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Me Quotes

Quotes rooted in the first person.

These are quotes centered on 'me' - childhood memories tied to family traditions, like a grandfather's holiday reading passed down for decades, alongside admissions about how humor can double as self-protection. Several speak to the solitary nature of creative work, something also explored in Life Quotes.

My father taught me to read music and play the piano-but not well, even though people have said that I'm a natural musician.

Quotes by Ethel Merman

We never had a bathtub. Mom would bathe me in the wooden or tin washtub in the kitchen, or in a big lard can.

Quotes by Ethel Waters

The big compliment came from the beer drinkers who didn't know me. They wouldn't drink or move when I sang. If they had their glasses in mid-air, the glasses wouldn't come down.

Quotes by Ethel Waters

Somehow, the things my mother wanted to do, the release in evangelism she sought with such frenzy, were transferred to me.

Quotes by Ethel Waters

Mom was the greatest influence of my childhood. She wanted to save me from the vice, lust, and drinking that was all about me.

Quotes by Ethel Waters

Mom never quit on me. My only regret is that she didn't live long enough to share some of the money and comforts my work in show business has brought me.

Quotes by Ethel Waters

I want affection and tenderness desperately, but there's something in me that prevents me from handing it out.

Quotes by Ethel Waters

I had always loved John Ford's pictures. And I came to love him, too, but I was frightened to death working for him. He used the shock treatment while directing me.

Quotes by Ethel Waters

Elia Kazan understood my problems. He was able to bring out the very best in me. He gave me credit for my intelligence.

Quotes by Ethel Waters

After years in white theaters I dreaded working in colored houses. The noise, the stomping, whistling, and cheering that hadn't annoyed me when I was young was now something I dreaded.

Quotes by Ethel Waters

When I'm performing for the people, I am me, then. I am that little girl who, when she was five years old, used to sing at church. Or I'm that 15-year-old young lady who wanted to be grown and wanted...

Quotes by Etta James

When I look out at the people and they look at me and they're smiling, then I know that I'm loved. That is the time when I have no worries, no problems.

Quotes by Etta James

They said that Etta James is still vulgar. I said, Oh, how dare them say I'm still vulgar. I'm vulgar because I dance in the chair. What would they want me to do? Want me to just be still or...

Quotes by Etta James

That's where it begins and ends for me and these songs were the ones that touched me the deepest. It was like I was laying hold of some part of me that I didn't even know was there until I...

Quotes by Etta James

I'm not a braggart, but when I was a little girl people used to come from all over Hollywood to hear me sing.

Quotes by Etta James

My mother was a jazz fanatic and she wanted me to play the piano so I could play jazz tunes. I wish I had learned but I was too busy getting into trouble!

Quotes by Etta James

My mother always wanted me to be glamorous. When I thought about that, it really fired me up, and once I lost all those pounds, I started to feel really good about myself.

Quotes by Etta James

My mother always told me, even if a song has been done a thousand times, you can still bring something of your own to it. I'd like to think I did that.

Quotes by Etta James

A few years ago, I thought, I'll never make it. I started to go to the doctor to help me lose weight.

Quotes by Etta James

Jazz took too much discipline. You have to come in at the right place, which is different than me singing the blues, where I can sing, 'Oh, baby,' if there's a pause in the melody. With jazz, you better leave...

Quotes by Etta James

Frequently Asked Questions

What sort of quotes will I find on the "Me" page?
These are quotes where the speaker is talking directly about their own life and habits — remembering a grandfather's copy of 'A Christmas Carol' that sparked a piece of writing, describing intellectual work as "essentially a lonely process," or admitting that comedy can be a defense mechanism. They're personal snapshots rather than general statements.
Are these quotes about confidence or vulnerability?
A bit of both. The line about comedy being "a weapon so that you can't hurt me" is a good example — it shows someone being honest about vulnerability while still sounding self-assured. For more of that same reflective tone, the I Am page is worth a look.
Can I share "Me" quotes even if they're not about me specifically?
Definitely. Even though these are first-person reflections, most people relate to the underlying feeling — nostalgia over an old book, needing solitude to focus, or hiding behind humor. Share whichever line matches how you're feeling today.
How is "Me" different from <a href="/life-quotes">Life</a> quotes?
Life quotes tend to comment on the world more broadly, while the quotes here stay rooted in one person's specific memories and habits — a grandfather's book, a private writing process, a particular way of working. It's a narrower, more personal lens.
What if I'm looking for something closer to everyday thoughts rather than deep reflection?
Then you might prefer Like quotes or Good quotes, which lean a little lighter. The "Me" collection is more suited to quiet, reflective moments.

Others touch on early body-image pressures absorbed from family members, showing the personal cost of comparison at a young age. See also I Am Quotes and Like Quotes for related first-person perspectives.