Logo - Feel The Words

Saying Quotes

The gap between what's said and what's meant.

This set focuses on the friction around saying things: doubts other people voice about an unusual project, the strangeness of writing lyrics meant for someone else's voice, and family conflicts that get said and later forgiven. It pairs well with our Know quotes.

My mother, who grew up in Pennsylvania, literally washed my mouth out with soap once for saying, 'Shut up!' to my sister. She would have washed my mouth out with gasoline if she knew how foul my mouth was racially...

Quotes by John Piper

I did not want to provide a blueprint or roadmap for the terrorists, saying 'Here are our new security procedures'.

Quotes by John Pistole

Obama's claim is that he wants to give. The GOP is saying it wants to take.

Quotes by John Podhoretz

Stand-up for me is just my opinions on things, so it wouldn't be as fun translated into a sketch. Nor would a sketch be as fun if it were me standing there saying it.

Quotes by John Mulaney

When the going gets tough, I'm not always sure what you do. I'm not saying that I know how to fix everything when the going gets tough, but I do know this: when the going goes tough, you don't quit....

Quotes by John Madden

All we are saying is give peace a chance.

Quotes by John Lennon

What 'March' is saying is that it doesn't matter whether we are black or white, Latino or Asian. It doesn't matter whether we are straight or gay.

Quotes by John Lewis

I wouldn't write a book, because saying the word I over and over again would nauseate me.

Quotes by John Kluge

That's such a common saying: Just be present, live in the moment. But there's actually really something to it when you really start to learn it.

Quotes by John John Florence

There's a danger of some of the best people saying, 'I don't want a career in science.'

Quotes by John Gurdon

I have an old saying that the harder I work, the luckier I get.

Quotes by John Engler

When we got into office, the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as we'd been saying they were.

Quotes by John F. Kennedy

I am two fools, I know, for loving, and for saying so in whining poetry.

Quotes by John Donne

Poe's saying that a long poem is a sequence of short ones is perfectly just.

Quotes by John Drinkwater

I got a call from my agent saying you have an offer to voice a cartoon by the name of 'My Little Pony.' And that's pretty much what went in my ear. So I asked him the three questions that...

Quotes by John de Lancie

Many have criticized a federal carbon tax, saying that it would increase energy costs. Some continue to oppose it even when that revenue would be used to reduce other taxes in what's known as a tax swap.

Quotes by John Delaney

I'm not saying Obama is right on everything. Of course not. He may be wrong on a number of things. But what I do know is that he behaves like a very, very sane man almost all the time.

Quotes by John Cleese

There's no such thing as saying that we'll ever find the ultimate cause of stuff. We can only work to push our understanding one step further.

Quotes by John C. Mather

I have nothing to say, I am saying it, and that is poetry.

Quotes by John Cage

Let me begin by saying that I am one of those naturally wary people who considers the verb 'return' a kind of insidious threat.

Quotes by John Burnham Schwartz

Frequently Asked Questions

What do these Saying quotes explore?
These quotes look at how what people say gets received — from criticism about taking on different projects, to why writing for someone else's voice is hard, to messy family dynamics, and being misunderstood even when you're being honest. It's a mixed bag; for lighter, more upbeat lines, see our Good collection.
Is there a quote about facing criticism for trying different projects?
Yes — one quote recalls getting pushback from people saying things like, "Why does Whit Stillman think he can do a film about blacks in early '60s Jam..." after taking on projects outside the expected mold. The quote is cut short in our records, but the gist is clear: branching out invited some pointed questions.
Is there a quote about the challenge of writing for someone else?
Yes — one quote points out that it's "weird to try to write lyrics for somebody else," because they can't fully get behind what you're saying if they haven't experienced it themselves. This speaks to how personal voice shapes what rings true, a theme you'll also find in our I Am collection.
Is there a quote about family always forgiving you?
There is. One quote admits, "You always end up saying and doing such horrible things to your family, 'cause you know they're never going anywhere, and at some point, they're going to forgive you." For more on the word 'always' as a theme, see our Always collection.
Is there a quote about being honest even when it's not enough?
Yes — one quote reads, "I know what you're saying, but I already told you all the truth and I, I don't what, I don't know what else to do. I just do the best I can and tell you the only thing I can, and that's what I already..." It's a raw, honest moment about doing your best even when it doesn't resolve things. For more on knowing and understanding, see our Know collection.

A few lines describe the frustration of repeating oneself and still feeling misunderstood, a mood also present in I Am quotes, while the theme of consistency in what one says connects to Always quotes.