Alicia Keys

Musicians have a really big part to play in spreading messages because they’re able to reach a large portion of people on an emotional level. Artists reach people at their heart; it’s the only time we meet in one place and put our differences aside. When you’re in a forum listening to music, all you feel in that moment is love and the understanding.

There are certain things we come into this world having to defeat.

First I was working on classical music that didn’t move me at all. I hated it. So I decided to discover the kinds of classical music that did move me—like Chopin, Satie, Beethoven, and certain Mozart songs. Mozart would play a counterpart with his left hand while using his right to mock it. It was blue, dark, shadowy and it made me feel something. That’s when I realized music was inside me.

My wish for us all is to love and adore ourselves just as much as we do everyone else!

They say that every child learns from their mother – it’s ingrained from babyhood.

On my album Here, that’s the first time that I’ve really understood how I could put all the things that were happening in the world and in my life and in our lives as just human beings into one body that was just so powerful and really had a perspective. That was an opening for me and I think that naturally, there is just so much to talk about. I don’t see me getting quiet anytime soon.

People only see what they are prepared to see.

I was exceedingly delighted with the waltz, and also with the polka. These differ in name, but there the difference ceases

I think probably kindness is my number one attribute in a human being. I’ll put it before any of the things like courage or bravery or generosity or anything else.

There is nothing capricious in nature and the implanting of a desire indicates that its gratification is in the constitution of the creature that feel it.

Nothing astonishes people so much as common sense and plain dealing.

From a worldly point of view, there is no mistake so great as that of being always right.

Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth.

The best effort of a fine person is felt after we have left their presence.

When we get to wishing a great deal for ourselves, whatever we get soon turns into mere limitation and exclusion.

All the reasonings of men are not worth one sentiment of women.

Words will not fail when the matter is well considered.

Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it.

More than once I had seen a noble who had gotten his enemy at a disadvantage stop to pray before cutting his throat.

Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.

All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong.