"Well, first of all, if you’re not—if you’ve never been on a soap box, it’s sort of awkward. You get up on a chair, and you look out—‘specially when the guy will precede you by saying “And the next speaker is Bill Bailey, a member of the Marine Workers Industrial Union, and a great—and this, and on—“, you know. They give you a big razzle-dazzle, and you get up there and you look out over a couple of hundred faces… Nobody’s laughing, no expression, you know, no nothing… You don’t know if they got a ham sandwich in their hand they’re gonna hit you with or what! And you’re supposed to razzle-dazzle them, you know, stir them, you know, really get ‘em up to where they’re screamin’ “Bloody murder!” Well, you know, and you get up there, and you’re mouth is dry, you know. Butterflies in your stomach. I mean, you’re complete emotional, ready to collapse, and the first thing you said to yourself, “I wish an earthquake takes place at this very minute,” you know. But anyway…! Like anything else, you take a deep breath, and you say your first word. And the second one comes out a little bit easier, after you get the word “Fellow-worker”, you know, out of your mouth—that’s the way it is. Then, bit by bit, you start warming up."
More by Bill Bailey (Spanish Civil War veteran)
See allResonant Thoughts
"In the coming year I must do a large painting which will definitely get me recognized for what I truly am, for I want all or nothing. All those little paintings are not the only thing that I can do.. …"
"There is nothing finer in the world than the telling of tales. Split atoms if you wish, but splitting an infinitive—and getting away with it—is far nobler. Lance boils if you wish, but pricking preten…"
Explore Further
Related Quotes
"Fun without sell gets nowhere, but sell without fun tends to become obnoxious."
— Leo Burnett"We measure everything by ourselves with almost a necessary conceit."
— Dejan Stojanovic"Here's the other big secret of comedy: the audience writes most of it. You kind of give them what you think…"
— Jerry Seinfeld"He was the rarest musician that his age did behold; having travelled beyond the seas, and compounded Englis…"
— John Dowland"Lon Snowden Praises Glenn Greenwald, ACLU After Split With Legal Team"
— Bruce Fein"Leroy Anderson was a crossover composer before anyone came up with the term. The voice of Leroy Anderson be…"
— Keith Lockhart