Sedulia's Quotations

Johnny Hallyday and Edith Piaf

[French singer Edith] Piaf came to see me sing every evening. I was flattered and uncomfortable. I didn't talk much while eating my pasta, and people must have thought I was putting up with her compliments. I was sitting next to her, and in the middle of the meal, I felt her hand going up my thigh. I asked Bruno where the bathrooms were. They were near the front door. I hesitated, then I went out and took off running. I fled from Piaf. I was practically a virgin at the time. I couldn't see myself in her bed. For me, she was an old lady.

  --Popular French singer Johnny Hallyday (1943- ) in an interview with Le Parisien to promote his new autobiography Dans mes yeux

Piaf était venue me voir chanter tous les soirs. J’étais flatté, mal à l’aise. Je ne parlais pas trop en mangeant mes pâtes et on devait avoir l’impression que je subissais les compliments. Je m’assieds à côté d’elle et, au milieu du repas, je sens sa main qui monte sur ma cuisse. Je demande les toilettes à Bruno. Elles étaient proches de la porte d’entrée. J’ai hésité, puis je suis sorti et je me suis barré en courant. J’ai fui Piaf. J’étais presque puceau, à l’époque. Je ne me voyais pas dans son lit. Pour moi, c’était une vieille dame.

Rilke via Lady Gaga: You would die if you were forbidden to write

In the deepest hour of the night, confess to yourself that you would die if you were forbidden to write. And look deep into your heart where it spreads its roots, the answer, and ask yourself: "Must I write?"

--Quotation by Rainer Maria Rilke, tattooed on Lady Gaga's arm. From article by Caitlin Moran in the London Times online.

Queen Elizabeth II dances to "Dancing Queen" because "I am the queen and I like to dance."

This is the best queen story ever. A friend of mine went to a dinner at Windsor Castle hosted by the queen, there was a couple of hundred people there, it was a special occasion for him.

The meal was had, the speeches were made and then the disco commenced, it was one of those posh dos, a dinner dance. It was a proper disco with proper music, proper disco music.

Now did the queen stick around or did she disappear? She stuck around because apparently she loves to get down on the dance floor, so she goes on the dance floor at which point people were going, "Ooh look, she's going to have a dance."

And what was the song being played? It was "Dancing Queen" by Abba.

She was on the floor and everybody said, "My goodness me, there is the Dancing Queen."

According to the presenter, the queen appreciated the irony of the situation -- and even makes a point of dancing when she hears the song.

That is a true story and she said audibly, "I always try to dance when this song comes on because I am the queen and I like to dance."

    --British BBC 2 D.J. Chris Evans, as quoted on The Monsters and the Critics

A's head teacher disapproves of studying to music

To study while listening to music is the most sinister thing imaginable.

     --A's head teacher in Paris

Travailler en écoutant de la musique est la chose le plus sinistre qu'on puisse imaginer.