Well, I taught them organization. They didn't have organization. And this was very important. You know, I wanted them where they could play at West Point as well as play the street on the corner. I mean, West Point or the Navy Academy place. I wanted them to be able to go in--see, when I wanted to play "Papa's Bag" and stuff like that, I could play for the president and I could go and play for the people in the streets. That's what you call being totally accepted and being totally straight about what you felt.
James Brown Carolinian
Source
Interview with Terry Gross, Fresh Air, NPR, February 2, 2005
- form
- interview
- work
- Fresh Air interview
- year
- 2005
Cite this record
“Well, I taught them organization. They didn't have organizat…” James Brown. Carolina Quotes, record CQ-CC9F3D8E8D. https://carolinaquotes.com/quote/cc9f3d8e8d
More from James Brown
Manhood is what we profess, and what we try to get across.
So they thought that that was low in the music. There's no low in the music. There's a freedom in music.
So I went and recorded "Say It Loud, I'm Black, I'm Proud" and tried to send a message, not only to the white, but to the black as well, that pride was important and not power. The word `power' and `pride' were so misunderstood, and I thought that pride was more important. It doesn't mean I'm black and I'm bad, but black and I'm proud.