--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fonny and I just sat there... while the…" description: "\"Fonny and I just sat there... while the voices of the congregation rose and rose around us, without mercy... Teddy had the tambourine, and gave the cue..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/james-a-baldwin-2080_brain_fonny-and-i-just-sat-there-while-the-voi_1340180.jpg" --- # Fonny and I just sat there... while the voices of the… ![“Fonny and I just sat there... while the voices of the congregation rose and rose around us, without mercy... Teddy had the tambourine, and gave the cue to the piano player-I never got to know him: a long dark, evil-looking brother, with hands made for strangling; and with these hands he attacked…” quote by James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/james-a-baldwin-2080_brain_fonny-and-i-just-sat-there-while-the-voi_1340180.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/james-a-baldwin-2080_brain_fonny-and-i-just-sat-there-while-the-voi_1340180.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/james-a-baldwin-2080_brain_fonny-and-i-just-sat-there-while-the-voi_1340180.jpg) > “Fonny and I just sat there... while the voices of the congregation rose and rose around us, without mercy... Teddy had the tambourine, and gave the cue to the piano player-I never got to know him: a long dark, evil-looking brother, with hands made for strangling; and with these hands he attacked the keyboard like he was beating the brains out of someone he remembered. No doubt the congregation had their memories, too, and they went to pieces. The church began to rock.” [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intense emotional turmoil can erupt in communal settings, revealing hidden pain. **In simple terms:** Strong feelings can surface in groups. Key Takeaway Recognize and manage personal triggers. Themes pain memory music community Mood somber introspective Type narrative emotive When to use this quote - church services - concerts - public gatherings - therapy sessions Key Concepts trauma expression collective experience Questions to Reflect On - How does shared space amplify personal grief? - What coping strategies help in group settings? A Different Perspective Emotions may be overwhelming for others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Congregation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congregation/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Mercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercy/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piano/) [Piano Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piano-player/) [Rock music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-music/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rose/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [Jesus Christ rose from the grave.' With this proclamation, the Christian church began. This may be the fundamental element of Christian faith; certainly it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/jesus-christ-rose-from-the-grave-with-this-proclamation-the-christian/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [I grew up in the church and began to recite set pieces at the age of four and five, like many of the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-grew-up-in-the-church-and-began-to-recite-set-pieces-at-the-age-of/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [“Oh, I was two seconds from jumping on his back and strangling him from behind… with love, of course.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/oh-i-was-two-seconds-from-jumping-on-his-back-and-strangling-him-from/) [Jennifer L. 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Her face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/so-ever-get-the-urge-to-drown-anyone-ariadne-asked-no-andy-replied/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“It's always best to avoid strangling the person you're on a date with. No matter how crazy he makes you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-papademetriou/it-s-always-best-to-avoid-strangling-the-person-you-re-on-a-date-with/) [Lisa Papademetriou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-papademetriou/) > [I gotta friend who spends his life, stabbing my picture with a bowie knife. Dreams of strangling me with a scarf, when my name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/i-gotta-friend-who-spends-his-life-stabbing-my-picture-with-a-bowie/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [“What are you imagining? Your expression is filthy.” “Strangling you. Bare hands.” I can barely get the words out. I’m huskier than a phone-sex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-thorne/what-are-you-imagining-your-expression-is-filthy-strangling-you-bare/) [Sally Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-thorne/) > [My dad was proud of himself when he farted. He sounds like he's strangling a chicken when he farts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-barron/my-dad-was-proud-of-himself-when-he-farted-he-sounds-like-he-s/) Carl Barron ## More by James A. Baldwin > [One cannot deny the humanity of another without diminishing one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/one-cannot-deny-the-humanity-of-another-without-diminishing-one-s-own/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/all-i-know-about-music-is-that-not-many-people-ever-really-hear-it/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [I've always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/i-ve-always-believed-that-you-can-think-positive-just-as-well-as-you/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the Cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-white-man-discovered-the-cross-by-way-of-the-bible-but-the-black/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The American ideal of sexuality appears to be rooted in the American ideal of masculinity. This idea has created cowboys and Indians, good guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-of-sexuality-appears-to-be-rooted-in-the-american/) [James A. 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Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Most people... find a disorientating mismatch between the long-term nature of their liabilities and the increasingly short-term nature of their assets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/most-people-find-a-disorientating-mismatch-between-the-long-term/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) [Explore all 187 James A. Baldwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) ## More Attacked quotes > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/) [John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/) > [With what all these people are saying, do you think that anybody wants to be around me? They all think that I did this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/with-what-all-these-people-are-saying-do-you-think-that-anybody-wants/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [Nine out of every 10 large corporations and government agencies have been attacked by computer intruders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/nine-out-of-every-10-large-corporations-and-government-agencies-have/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I just put myself in a hotel and was smoking coke for a while. Then I met up with the wrong people. I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/i-just-put-myself-in-a-hotel-and-was-smoking-coke-for-a-while-then-i/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [“Do you mean you were attacked from behind?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/do-you-mean-you-were-attacked-from-behind/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [I am one of the most attacked persons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jair-bolsonaro/i-am-one-of-the-most-attacked-persons/) [Jair Bolsonaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jair-bolsonaro/) > [I'm always ready to be attacked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-votto/i-m-always-ready-to-be-attacked/) [Joey Votto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-votto/) > [I prefer to be at home with my husband and children than attacked by photographers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-princess-of-hanover/i-prefer-to-be-at-home-with-my-husband-and-children-than-attacked-by/) [Caroline, Princess of Hanover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-princess-of-hanover/) > [When Gingrich attacked CNN's John King for bringing up his alleged proposal of an open marriage to his second wife, Gingrich accused him of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/when-gingrich-attacked-cnn-s-john-king-for-bringing-up-his-alleged/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Progress is always relative: to the oppressed, it can only be viewed as an all or nothing deal - if oppression continues, even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/progress-is-always-relative-to-the-oppressed-it-can-only-be-viewed-as/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [ \[On her seven-month-old son:\] When people see me carrying him in the street they think I'm being attacked by a short, bald man. But… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hurley/on-her-seven-month-old-son-when-people-see-me-carrying-him-in-the/) [Elizabeth Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hurley/) > [I have been attacked and mistreated for my skin colour since I was a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for-my-skin-colour-since-i-was-a/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Therefore, if you are attacked, retaliate instantly. Be sudden. Be quick. Speed is your salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/therefore-if-you-are-attacked-retaliate-instantly-be-sudden-be-quick/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [“His life was a constant war with insensate objects that fell apart, or attacked him, or refused to function, or viciously got themselves lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/his-life-was-a-constant-war-with-insensate-objects-that-fell-apart-or/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) Browse all 244 Attacked quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Fonny and I just sat there... while the voices of the congregation rose and rose around us, without mercy... Teddy had the tambourine, and gave the cue to the piano player-I never got to know him: a long dark, evil-looking brother, with hands made for strangling; and with these hands he attacked the keyboard like he was beating the brains out of someone he remembered. No doubt the congregation had their memories, too, and they went to pieces. The church began to rock.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James A. 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