My Mother Always Wanted Me

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 To Sing And Couldn't Wait To Be Smokin' A Cigarette, You Know?

When Malcolm X Was Assassinated I Was Working At The Apollo. They Brought His Body To The Unity Funeral Home, Which Was Around The Corner.

My Mother Always Wanted Me To Be A Jazz Singer, But I Always Wanted To Be Raunchy.

When I'm Singing The Blues, I'm Singing Life.

People That Can't Stand To Listen To The Blues, They've Got To Be Phonies.