--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I sing, I play in my mind; the…" description: "\"When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.\" — B. B. King" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f0/b-b-king-4531_mind_when-i-sing-i-play-in-my-mind-the-minute_1954126.png" --- # When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing… ![“When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.” quote by B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f0/b-b-king-4531_mind_when-i-sing-i-play-in-my-mind-the-minute_1954126.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f0/b-b-king-4531_mind_when-i-sing-i-play-in-my-mind-the-minute_1954126.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f0/b-b-king-4531_mind_when-i-sing-i-play-in-my-mind-the-minute_1954126.png) > “When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.” [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The musician describes an internal, continuous musical imagination that persists even when not physically singing, highlighting the inseparable link between mind and music. **In simple terms:** My mind keeps singing even when I stop. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner musical imagination. Themes music creativity mind artistic expression Mood inspired contemplative Type artistic cognitive When to use this quote - performance - songwriting - mental rehearsal Key Concepts cognitive processes musical imagination Questions to Reflect On - How does inner music affect your creativity? - Can you practice mental rehearsal in other fields? A Different Perspective May not apply to non‑musicians. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of the way I sing is playing off other musicians. It's what I love to do the most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/a-lot-of-the-way-i-sing-is-playing-off-other-musicians-it-s-what-i/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [I've never done any vocal warm ups, ever. As a matter of fact, I learned to sing playing three sets a night in smoky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-carmen/i-ve-never-done-any-vocal-warm-ups-ever-as-a-matter-of-fact-i-learned/) [Eric Carmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-carmen/) > [I love to sing and play. I love sports and I am very serious about everything I do in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-love-to-sing-and-play-i-love-sports-and-i-am-very-serious-about/) [Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/) > [I wish I could sing or play an instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid-agren/i-wish-i-could-sing-or-play-an-instrument/) [Sigrid Agren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid-agren/) > [If you can sing it, you can play it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-mclean/if-you-can-sing-it-you-can-play-it/) Jackie McLean > [Anywhere I could sing or play - I learned to play piano early on - I would, so charity gigs, church, the school talent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raye/anywhere-i-could-sing-or-play-i-learned-to-play-piano-early-on-i/) [Raye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raye/) > [If I could sing and play like Lightnin' Hopkins, I would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dion-dimucci/if-i-could-sing-and-play-like-lightnin-hopkins-i-would/) [Dion DiMucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dion-dimucci/) > [I love to get people to sing and play together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-shear/i-love-to-get-people-to-sing-and-play-together/) [Jules Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-shear/) > [I've always known the kind of songs I wanted to sing and play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-williams-iii/i-ve-always-known-the-kind-of-songs-i-wanted-to-sing-and-play/) [Hank Williams III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-williams-iii/) > [I sing and play the guitar, and I'm a walking, talking bacterial infection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/i-sing-and-play-the-guitar-and-i-m-a-walking-talking-bacterial/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [I think I was put on earth to sing and play music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-sedaka/i-think-i-was-put-on-earth-to-sing-and-play-music/) [Neil Sedaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-sedaka/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## More by B. B. King > [Blues purists never cared for me. I don't worry about it. I think if it this way: When I made 'Three O' Clock Blues,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/blues-purists-never-cared-for-me-i-don-t-worry-about-it-i-think-if-it/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but no one wants to die to get there!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/everybody-wants-to-go-to-heaven-but-no-one-wants-to-die-to-get-there/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [My ex-wife was trying to be nice once, so she took me to a concert in Los Angeles. I went with her to Symphony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/my-ex-wife-was-trying-to-be-nice-once-so-she-took-me-to-a-concert-in/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [When I do eventually drop, I pray to God that it'll happen in one of three ways. Firstly, on stage or leaving the stage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/when-i-do-eventually-drop-i-pray-to-god-that-it-ll-happen-in-one-of/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [Many people leave the country to see beautiful places. 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King quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) ## More Mind quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [“William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/william-didn-t-look-like-he-d-be-difficult-about-anything-he-was-thin/) [Patricia C. 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A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [“Picking locks was not a skill he had ever cultivated, but he persisted day after day, turning the tip of his talon into different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/picking-locks-was-not-a-skill-he-had-ever-cultivated-but-he-persisted/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not here trying to convince anybody to vote for Donald Trump. 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