“We have to be able to criticizewhat we love,say what we have to say.Cause if you're not trying to make something better thenas far as I can tellyou are just in the way.”

“when I was four years oldthey tried to test my I.Q.they showed me a pictureof 3 oranges and a pearthey said,which one is different?it does not belongthey taught me different is wrongbut when I was 13 years oldI woke up one morningthighs covered in bloodlike a warlike a warningthat I live in a breakable takeable bodyan ever-increasingly valuable bodythat a woman had come in the night to replace medeface mesee,my body is borrowedyeah, I got it on loanfor the time in between my mom and some maggotsI don't need anyone to hold meI can hold my ownI got highways for stretchmarkssee where I've grownI sing sometimeslike my life is at stake'cause you're only as loudas the noises you makeI'm learning to laugh as hardas I can listen'cause silenceis violencein women and poor peopleif more people were screaming then I could relaxbut a good brain ain't diddleyif you don't have the factswe live in a breakable takeable worldan ever available possible worldand we can make musiclike we can make dogenius is in a back beatbackseat to nothing if you're dancingespecially something stupidlike I.Q.for every lie I unlearnI learn something newI sing sometimes for the war that I fight'cause every tool is a weapon -if you hold it right.”

“We get a little further from perfection, each year on the road,I guess that's what they call character,I guess that's just the way it goes,better to be dusty than polished,like some store window mannequin,why don't you touch me where i'm rusty,let me stain your hands”

“I have something to prove, as long as I know there's something that needs improvement, and you know that everytime I move, I make a woman's movement.”

“we can't afford to do anyone harmbecause we owe them our liveseach breath is recycled from someone else's lungsour enemies are the very air in disguiseyou can talk a great philosophybut if you can't be kind to peopleevery dayit doesn't mean that much to meit's the little things you dothe little things you sayit's the love you give along the way”

“Maybe you can keep me from never being happy, but you're not going to stop me from HAVING FUN!”

“I love my country, by which I mean I am indebted joyfully to all the people throughout its history, who have fought the government to make right. Where so many cunning sons and daughters, our foremothers and forefathers came singing through slaughter, came through hell and high water so that we could stand here, and behold breathlessly the sight; how a raging river of tears cut a grand canyon of light. Why can't all decent men and women call themselves feminists, out of respect for those that fought for this?”