- Ma Rainey: They don't care nothin' about me. All they want is my voice. Well, I done learned that. And they gonna treat me the way I wanna be treated, no matter how much it hurt them.
- Levee: Life ain't shit. You can put it in a paper bag and carry it around with you. It ain't got no balls. Now death... . death got some style. Death will kick your ass and make you wish you never been born. That's how bad death is. But you can rule over life. Life ain't nothing. Nigga talking about life is fair and ain't got a pot to piss in.
- Levee: What I care about bad luck? You talking simple. I ain't had nothing but bad luck all my life. Couldn't get no worse. What the hell I care about some bad luck? Hell, I eat it every day for breakfast! You dumber than I thought you was... talkin' about 'bad luck.'
- Ma Rainey: The blues help you get out of bed in the morning. You get up knowing you ain't alone. There's something else in the world. Something's has been added by that song.
- Ma Rainey: White folk don't understand about the blues. They hear it come out, but they don't know how it got there. They don't understand that that's life's way of talking. You don't sing to feel better. You sing 'cause that's a way of understanding life.
- Levee: [Talking to God] Did you turn your back? Did you turn your back, motherfucker? Did you turn your back? Come on. Come on and turn your back on me. Turn your back on me! Come on, where is you? Come on and turn your back on me! Turn your back on me, motherfucker! I'll cut your heart out! Come on, what's the matter? Where is you? Come on and turn your back on me. Come on, what you scared of? Turn your back on me! Come on!
- [he scoffs]
- Levee: Coward motherfucker!
- [Pointing his knife at Cutler]
- Levee: Your God ain't shit, Cutler. Your God ain't shit.