I think America concedes that true American music has sprung from the Negro. William Christopher Handy More Quotes by William Christopher Handy More Quotes From William Christopher Handy Setting my mind on a musical instrument was like falling in love. All the world seemed bright and changed. William Christopher Handy falling-in-love musical mind With a guitar I would be able to express the things I felt in sounds. William Christopher Handy guitar would-be sound Life is like a trumpet - if you don't put anything into it, you don't get anything out of it. William Christopher Handy positive inspirational life Sometimes I feel like nothin,' somethin' throwed away, William Christopher Handy guitar play sometimes 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. William Christopher Handy symphony song bird My big ears indicated a talent for music. This thrilled me. William Christopher Handy talent bigs ears In the South of long ago whenever a new man appeared for work in any of the laborers gangs, he would be asked if he could sing. If he could he got the job. The singing of these working men set the rhythm for the work. William Christopher Handy long-ago jobs men If my serenade of song and story should serve as a pillow for some composer's head, as yet perhaps unborn, to dream and build on our fond melodies in his tomorrow, I have not labored in vain. William Christopher Handy stories dream song The blues - the sound of a sinner on revival day. William Christopher Handy sinner revival sound You can never tell what's in a woman's mind, William Christopher Handy harlem use mind 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. William Christopher Handy knives guitar sadness Nature was my kindergarten. William Christopher Handy kindergarten Saving was slow and painful. William Christopher Handy saving pain painful I hate to see the evening sun go down. William Christopher Handy evening hate sun I knew the whistle of each of the river boats on the Tennessee. William Christopher Handy boat tennessee rivers You'll never miss the water 'til the well runs dry. William Christopher Handy missing running water You've got to appreciate the things that come from the art of the Negro and from the heart of the man farthest down. William Christopher Handy appreciate men art 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. William Christopher Handy eye names house 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. William Christopher Handy snakes home wind Life is something like a trumpet. If you don't put anything in, you won't get anything out. William Christopher Handy something like you life
