I would like a man now who is rich, and who can give me a boat – a sailboat. I want to own it and let him pay for it. My first love is the sea and water, not music. Music is second. – Nina Simone
The worst thing about that kind of prejudice… is that while you feel hurt and angry and all the rest of it, it feeds you self-doubt. You start thinking, perhaps I am not good enough. – Nina Simone
I think the rich are too rich and the poor are too poor. I don’t think the black people are going to rise at all; I think most of them are going to die. – Nina Simone
This may be a dream, but I’ll say it anyway: I was supposed to be married last year, and I bought a gown. When I meet Nelson Mandela, I shall put on this gown and have the train of it removed and put aside, and kiss the ground that he walks on and then kiss his feet. – Nina Simone
When I was studying… there weren’t any black concert pianists. My choices were intuitive, and I had the technique to do it. People have heard my music and heard the classic in it, so I have become known as a black classical pianist. – Nina Simone
I think the rich will eventually have to cave in too, because the economic situation around the world is not gonna tolerate the United States being on top forever. – Nina Simone
I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about… Now it was dedicated to freedom, and that was far more important. – Nina Simone
To most white people, jazz means black and jazz means dirt, and that’s not what I play. I play black classical music. – Nina Simone
I think if I were over there in America, protest music would be more important. But I’m not going. – Nina Simone
Once I understood Bach’s music, I wanted to be a concert pianist. Bach made me dedicate my life to music, and it was that teacher who introduced me to his world. – Nina Simone
There’s no excuse for the young people not knowing who the heroes and heroines are or were. – Nina Simone
Greed has driven the world crazy. And I think I’m lucky that I have a place over here that I can call home. – Nina Simone
