Smokey robinson quotes

Once you're a Motown artist, you're always a Motown artist

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

Before you ask some girl for her hand now, keep your freedom for as long as you can now. My Mama told me, you better shop around.

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

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.

With a heart that is truthful, keeping you youthful.

I love hearing my music, I love hearing it by other people. I hope it will always be played.

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.

We're all going to be victims of temptation at several points in our lives.

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 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.

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

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day

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

I will bring you a flower from the floor of the sea to wear in your hair.

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?

If I just gave you a piece of paper with the lyrics written down on it, it would mean something to you. It would tell you a story.

I'm blessed, because I enjoy every part of my life. I enjoy writing songs. I've been trying to write songs since I was five years old.

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?

And I can say this, most of the people who have recorded my songs are songwriters themselves.

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.

She may be cute, but she's just a substitute.

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.

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.

There are very few courses around Detroit I haven't played

I know what God did for me. I know that He is my way out and my way in. He's my way out of all this havoc and my way into paradise. He suffered for me and for everybody listening. God loves us so much. He tried a lot of things to get our attention. He tried a lot of things to get us back to Him. So He said, "I'll tell you what. I'm going to make it real simple for you. I'm going to send my Son. He's going to take on all your iniquities and all your sins. He's gonna die in your place so you can have everlasting life. All you've got to do is accept that.

A taste of honey is worse than none at all.

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

My uncle Claude was my favorite uncle he was also my godfather. He and I were really, really close. He used to take me to see cowboy movies all the time when I was a little boy because I loved cowboy movies. He got a cowboy name for me, which was Smokey Joe. So from the time I was three years old if people asked me what my name was I didn't tell them my name was William, I told them my name was Smokey Joe.

Drugs are in every walk of life - doctors, lawyers, preachers, the guy who works for IBM, teenagers on the street, teenagers in school.

The one thing about God that's so beautiful is He is omnipotent, and He is the Almighty. But He's not a dictator.

One thing I can say about the Motown acts is that we were a family. That's not a myth

The Beatles were huge. And the first thing they said when you interviewed them, 'Oh yeah, we grew up on Motown.'..They were the first white act to admit they grew up listening to black music.

As human beings, we're very materialistic and have all this stuff - furs and cars and diamonds and money.

Mistakes, I know I've made a few. But I'm only human, you've made mistakes, too.

The only thing you're taking out of here is your spirit and your soul, so we need to be conscious to try and develop that part of ourselves, because we're all spiritual creatures.

I don't ever balk at being considered a Motown person, because Motown is the greatest musical event that ever happened in the history of music

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

Pretty girls come a dime a dozen, try to find one who's gonna give you true loving.

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.

If you feel like loving me, if you've got the notion, I second that emotion.

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

People still look at Michael Jackson as being a Motown artist.

I really haven't strayed too far, musically, from my roots

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.

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.

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.

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

Though you treat me badly, I love you madly.

As a kid, this is what I wanted my life to be. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever dare to dream that it would be this.

You know what, I'm probably one of the most blessed people there's ever been, and I thank God for it.

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

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

I remember my first check that I got for a thousand dollars, and where I grew up, I never thought I'd have a thousand dollars at one time.

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

They don't tell you this in school, Everybody plays the fool.

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.

Put your trust in me, let this love be. This is for real, let time stand still.

When you write a song, a song has longevity

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

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

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.

You know what, life is full of temptations

Songwriting is my gift from God

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

Originally I was not writing songs for myself

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

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

Everybody has their own soul.

There's so many wonderful gospel people out there, and I don't necessarily want to compete with those people.