--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Little Richard opens his mouth, and out…" description: "\"Little Richard opens his mouth, and out comes liberation.\" — Steven Van Zandt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cce/steven-van-zandt-3490_freedom_little-richard-opens-his-mouth-and-out-c_1856685.png" --- # Little Richard opens his mouth, and out comes liberation. ![“Little Richard opens his mouth, and out comes liberation.” quote by Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cce/steven-van-zandt-3490_freedom_little-richard-opens-his-mouth-and-out-c_1856685.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cce/steven-van-zandt-3490_freedom_little-richard-opens-his-mouth-and-out-c_1856685.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cce/steven-van-zandt-3490_freedom_little-richard-opens-his-mouth-and-out-c_1856685.png) > “Little Richard opens his mouth, and out comes liberation.” [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expressing that speaking truthfully can unleash freedom and empowerment. **In simple terms:** Speak truth, gain freedom. Key Takeaway Use your voice to challenge oppression. Themes freedom expression empowerment Mood defiant energetic Type political inspirational When to use this quote - activism - public speaking - artistic performance Key Concepts social justice personal agency Questions to Reflect On - How does your speech inspire change? - What risks come with speaking out? A Different Perspective May be ignored or censored if not backed by action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberation/) ## Related quotes > [Little Richard played my uncle on 'Full House.' He's fabulous. I remember him being incredibly kind to me. I just remember him being super,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurnee-smollett-bell/little-richard-played-my-uncle-on-full-house-he-s-fabulous-i-remember/) [Jurnee Smollett-Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurnee-smollett-bell/) > [I started out just as Elvis was going into the army, Jerry Lee Lewis married his 14-year-old cousin, and Little Richard became a priest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-sedaka/i-started-out-just-as-elvis-was-going-into-the-army-jerry-lee-lewis/) [Neil Sedaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-sedaka/) > [Plus, you know, when I was young, there was a lot of respect for clowning in rock music - look at Little Richard. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/plus-you-know-when-i-was-young-there-was-a-lot-of-respect-for/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't know who Little Richard is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bar-refaeli/i-don-t-know-who-little-richard-is/) [Bar Refaeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bar-refaeli/) > [I heard Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, and that was it. I didn't ever want to be anything else. I just started banging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-heard-little-richard-and-jerry-lee-lewis-and-that-was-it-i-didn-t/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [The first people I ever saw were probably Little Richard and Gene Vincent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/the-first-people-i-ever-saw-were-probably-little-richard-and-gene/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [When Little Richard used to stand up and play it was just fabulous, and Liberace had the candlesticks and the rings and the gift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/when-little-richard-used-to-stand-up-and-play-it-was-just-fabulous/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [Elvis inspired my sideburns, but Little Richard inspired me for vocals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy/elvis-inspired-my-sideburns-but-little-richard-inspired-me-for-vocals/) [Lemmy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy/) > [No man had ever knocked little Richard down. But of course Ammm was not a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/no-man-had-ever-knocked-little-richard-down-but-of-course-ammm-was/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Rock and roll came into my life when I was about 12, 13, when Little Richard and Chuck Berry had just started hitting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-cocker/rock-and-roll-came-into-my-life-when-i-was-about-12-13-when-little/) [Joe Cocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-cocker/) > [I love a little Richard Brautigan poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-rowe/i-love-a-little-richard-brautigan-poetry/) [Camille Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-rowe/) > [Joe Morello, my dad was really into him and Little Richard's drummer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-bonham/joe-morello-my-dad-was-really-into-him-and-little-richard-s-drummer/) [Jason Bonham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-bonham/) > [When I was 9 years old, I wanted to be the baritone sax player in the Little Richard band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/when-i-was-9-years-old-i-wanted-to-be-the-baritone-sax-player-in-the/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [Ain't nobody more punk rock than Robert Johnson, Lead Belly, even Little Richard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fantastic-negrito/ain-t-nobody-more-punk-rock-than-robert-johnson-lead-belly-even/) [Fantastic Negrito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fantastic-negrito/) > [I had a handful of records, but when I was 11 years old, I liked Puccini as much as Little Richard. They both made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-had-a-handful-of-records-but-when-i-was-11-years-old-i-liked/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) ## More by Steven Van Zandt > [When I was younger, I went through the windshield of a car ,and my hair didn't grow back right. I had been wearing scarves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/when-i-was-younger-i-went-through-the-windshield-of-a-car-and-my-hair/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I did nothing but international liberation politics for ten years, and usually it was like, you gain an inch, you lose a half an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-did-nothing-but-international-liberation-politics-for-ten-years-and/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [Let's not pretend we have too much of a democracy here, because we don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/let-s-not-pretend-we-have-too-much-of-a-democracy-here-because-we-don/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > ['Sopranos' was a fascinating moment, just catching our whole culture by surprise, a fun ride to be on while I'm learning the craft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/sopranos-was-a-fascinating-moment-just-catching-our-whole-culture-by/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I've always had a reluctance to meet my heroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-ve-always-had-a-reluctance-to-meet-my-heroes/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [Every successful person needs to have at least one person in their life who's not afraid of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/every-successful-person-needs-to-have-at-least-one-person-in-their/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I think I'm one of the few people who have experienced New Jersey becoming fashionable twice in a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-think-i-m-one-of-the-few-people-who-have-experienced-new-jersey/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [My mother remarried when I was young, and my stepfather adopted me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/my-mother-remarried-when-i-was-young-and-my-stepfather-adopted-me/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [Anytime you spend six months on a song (Born to Run), there's something not exactly going right. A song should take about three hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/anytime-you-spend-six-months-on-a-song-born-to-run-there-s-something/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [My lifelong friend and mentor Frank Barsalona is gone. And the music business as we knew it went with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/my-lifelong-friend-and-mentor-frank-barsalona-is-gone-and-the-music/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I was 100 percent political in the '80s - the first time around, let's call it, my first life as an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-was-100-percent-political-in-the-80s-the-first-time-around-let-s/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I didn't care about anything expect rock & roll. So it's nice that it turned out to be something that you find a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-didn-t-care-about-anything-expect-rock-roll-so-it-s-nice-that-it/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I was a gambler when I was a kid, so when we got to Las Vegas, it was like Mecca.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-was-a-gambler-when-i-was-a-kid-so-when-we-got-to-las-vegas-it-was/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [The quality of our lives is diminished every time we lose a great artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/the-quality-of-our-lives-is-diminished-every-time-we-lose-a-great/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [You can trace the E Street Band directly back to the Rascals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/you-can-trace-the-e-street-band-directly-back-to-the-rascals/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) [Explore all 129 Steven Van Zandt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Little Richard opens his mouth, and out comes liberation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Van Zandt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/little-richard-opens-his-mouth-and-out-comes-liberation/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/little-richard-opens-his-mouth-and-out-comes-liberation/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cce/steven-van-zandt-3490_freedom_little-richard-opens-his-mouth-and-out-c_1856685.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cce/steven-van-zandt-3490_freedom_little-richard-opens-his-mouth-and-out-c_1856685.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cce/steven-van-zandt-3490_freedom_little-richard-opens-his-mouth-and-out-c_1856685.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Little Richard opens his mouth, and out comes liberation.” — Steven Van Zandt", "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": "Steven Van Zandt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Little Richard opens his mouth, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/little-richard-opens-his-mouth-and-out-comes-liberation/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/little-richard-opens-his-mouth-and-out-comes-liberation/#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 } } ] } ```