--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Down here in the deep, dark South we know…" description: "\"“Down here in the deep, dark South we know and live with the real world. Candy-Land idealism is quietlly suffocated in the relentless humidity. This is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/damien-echols-9457_deep_down-here-in-the-deep-dark-south-we-know_3110546.jpg" --- # Down here in the deep, dark South we know and live with… ![“Down here in the deep, dark South we know and live with the real world. Candy-Land idealism is quietlly suffocated in the relentless humidity. This is the world where fist meets face. This is where the calluses on a man's hand are bigger than his conscience, and dreams get drowned in sweat and…” quote by Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/damien-echols-9457_deep_down-here-in-the-deep-dark-south-we-know_3110546.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/damien-echols-9457_deep_down-here-in-the-deep-dark-south-we-know_3110546.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/damien-echols-9457_deep_down-here-in-the-deep-dark-south-we-know_3110546.jpg) > ““Down here in the deep, dark South we know and live with the real world. Candy-Land idealism is quietlly suffocated in the relentless humidity. This is the world where fist meets face. This is where the calluses on a man's hand are bigger than his conscience, and dreams get drowned in sweat and tears.”” [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Harsh realities of a tough environment suppress idealism, highlighting struggle, physical hardship, and suppressed dreams. **In simple terms:** Hardship crushes dreams and idealism. Key Takeaway Recognize and address systemic hardship. Themes hardship realism dreams social inequality Mood somber critical Type social political When to use this quote - urban life - poverty - personal ambition Key Concepts sociology psychology environmental stress Questions to Reflect On - How can hope survive in such conditions? - What actions can alleviate these hardships? A Different Perspective Idealism may persist despite oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Calluses Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calluses-man-5431447/) [Dark South](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-south-5431448/) [Deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Land Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/land-idealism-5431449/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [Sweat and tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweat-and-tears/) ## Related quotes > [Classic mountaineering grows out of a traditional romantic imagination. Its heart is the feeling, its path is blood, sweat and tears, and its restriction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wojciech-kurtyka/classic-mountaineering-grows-out-of-a-traditional-romantic/) [Wojciech Kurtyka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wojciech-kurtyka/) > [When you steal from an artist you are stealing their blood, sweat and tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-shields/when-you-steal-from-an-artist-you-are-stealing-their-blood-sweat-and/) [Tyler Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-shields/) > [ It does not appear, nor is there any reason to believe that \[ Jeff Sessions\] will put policing reform front and center in the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/it-does-not-appear-nor-is-there-any-reason-to-believe-that-jeff/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [While marriage is many things, it is anything but sentimental. Marriage is glorious but hard. It's a burning joy and strength, and yet it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/while-marriage-is-many-things-it-is-anything-but-sentimental-marriage/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [A wholesome sense of humor will be a safety valve that will enable you to apply the lighter touch to heavy problems and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-b-brown/a-wholesome-sense-of-humor-will-be-a-safety-valve-that-will-enable/) [Hugh B. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-b-brown/) > [“I got a heart full of pain, head full of stress handfull of anger, held in my chest Uphill struggle Blood sweat and tears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linkin-park/i-got-a-heart-full-of-pain-head-full-of-stress-handfull-of-anger-held/) [Linkin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linkin-park/) > [Anyone who has been with me from the beginning has worked from the trenches with me and they've worked really hard. People that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halsey/anyone-who-has-been-with-me-from-the-beginning-has-worked-from-the/) [Halsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halsey/) > [More attention and thought goes into naming a character in 'Call Of Duty' than all the work that can go into certain movies. Blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-gaghan/more-attention-and-thought-goes-into-naming-a-character-in-call-of/) [Stephen Gaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-gaghan/) > [“And after all those hours in the locker room, all those nights on the team bus, all the conversations and all the jokes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/and-after-all-those-hours-in-the-locker-room-all-those-nights-on-the/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) > [I think this is really a defining moment for the Arab world. The problem is, it is all going to be about blood, sweat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-this-is-really-a-defining-moment-for-the-arab-world-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Someone has to really like you to go out there and physically get your CD. Shout out to everybody who actually paid for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginuwine/someone-has-to-really-like-you-to-go-out-there-and-physically-get/) [Ginuwine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginuwine/) > [“The wealth of data to be found in social and political life. The belief that people do not want to make sacrifices is notoriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-wealth-of-data-to-be-found-in-social-and-political-life-the/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [My life is the direct product, if you will, of the legacy of the blood, sweat and tears of the NAACP and so today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-william-brooks/my-life-is-the-direct-product-if-you-will-of-the-legacy-of-the-blood/) [Cornell William Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-william-brooks/) > [It is important to be conscious of the message that you're putting out there. It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gugu-mbatha-raw/it-is-important-to-be-conscious-of-the-message-that-you-re-putting/) [Gugu Mbatha-Raw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gugu-mbatha-raw/) > [Hard work, blood sweat and tears bring the biggest smiles, better understanding and appreciation to what you do have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gee-linder/hard-work-blood-sweat-and-tears-bring-the-biggest-smiles-better/) [Gee Linder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gee-linder/) ## More by Damien Echols > [“When we arrived we were met by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, both producers of the film. Lorri and I hadn't seen them in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/when-we-arrived-we-were-met-by-peter-jackson-and-fran-walsh-both/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“For a split second, I realize completely and absolutely that the season of winter is sentient, that there is an intelligence behind it. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/for-a-split-second-i-realize-completely-and-absolutely-that-the/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“I've been keeping an eye out for the Charlie Brown Valentine's Day special. I know it will be on soon, and I never miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/i-ve-been-keeping-an-eye-out-for-the-charlie-brown-valentine-s-day/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“Morphic field. That's what it's called when a certain kind of energy pattern is repeated over and over until it creates something like an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/morphic-field-that-s-what-it-s-called-when-a-certain-kind-of-energy/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“The jail clothes are designed to strip you of any identity and reduce you to a number. You don’t even feel like a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/the-jail-clothes-are-designed-to-strip-you-of-any-identity-and-reduce/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“The memory from Sundance that I hold dearest is a snowball fight. One night I went outside with Lorri, Peter Jackson, and Fran Walsh.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/the-memory-from-sundance-that-i-hold-dearest-is-a-snowball-fight-one/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“There is no time in prison, unless you create it for yourself. People on the outside seem to believe time passes slowly in prison,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/there-is-no-time-in-prison-unless-you-create-it-for-yourself-people/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“Nostalgia is the only friend that stays with you forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/nostalgia-is-the-only-friend-that-stays-with-you-forever/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“I learned a long time ago that you have to experience something for yourself or you never really comprehend it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/i-learned-a-long-time-ago-that-you-have-to-experience-something-for/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“What I crave more than anything today is to sit at an outdoor cafe on a cool autumn day. I just want to feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/what-i-crave-more-than-anything-today-is-to-sit-at-an-outdoor-cafe-on/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“We always watched horror movies. As a child I remember sitting up into the early hours of the morning watching horror movies with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/we-always-watched-horror-movies-as-a-child-i-remember-sitting-up-into/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“From now on I will live in a state of joyous expectation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/from-now-on-i-will-live-in-a-state-of-joyous-expectation/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“The older I grow, the more I understand what the burned woman meant. Things I was able to walk through unscathed in my youth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/the-older-i-grow-the-more-i-understand-what-the-burned-woman-meant/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“At home I used to walk through emotional wastelands where the lines on craggy faces were so deep that the wind whistled through them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/at-home-i-used-to-walk-through-emotional-wastelands-where-the-lines/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“At least I was capable of knowing there was some other kind of life possible, even if I was having trouble achieving it. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/at-least-i-was-capable-of-knowing-there-was-some-other-kind-of-life/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) [Explore all 72 Damien Echols quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) ## More Deep quotes > [There is no precedent of an advanced economy withdrawing from a trade agreement as deep and as complex as the European Union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-johnson/there-is-no-precedent-of-an-advanced-economy-withdrawing-from-a-trade/) [Jo Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-johnson/) > [I'm just going to express my opinion and try to change the way people think with the stuff I write or try to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-m-just-going-to-express-my-opinion-and-try-to-change-the-way-people/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [I don't feel I have to write deep and meaningful songs; they can be light and meaningless. It has to do with the place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-diamond/i-don-t-feel-i-have-to-write-deep-and-meaningful-songs-they-can-be/) [Neil Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-diamond/) > [From time to time I look at the picture when I am very sad. I just want to remember my past and that scene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/from-time-to-time-i-look-at-the-picture-when-i-am-very-sad-i-just/) [Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/) > [“Haunted by the longing to feel something real, deep and magical; I searched for a shared ecstasy... that's when you came along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/haunted-by-the-longing-to-feel-something-real-deep-and-magical-i/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [And I always think of life like a giant wave. You know, it rises and it crests and it flies, and it's just magnificent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-seymour/and-i-always-think-of-life-like-a-giant-wave-you-know-it-rises-and-it/) [Jane Seymour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-seymour/) > [Extremist perspectives win sympathy and recruits because they offer narratives that claim to identify deep injustices and enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-gahr-store/extremist-perspectives-win-sympathy-and-recruits-because-they-offer/) [Jonas Gahr Store](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-gahr-store/) > [I want to have a lengthy career. I want to play interesting characters. I want to tell beautiful stories, complex stories, deep stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jovan-adepo/i-want-to-have-a-lengthy-career-i-want-to-play-interesting-characters/) [Jovan Adepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jovan-adepo/) > [We all have love hidden deep inside us. It just takes that special person to look hard enough to find it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-have-love-hidden-deep-inside-us-it-just-takes-that-special/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [They say a picture paints a thousand words. Well I say my eyes will tell you everything you need to know. Can you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemis-khan/they-say-a-picture-paints-a-thousand-words-well-i-say-my-eyes-will/) [Kemis Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemis-khan/) > [I had a brilliant relationship with Thomas Tuchel. We spoke a lot, not only on the surface, but really deep about football and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-farke/i-had-a-brilliant-relationship-with-thomas-tuchel-we-spoke-a-lot-not/) [Daniel Farke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-farke/) > [I want to go deep into fashion; I want to go maybe into acting. There's a lot of stuff I would like to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-peep/i-want-to-go-deep-into-fashion-i-want-to-go-maybe-into-acting-there-s/) [Lil Peep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-peep/) > [The personal, if it is deep enough, becomes universal, mythical, symbolic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/the-personal-if-it-is-deep-enough-becomes-universal-mythical-symbolic/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [It's fun, and a laugh for you... you can boo me and feel happy about yourself because you're part of the crowd that did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-goodes/it-s-fun-and-a-laugh-for-you-you-can-boo-me-and-feel-happy-about/) [Adam Goodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-goodes/) > [We should bathe our spirits in the deep, pure feeling that stirs within us when we gaze on the glories of His creation. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/we-should-bathe-our-spirits-in-the-deep-pure-feeling-that-stirs/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) [Browse all 3,514 Deep quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Down here in the deep, dark South we know and live with the real world. Candy-Land idealism is quietlly suffocated in the relentless humidity. This is the world where fist meets face. This is where the calluses on a man's hand are bigger than his conscience, and dreams get drowned in sweat and tears.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Damien Echols" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/down-here-in-the-deep-dark-south-we-know-and-live-with-the-real-world/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deep" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/down-here-in-the-deep-dark-south-we-know-and-live-with-the-real-world/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/damien-echols-9457_deep_down-here-in-the-deep-dark-south-we-know_3110546.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/damien-echols-9457_deep_down-here-in-the-deep-dark-south-we-know_3110546.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/damien-echols-9457_deep_down-here-in-the-deep-dark-south-we-know_3110546.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Down here in the deep, dark South we know and live with the real world. Candy-Land idealism is quietlly…” — Damien Echols", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Damien Echols", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Down here in the deep, dark...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/down-here-in-the-deep-dark-south-we-know-and-live-with-the-real-world/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/down-here-in-the-deep-dark-south-we-know-and-live-with-the-real-world/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```