship with God

Beethoven was just music, and it didn't matter if he could hear it or not - he could feel it. He could hear it in his mind. He could write it down hearing it in his mind. He was just music. Yeah, he's one of my favorite writers of all times.

If some of those people who wanted to ban Beethoven's music could hear the music that's being played today, wow, what would they do, man?

My philosophy on writing a song for myself is that I always, always, always want to write a song. I always want to write a song. I realize that as a record producer or a singer or whatever I might not, if I recorded on myself or someone else, the first time out I might not give it the right treatment, so that the world or many people will accept it and it'll be a public hit, or anything like that.

When you write a song, a song has longevity

There's some sad things known to man, but ain't too much sadder than, the tears of a clown when noones around.

I don't like you, but I love you.

When someone picks up one of my songs and records it, I'm a flattered man, it's a blessing to me

I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record. Originally I was not writing songs for myself. ....And I can say this, most of the people who have recorded my songs are songwriters themselves. ... Even if I don't release it myself, somebody else might hear it and want to record it. When you write a song, it gives it that potential. When you write a song, a song has longevity. ... So I wanted to sing inspirational music, and that's exactly how I approached it-only the words have been changed to declare my relationship with God. Songwriting is my gift from God.

Once you're a Motown artist, that's your stigmatism, and I was there from the very first day

Baby, let's cruise, let's flow, let's glide.

If I hear one of my songs by anybody, it's a dream come true every time for me as a songwriter, because I want to write a song, I want to write a song that the world can sing and will always sing.

The music business has made a 360. It's a whole 'nother game. It's not nearly what it was. And I fear for it, because, you know, with the advent of the computer and online and downloading and all these things, they have destroyed - that stuff has destroyed the record business, not the music business, but the record business. The music business is well, and it's alive and thriving. Now, I hope something happens to turn it back around to the point whereas it's - you're earning a living from writing your songs, from your work, you know, because it's not like that anymore.

Just like Pagliacci did, I try to keep my surface hid. Smiling in the crowd I try, but in a lonely room I cry.

Without you hearing a melody or music or anything like that, it would say something to you. So, that's what a song is to me. Now, you have a lot of songs that come out, and the beat carries them over there, because of the beat, and because of some other factors and so on and so forth. But I want mine to be a song, if you read it, it's going to mean something to you.

I've never been to rehab, I've never been to psychotherapy or the doctor or anything like that. I went to a church and I was prayed for, and I've always had a great relationship with God.

Now if I appear to be carefree it's only to camouflage my sadness. In order to keep my pride I try to cover the hurt with a show of gladness.

I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record. Originally I was not writing songs for myself. Songwriting is my gift from God.

We're very physical creatures, and we worry about how we look sometimes more than our spiritual selves

I still perform because it's a necessity for my innards. And those songs, some of those songs, I have sung, I don't know how many thousands of times. And I promise you, every single solitary night, they're new to me. They are brand-new to me that night.

People say I'm the life of the party Because I tell a joke or two Although I might be laughing loud and hearty Deep inside I'm blue So take a good look at my face You'll see my smile looks out of place If you look closer, it's easy to trace The tracks of my tears.

It kills me to see people think that, show business is sex, drugs and rock and roll. And I have what you call a meet and greet. I do it before the show. But when I was doing it after the show especially, there would be people who would come back and said, OK, Smoke, where's the party?

I will build you a castle with a tower so high it reaches the moon.

Originally I was not writing songs for myself

Ron White was not one of the very first original members of the Motown staff, but eventually he was.