--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm sorry that I did not become the…" description: "\"I'm sorry that I did not become the world's first black classic pianist. I think I would have been happier.\" — Nina Simone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fe/nina-simone-3396_black_i-m-sorry-that-i-did-not-become-the-worl_1204632.png" --- # I'm sorry that I did not become the world's first black… ![“I'm sorry that I did not become the world's first black classic pianist. I think I would have been happier.” quote by Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fe/nina-simone-3396_black_i-m-sorry-that-i-did-not-become-the-worl_1204632.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fe/nina-simone-3396_black_i-m-sorry-that-i-did-not-become-the-worl_1204632.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fe/nina-simone-3396_black_i-m-sorry-that-i-did-not-become-the-worl_1204632.png) > “I'm sorry that I did not become the world's first black classic pianist. I think I would have been happier.” [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Regret over not pursuing a historic path that might have brought personal joy. **In simple terms:** Wishing for a different career path. Key Takeaway Consider what truly brings you happiness. Themes regret career identity race art Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career counseling - artistic ambition - personal fulfillment - cultural representation Key Concepts selfactualization social expectations historical firsts Questions to Reflect On - What does success mean to you? - How do societal expectations shape your choices? A Different Perspective Personal fulfillment may not align with public milestones. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black Classic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-classic-3626910/) [Classic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classic/) [Classic Pianist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classic-pianist-3626909/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [I m sorry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-m-sorry/) [Pianist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pianist/) [Pianist Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pianist-think-2888011/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Sorry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorry/) [Think Happier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-happier-501154/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I'm by no means a pianist. I think that's safe to say, but the piano, for me, I would say it's the enabler. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mvula/i-m-by-no-means-a-pianist-i-think-that-s-safe-to-say-but-the-piano/) [Laura Mvula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mvula/) > [At the age of 16, something happened with my finger and the doctor told me, you never can be a organist or pianist, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/at-the-age-of-16-something-happened-with-my-finger-and-the-doctor/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [It seems that a lot of people, who haven't known of me as a pianist, think I've just started off as a comedian. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dudley-moore/it-seems-that-a-lot-of-people-who-haven-t-known-of-me-as-a-pianist/) [Dudley Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dudley-moore/) > [When I was studying... there weren't any black concert pianists. My choices were intuitive, and I had the technique to do it. People have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/when-i-was-studying-there-weren-t-any-black-concert-pianists-my/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [Once I understood Bach's music, I wanted to be a concert pianist. Bach made me dedicate my life to music, and it was that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/once-i-understood-bach-s-music-i-wanted-to-be-a-concert-pianist-bach/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [By the time I was eight I was taking classical piano lessons and I wanted to be a concert pianist. But that didn't work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/by-the-time-i-was-eight-i-was-taking-classical-piano-lessons-and-i/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [That's a very high goal to have, study eight hours a day to be a concert pianist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/that-s-a-very-high-goal-to-have-study-eight-hours-a-day-to-be-a/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU CANT BE HAPPIER , LIFE COMES ALONG AND MAKES YOU HAPPIER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-paul-rose/just-when-you-think-you-cant-be-happier-life-comes-along-and-makes/) [LEONARD PAUL ROSE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-paul-rose/) > [If we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, and that is almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-only-wanted-to-be-happy-it-would-be-easy-but-we-want-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more we think of others, the happier we are. The more we think of ourselves, the more suffering we feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-more-we-think-of-others-the-happier-we-are-the-more-we-think-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [If I didn't think, I'd be much happier; if I didn't have any sex organs, I wouldn't waver on the brink of nervous emotion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/if-i-didn-t-think-i-d-be-much-happier-if-i-didn-t-have-any-sex-organs/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“If I had a camera," I said, "I'd take a picture of you every day. That way I'd remember how you looked every single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/if-i-had-a-camera-i-said-i-d-take-a-picture-of-you-every-day-that-way-2/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [We think that the more we have, the happier we will be. We never know what tomorrow might bring, so we collect and save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fumio-sasaki/we-think-that-the-more-we-have-the-happier-we-will-be-we-never-know/) [Fumio Sasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fumio-sasaki/) > [Once you get to that point when you can just be yourself and relax, I just think that you're so much happier in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-emerson/once-you-get-to-that-point-when-you-can-just-be-yourself-and-relax-i/) [Jacqueline Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-emerson/) > [“The fact that you got a little happier today doesn't change the fact that you also became a little sadder. Every day you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/the-fact-that-you-got-a-little-happier-today-doesn-t-change-the-fact/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) ## More by Nina Simone > [Music is one of the ways by which you can know everything which is going on in the world. You can feel... through music...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/music-is-one-of-the-ways-by-which-you-can-know-everything-which-is/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [My love is like the wind and wild is the wind. Give me more than one caress, satisfy my hungriness. Let the wind blow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/my-love-is-like-the-wind-and-wild-is-the-wind-give-me-more-than-one/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I can't stand loud guitars that make me deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-can-t-stand-loud-guitars-that-make-me-deaf/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I don't like to go to strange places. I was in Italy for about five hours on my way to Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-don-t-like-to-go-to-strange-places-i-was-in-italy-for-about-five/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [We have ordered things so long in a certain way, we are numb. Nobody dares question it. This is what is wrong, symbolically, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/we-have-ordered-things-so-long-in-a-certain-way-we-are-numb-nobody/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I wasn't a jazz player, but a classical musician, and I improvised arrangements of popular songs using classical motifs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-wasn-t-a-jazz-player-but-a-classical-musician-and-i-improvised/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I think the rich will eventually have to cave in too, because the economic situation around the world is not gonna tolerate the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-think-the-rich-will-eventually-have-to-cave-in-too-because-the/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [There's no excuse for the young...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/there-s-no-excuse-for-the-young/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [Everything that happened to me as a child involved music. It was part of everyday life, as automatic as breathing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/everything-that-happened-to-me-as-a-child-involved-music-it-was-part/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [When I was studying... there weren't any black concert pianists. My choices were intuitive, and I had the technique to do it. People have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/when-i-was-studying-there-weren-t-any-black-concert-pianists-my/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [You have to learn to get up from the table when love is not being served.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/you-have-to-learn-to-get-up-from-the-table-when-love-is-not-being/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [That's a very high goal to have, study eight hours a day to be a concert pianist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/that-s-a-very-high-goal-to-have-study-eight-hours-a-day-to-be-a/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," a song that was written for Simone, she confronted the band's lead singer, Eric Burdon. "So you're the honky,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/don-t-let-me-be-misunderstood-a-song-that-was-written-for-simone-she/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [This is the world you have made yourself, now you have to live in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/this-is-the-world-you-have-made-yourself-now-you-have-to-live-in-it/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I'll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. I mean really, no fear!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-ll-tell-you-what-freedom-is-to-me-no-fear-i-mean-really-no-fear/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) [Explore all 132 Nina Simone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) [Frank B. Wilderson III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-wilderson-iii/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) [Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm sorry that I did not become the world's first black classic pianist. 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