---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Them pains, when blues pains grab you…"
description: "\"Them pains, when blues pains grab you, you'll sing the blues right.\" — Otis Rush"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/otis-rush-41471_blues_them-pains-when-blues-pains-grab-you-you_1566739.png"
---

#  Them pains, when blues pains grab you, you'll sing the…

![“Them pains, when blues pains grab you, you'll sing the blues right.” quote by Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/otis-rush-41471_blues_them-pains-when-blues-pains-grab-you-you_1566739.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/otis-rush-41471_blues_them-pains-when-blues-pains-grab-you-you_1566739.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/otis-rush-41471_blues_them-pains-when-blues-pains-grab-you-you_1566739.png)

> “Them pains, when blues pains grab you, you'll sing the blues right.”

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Feeling pain can inspire artistic expression, turning sorrow into music.

**In simple terms:** Pain can spark creativity.

Key Takeaway

Channel pain into art.

Themes

music emotion creativity

Mood

melancholic reflective

Type

artistic emotional

When to use this quote

- personal loss
- heartbreak
- musical performance

Key Concepts

blues catharsis

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you transform personal pain into creative work?
- What emotions do you express through music?

A Different Perspective

Art may not fully heal emotional wounds.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Blues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/)

## Related quotes

> [God made Blues right after he made woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/god-made-blues-right-after-he-made-woman/)

[B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/)

> [“white or black. rich or﻿ poor. if you ever had your heart broke you have right to sing the blues”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-mama-thornton/white-or-black-rich-or-poor-if-you-ever-had-your-heart-broke-you-have/)

Big mama Thornton

> [But what I like to sing mostly is blues and cabaret style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moira-kelly/but-what-i-like-to-sing-mostly-is-blues-and-cabaret-style/)

[Moira Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moira-kelly/)

> [You gotta pay your dues to sing the blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-plum-ucci/you-gotta-pay-your-dues-to-sing-the-blues/)

[Carol Plum-Ucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-plum-ucci/)

> [Most people say, 'Well, Earl, you sing the blues,' or however they want to categorize it. I just sing songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-king/most-people-say-well-earl-you-sing-the-blues-or-however-they-want-to/)

[Earl King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-king/)

> [I can sing the blues and I have sung the blues. I feel it internally when I'm singing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-porter/i-can-sing-the-blues-and-i-have-sung-the-blues-i-feel-it-internally/)

[Gregory Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-porter/)

> [I used to sing spirituals when I thought that this was the thing I wanted to do but somehow or another, when I went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bb-king/i-used-to-sing-spirituals-when-i-thought-that-this-was-the-thing-i/)

[BB King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bb-king/)

> [Whenever I sing blues from the '50s or the kind of blues that you might have heard Eric Clapton or Duane Allman emulate, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/whenever-i-sing-blues-from-the-50s-or-the-kind-of-blues-that-you/)

[Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/)

> [I have heartaches, I have blues. No matter what you got, the blues is there. 'Cause that's all I know - the blues. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-hooker/i-have-heartaches-i-have-blues-no-matter-what-you-got-the-blues-is/)

[John Lee Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-hooker/)

> [“white or black. rich or﻿ poor. if you ever had your heart broken you have right to sing the blues”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-mama-thornton/white-or-black-rich-or-poor-if-you-ever-had-your-heart-broken-you/)

Big Mama Thornton

> [Nobody can tell you how the blues feel unless they have the blues. We all take it differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/nobody-can-tell-you-how-the-blues-feel-unless-they-have-the-blues-we/)

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

> [Everyone in this house and the houses next door knows when I'm in the sauna because I start singing, and I sing the blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flip-wilson/everyone-in-this-house-and-the-houses-next-door-knows-when-i-m-in-the/)

[Flip Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flip-wilson/)

> [It's okay to sing the blues once in a while, but don't let it become your favourite song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/efiosiugbore/it-s-okay-to-sing-the-blues-once-in-a-while-but-don-t-let-it-become/)

@efiosiugbore

> [When we sing the blues, we're singin' out our hearts, we're singing out our feelings. Maybe we're hurt and just can't answer back, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/when-we-sing-the-blues-we-re-singin-out-our-hearts-we-re-singing-out/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [Hey, White, you know where your loyalties are? Right here. The old pinstripes. No! You never wore them... So you have a right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-rizzuto/hey-white-you-know-where-your-loyalties-are-right-here-the-old/)

[Phil Rizzuto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-rizzuto/)

## More by Otis Rush

> [Nobody can tell you how the blues feel unless they have the blues. We all take it differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/nobody-can-tell-you-how-the-blues-feel-unless-they-have-the-blues-we/)

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

> [Oh, I was working occasionally in and out of New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/oh-i-was-working-occasionally-in-and-out-of-new-york/)

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

> [I'll sit around and play my guitar; that's how I write tunes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/i-ll-sit-around-and-play-my-guitar-that-s-how-i-write-tunes/)

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

> [I used to just sign papers and not pay no attention to what I'm signing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/i-used-to-just-sign-papers-and-not-pay-no-attention-to-what-i-m/)

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

> [I was staying with my sister and messing around with the guitar every day for my own amusement. Then she took me around and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/i-was-staying-with-my-sister-and-messing-around-with-the-guitar-every/)

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

> [A guy will promise you the world and give you nothin', and that's the blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/a-guy-will-promise-you-the-world-and-give-you-nothin-and-that-s-the/)

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

> [I didn't know Albert back then - I just learned to play that way. He and I were the only guys that played left-handed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/i-didn-t-know-albert-back-then-i-just-learned-to-play-that-way-he-and/)

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

> [I used to listen to country and western and blues, John Lee Hooker, spirituals, the Bluegrass Boys, and Eddie Arnold. There was a radio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/i-used-to-listen-to-country-and-western-and-blues-john-lee-hooker/)

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

> [I picked all the tunes before I went to Memphis, and the band was all set. Willie Mitchell is an arranger like I am,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-rush/i-picked-all-the-tunes-before-i-went-to-memphis-and-the-band-was-all/)

[Otis Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

[Explore all 10 Otis Rush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-rush/)

## More Blues quotes

> [If they played more blues, people would just get it - they try to hold it back but just about can't hold it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-hooker/if-they-played-more-blues-people-would-just-get-it-they-try-to-hold/)

[John Lee Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-hooker/)

> [I love Las Vegas, but I never get a chance to play a club like the House of Blues. I guess we've graduated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/i-love-las-vegas-but-i-never-get-a-chance-to-play-a-club-like-the/)

[Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/)

> [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/)

[Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/)

> [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/)

[Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/)

> [I guess what I like is mostly country &amp; western or else stuff that has a real blues feel to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-guess-what-i-like-is-mostly-country-western-or-else-stuff-that-has/)

[Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/)

> [I'm a rock/blues guitar player. I'm not wanting to be a pop star or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orianthi/i-m-a-rock-blues-guitar-player-i-m-not-wanting-to-be-a-pop-star-or/)

[Orianthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orianthi/)

> [An element I love about the blues is jamming with other musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hoey/an-element-i-love-about-the-blues-is-jamming-with-other-musicians/)

[Gary Hoey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hoey/)

> [Well, I don't know how they define that. But they have this Texas blues thing blown kinda out of proportion. I am a Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hunter/well-i-don-t-know-how-they-define-that-but-they-have-this-texas-blues/)

[John Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hunter/)

> [Since I was a kid, I've had an absolute obsession with particular kinds of American music. Mississippi Delta blues of the Thirties, Chicago blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/since-i-was-a-kid-i-ve-had-an-absolute-obsession-with-particular/)

[Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/)

> [James Cotton is a real blues guy, and he played with Muddy Waters, and it surprised me that they would want me to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-haden/james-cotton-is-a-real-blues-guy-and-he-played-with-muddy-waters-and/)

[Charlie Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-haden/)

> [When I discovered blues - I was 12-years-old - I didn't discover it in America where it was from; I discovered it from Fleetwood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/when-i-discovered-blues-i-was-12-years-old-i-didn-t-discover-it-in/)

[Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/)

> [Elvis deserves a lot of credit for bringing the blues to middle America, not the Vegas stuff. The early stuff, The Sun records, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tork/elvis-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-bringing-the-blues-to-middle/)

[Peter Tork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tork/)

> [Old-school rock bands, and blues bands, too, are kind of a dying breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-rossington/old-school-rock-bands-and-blues-bands-too-are-kind-of-a-dying-breed/)

[Gary Rossington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-rossington/)

> [My favorite moment of the whole thing was when John Belushi suggested that I get a hold of all the blues records I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-cropper/my-favorite-moment-of-the-whole-thing-was-when-john-belushi-suggested/)

[Steve Cropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-cropper/)

> [I listened to King Oliver and I listened to Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp... I listened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/i-listened-to-king-oliver-and-i-listened-to-louis-armstrong-jelly/)

[Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/)

[Browse all 1,026 Blues quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/)

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