Best Sam Cooke Quotes & Sayings

In my vocal, I think you can hear something of my earlier times when I'd sing in subway halls for the echo and perform doo-wop on street corners. But I had a lot of influences, too - singers like Sam Cooke, Brook Benton and Roy Hamilton. — Ben E. King

If you took a little of Sam Cooke and a little of Little Richard, and poured it in a jar and shook it up and poured it out you would get Otis Redding. — Steve Cropper

It's been a long time coming. But I know a change is gonna come — Sam Cooke

I know a lot of people who are not here anymore, and I wonder why I'm still here ... Not a day goes by that I don't think about Sam Cooke. His presence is so strong and so convincing to me, a true artist, a true talent, who never talked down to people. — Bobby Womack

Ooh, ah, ooh, ah, that's the sound of the men working on the chain gang. — Sam Cooke

I was born by the river, in a little tent, and just like the river I've been running ever since. — Sam Cooke

Well that's very kind of you, but voices ought not be measured by how pretty they are. Instead they matter only if they convince you that they are telling the truth. — Sam Cooke

I started with Sam Cooke when I was 6 or 7 years old. — Bobby Womack

My dad sung and played piano. But he was also a man of God. He was a minister. So when Sam Cooke would come in town, you know, with The Soul Stirrers at that time, he was singing gospel, they would end up at my dad's church, and it would always be a guest singer for Sunday morning. — Merry Clayton

It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die. 'Cause I don't know what's up there, beyond the sky. — Sam Cooke

It was something I enjoyed doing and decided to give it a couple years, though I'm not making a lot of money now either! — Sam Cooke

You know, I'll always be your slave 'til I'm buried, buried in my grave. — Sam Cooke

When I hear Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come', it frustrates me because no matter how hard I try, I can never be that good. — Julian Casablancas

I God, a very Gomorry on wheels! You lead the most exciting life I know of, and complain more about it than any two well-off bastards in the running. I am glad to hear you sound like your old self, though I never hearn of no Jonathan with two Davids.
Top of this letter is an allusion to that wonderful novel, The SotWeed Factor, in which Ebenezer Cooke, "poet and virgin," is about to be raped by a buncher sailors (they have him tied across a table in the fo'c'sle; he is saved by a raiding party of pirates, one of whom strides into the scene and says, "I God, this here ship's a very floatin' Gomorry!"
Have come down with the flu since inditing the above. [ ... ]. The mail yestiddy brought a letter from Sam Beckett! asked to see Sappho and Arky. I sag with fatigue. Blessings.
Guy — Guy Davenport

Don't know much about history, don't know much biology, don't know much about a science book, don't know much about the French I took. — Sam Cooke

A lot of times, that's hard to capture: what you sound like in person versus what you sound like on record. If I had total control, I would do a lot of the old songs - not only my songs but Sam Cooke songs, Luther Vandross, melody songs. That's what I would really do if I had an opportunity to do a record. — Darlene Love

Dear Mama, don't cry, your baby boy's doin' good,
Tell the homies I'm in heaven, and they ain't got hoods.
Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night, it had me shook,
Drippin' peppermint Schnapps, with Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke ... — Tupac Shakur

Popular music has always been rooted in the blues, whether it's Adele or Led Zeppelin or Sam Cooke. It's just the beat that changes. — L.A. Reid

Estee Lauder cologne. Sam Cooke always wore it, and I started wearing it because he wore it. — Bobby Womack

I like listening to old soul music. I like Sam Cooke. When I was growing up, the first things I was listening to was Whitney Houston and Cher. They were really big inspirations for me. — Rebecca Ferguson

I'm not James Brown. I'm not Sam Cooke. I'm Charley Pride. I'm just me and that's what you got. — Charley Pride

Well the artists that inspire me were, first of all I would say Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, John Holt, Alton Ellis, Errol Dunkley, Delroy Wilson and Dennis Brown you know. They have unique voice and sweet melody and you know, good lyrics those time yeh. The music was very nice in that time still seen, because you find that even the musical part, the musicians concentrate more on the melody than everything, more than how they concentrate on the money that time you Know — Gregory Isaacs

There been times when I thought I couldn't last for long But now I think I'm able to carry on It's been a long, been a long time coming But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will — Sam Cooke

Man, if I was back home, I'd be swinging with two chicks on my arms. — Sam Cooke

Shakin' like a bowl of soup and make your body loop-de-loop. — Sam Cooke

If I could just touch the hem of His garment
I know I'll be made whole — Sam Cooke

I say, as a singer grows older, his conception grows a little deeper, because he lives life and he understands what he is trying to say a little more. And I think this gives. If a singer tries to find out what's happening in life, it gives him a better insight on telling the story of the song he is trying to sing. — Sam Cooke

I drew a lot of inspiration from the Ginuwines, the Ushers, the Michael Jacksons, the James Browns, Sam Cooke. — Chris Brown

Another Saturday night and I ain't got nobody ... .. — Sam Cooke

I had been on tour with people like Roy Orbison. I knew Bobby Darin, Sam Cooke. So many great performers. — Bobby Vinton