Kate Smith Quotes

I get even more nervous singing when everyone's fallen silent, but I really try to communicate the meaning of the lyrics, and there's people there listening to that, and if they're moved by it, then I'm moved as well.

I've had a wordless phase, and that's still not entirely over: what I sing is not always literally meant that way, and you can hear that in the way it is sung.

Establishing a style is important, it really is, but a lot of singers get so involved with their instrument, and more so than they do in what they're singing. I think you really have to think about what you're singing. You have to make the public believe what you're singing. And in order to do that, you have to believe it.

My songs were always about the tone of voice rather than the words.

There are many songs that have become popular and people sing along with it without knowing the meaning of its lyrics.

You know, when I did 'American Idol' the three times, I tried to tell these kids you have to tell the story of the lyric.

It's a unique thing to stand in front of a crowd and sing your songs.

I tend to explain my songs.

Nobody sang better than my mom. That's why I've never even thought of singing for singing sake. I've always thought of a song as an acting piece, as a way to say something.

Many performance poets seem to believe that yelling a poem makes it comprehensible. They are wrong.

I didn't think of myself as a singer. I'm an actor who recites words, and sometimes that happens to be on musical notes.

In song the same rule applies as in dramatic verse: the meaning must yield itself, or yield itself sufficiently to arouse the attention and interest, in real time.

For singers, I believe we can sing in a lot of keys. I know I have this big range, but the point is to find a key that emotionally connects people.

If you're going to make a film, and you're going to have dialogue, and you want to take the characters seriously, let's understand what they're saying. If there is going to be technical dialogue, let's render it in a way that the audience can understand it and expect that it's not going to be so far over their heads.

I firmly believe lyrics have to breathe and give the audience's ear a chance to understand what's going on. Particularly in the theater, where you have costume, story, acting, orchestra.

Starting in music, where I get a chance to connect with the lyrics of a song, I learned so much about performing on stage and connecting to your audience and to what you're singing about. Singing is very emotional. Every song has its own purpose.

My advice to singers is always the same: 'Don't sing the song, sing the lyric.'

Nobody ever thinks a song is about them. Well, not when it's mean. When it's a good song everybody thinks it's about them. And when it's mean, nobody thinks it's about them.

Singing beautiful melodies is one thing, but to deliver the text so that the people understand it, even in a foreign language, has to be worked at very hard.

I learnt early on that your audience take the songs in the way they want to rather than the way you might want them too.

Throughout my career, if I have done anything, I have paid attention to every note and every word I sing - if I respect the song. If I cannot project this to a listener, I fail.

It is a very serious consideration for a lyricist to step in there and suggest the meaning to a song. The music is speaking for itself.

Our songs aren't metaphorical, normally: they're literal in their interpretation.

My plays have been performed before children, workers, and peasants, and they have well understood the meaning of my theatre. What is needed for people to watch my theatre is a freshness and openness of mind.

When you don't know how to pronounce words, when you don't know the meaning of the words, how will you imbibe a song with feeling?