--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who’s teasing? I’m telling him the truth…" description: "\"“Who’s teasing? I’m telling him the truth. He ain’t going to have it. Neither one of ‘em going to have it. And I’ll tell you something else you not goi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toni-morrison-271_breaking-my-heart_who-s-teasing-i-m-telling-him-the-truth_2269260.jpg" --- # Who’s teasing? I’m telling him the truth. He ain’t going… ![“Who’s teasing? I’m telling him the truth. He ain’t going to have it. Neither one of ‘em going to have it. And I’ll tell you something else you not going to have. You not going to have no private coach with four red velvet chairs that swivel around in one place whenever you want ‘em to. No. and you…” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toni-morrison-271_breaking-my-heart_who-s-teasing-i-m-telling-him-the-truth_2269260.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toni-morrison-271_breaking-my-heart_who-s-teasing-i-m-telling-him-the-truth_2269260.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toni-morrison-271_breaking-my-heart_who-s-teasing-i-m-telling-him-the-truth_2269260.jpg) > ““Who’s teasing? I’m telling him the truth. He ain’t going to have it. Neither one of ‘em going to have it. And I’ll tell you something else you not going to have. You not going to have no private coach with four red velvet chairs that swivel around in one place whenever you want ‘em to. No. and you not going to have your own special toilet and your own special-made eight-foot bed either. And a valet and a cook and a secretary to travel with you and do everything you say. Everything: get the right temperature in your hot-water bottle and make sure the smoking tobacco in the silver humidor is fresh each and every day. There’s something else you not going to have. You ever have five thousand dollars of cold cash money in your pocket and walk into a bank and tell the bank man you want such and such a house on such and such a street and he sell it to you right then? Well, you won’t ever have it. And you not going to have a governor’s mansion, or eight thousand acres of timber to sell. And you not going to have no ship under your command to sail on, no train to run, and you can join the 332nd if you want to and shoot down a thousand German planes all by yourself and land in Hitler’s backyard and whip him with your own hands, but you never going to have four stars on your shirt front, or even three. And you not going to have no breakfast tray brought in to you early in the morning with a red rose on it and two warm croissants and a cup of hot chocolate. Nope. Never. And no pheasant buried in coconut leaves for twenty days and stuffed with wild rice and cooked over a wood fire so tender and delicate it make you cry. And no Rothschild ’29 or even Beaujolais to go with it.” A few men passing by stopped to listen to Tommy’s lecture. “What’s going on?” they asked Hospital Tommy. “Feather refused them a beer,” said. The men laughed. “And no baked Alaska!” Railroad Tommy went on. “None! You never going to have that.” “No baked Alaska?” Guitar opened his eyes wide with horror and grabbed his throat.” You breaking my heart!” “Well, now. That’s something you will have—a broken heart.” Railroad Tommy’s eyes softened, but the merriment in them died suddenly. “And folly. A whole lot of folly. You can count on it.” “Mr. Tommy, suh,” Guitar sang in mock humility, “we just wanted a bottle of beer is all.” “Yeah,” said Tommy. “Yeah, well, welcome aboard.”” [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker lists impossible luxuries to highlight the futility of dreaming about unattainable wealth and power. **In simple terms:** Dreaming of impossible riches is futile. Key Takeaway Accept realistic limits. Themes materialism illusion humor war power aspiration Mood cynical ironic darkly humorous Type satirical humorous critical When to use this quote - military life - economic disparity - personal ambition - war propaganda - social satire Key Concepts satire social critique war commentary Questions to Reflect On - What desires are truly attainable? - How does satire reveal societal values? A Different Perspective The humor may downplay genuine suffering caused by poverty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hot chocolate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hot-chocolate/) [Red rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red-rose/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“He said it was as if Tommy had produced a key which fit a cage in the back of his mind, a cage like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/he-said-it-was-as-if-tommy-had-produced-a-key-which-fit-a-cage-in-the/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“They’s no use kiddin’ ourself any more,’ said Tommy Haley. ‘He might get down to thirty-seven in a pinch, but if he done below…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ring-lardner/they-s-no-use-kiddin-ourself-any-more-said-tommy-haley-he-might-get/) [Ring Lardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ring-lardner/) > [“You don't appreciate a faithful husband when you've got one,' said Tommy. 'All my friends tell me you never know with husbands,' said Tuppance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/you-don-t-appreciate-a-faithful-husband-when-you-ve-got-one-said/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Marriage is called all sorts of things, a haven, and a refuge, and a crowning glory, and a state of bondage, and lots more.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/marriage-is-called-all-sorts-of-things-a-haven-and-a-refuge-and-a/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [ “ ‘Wow, dude, come in,’ said Tommy \[Lee\], when I rang the door-bell. ‘I can’t believe it. Ozzy Osbourne’s in my house.’ ” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/wow-dude-come-in-said-tommy-lee-when-i-rang-the-door-bell-i-can-t/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [“I want you to stay the fuck away from him. Am I making myself clear?” “Crystal clear,” Corey said. Tommy nodded. “Good.” He glanced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darien-cox/i-want-you-to-stay-the-fuck-away-from-him-am-i-making-myself-clear/) [Darien Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darien-cox/) > [“You need me," he said. "And I'm all yours." ~Tommy aka "Ender”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-croft/you-need-me-he-said-and-i-m-all-yours-tommy-aka-ender/) [Sydney Croft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-croft/) > [“A few minutes passed wherein the truck hummed, country music twanged on the radio, and I read the same paragraph in my history book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/a-few-minutes-passed-wherein-the-truck-hummed-country-music-twanged/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“I started showing them some of Tommy’s greatest acting hits. “Oh my God,” one of them said, laughing. “This is so terrible.” Another one,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/i-started-showing-them-some-of-tommy-s-greatest-acting-hits-oh-my-god/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [I've said this before: myself and Tommy Shelby, he's the most unlike-me character I have ever played.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cillian-murphy/i-ve-said-this-before-myself-and-tommy-shelby-he-s-the-most-unlike-me/) [Cillian Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cillian-murphy/) > [I'm listening to early Cash Money, I'm listening to Juvenile, I'm listening to Waka Flocka, I'm listening to Lil B, I'm listening to Brandy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theophilus-london/i-m-listening-to-early-cash-money-i-m-listening-to-juvenile-i-m/) [Theophilus London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theophilus-london/) > [You stick a credit card in a machine, and you pay $3 or whatever it is to get cash - your own money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-janklow/you-stick-a-credit-card-in-a-machine-and-you-pay-3-or-whatever-it-is/) [Bill Janklow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-janklow/) > [To think of playing cricket for hard cash! Money and gentility would ruin any pastime under the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-russell-mitford/to-think-of-playing-cricket-for-hard-cash-money-and-gentility-would/) [Mary Russell Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-russell-mitford/) > [And free my Lil Weezy and lets just get right. Young Money Cash Money in the building, lets go the world ends tonights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/and-free-my-lil-weezy-and-lets-just-get-right-young-money-cash-money/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [Richer than the Riches, We certified gettin' it CM YM Cash Money business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birdman/richer-than-the-riches-we-certified-gettin-it-cm-ym-cash-money/) Birdman ## More by Toni Morrison > [Perhaps that's what all human relationships boiled down to: Would you save my life? or would you take it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/perhaps-that-s-what-all-human-relationships-boiled-down-to-would-you/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Not know it was hard;knowing it was harder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/not-know-it-was-hard-knowing-it-was-harder/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Didn’t everything on God’s earth have or acquire defense?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/didn-t-everything-on-god-s-earth-have-or-acquire-defense/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You looked at them and wondered why the were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-looked-at-them-and-wondered-why-the-were-so-ugly-you-looked/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [All she saw, down in the cellar well beneath the stoop, was a light yellow feather with a tip of green. And she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/all-she-saw-down-in-the-cellar-well-beneath-the-stoop-was-a-light/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [For me, Art is the restoration of order. It may discuss all sort of terrible things, but there must be satisfaction at the end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/for-me-art-is-the-restoration-of-order-it-may-discuss-all-sort-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/to-sethe-the-future-was-a-matter-of-keeping-the-past-at-bay/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Hate does that. Burns off everything but itself, so whatever your grievance is, your face looks just like your enemy's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/hate-does-that-burns-off-everything-but-itself-so-whatever-your/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You know how a star is supposed to twinkle? We say twinkle because that is how it looks, but when a star feels itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-know-how-a-star-is-supposed-to-twinkle-we-say-twinkle-because/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [My father saw two black men lynched on his street in Cartersville, as a child. And I think seeing two black businessmen - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/my-father-saw-two-black-men-lynched-on-his-street-in-cartersville-as/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“She was fierce in the presence of death, heroic even, as she was at no other time. Its threat gave her direction, clarity, audacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/she-was-fierce-in-the-presence-of-death-heroic-even-as-she-was-at-no/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) [Explore all 774 Toni Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More Breaking my heart quotes > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Im sorry if I hurt you, but you hurt me even more by breaking my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/im-sorry-if-i-hurt-you-but-you-hurt-me-even-more-by-breaking-my-heart/) Patience > [Lifting with truth and then a golden flash like the onset of Heaven. Leaving her screams breaking my heart and in the grip of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cradle-of-filth/lifting-with-truth-and-then-a-golden-flash-like-the-onset-of-heaven/) [Cradle Of Filth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cradle-of-filth/) > [“You would have to be loved before you could be changed by it,” she added. “And I hate to disappoint you, but I don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-harlen/you-would-have-to-be-loved-before-you-could-be-changed-by-it-she/) [B.G. Harlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-harlen/) > [Just because you say 'i still love you' to me doesnt mean I'm going to forgive you for breaking my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole/just-because-you-say-i-still-love-you-to-me-doesnt-mean-i-m-going-to/) [Nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole/) > [It breaks my heart to think about a family weeping over the loss of a loved one. I understand the anguish that some feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-bush/it-breaks-my-heart-to-think-about-a-family-weeping-over-the-loss-of-a/) [George P. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-bush/) > [Our Southern brethren have done grievously, they have rebelled and have attacked their father's house and their loyal brothers. They must be punished and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anderson/our-southern-brethren-have-done-grievously-they-have-rebelled-and/) [Robert Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anderson/) > [I’m overwhelmed. My biggest downfall is my brightest blessing, I feel too much, all the time. Ya Allah, if it’ll keep my heart soft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/i-m-overwhelmed-my-biggest-downfall-is-my-brightest-blessing-i-feel/) [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) > [If you come back; I'll marry you. If you break your promise, you'll break my heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/if-you-come-back-i-ll-marry-you-if-you-break-your-promise-you-ll/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [You'll never get to heaven, if you break my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dionne-warwick/you-ll-never-get-to-heaven-if-you-break-my-heart/) [Dionne Warwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dionne-warwick/) > [Cupcake , you've been breaking my heart for as long as I've known you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/cupcake-you-ve-been-breaking-my-heart-for-as-long-as-i-ve-known-you/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [I know what it's like to have a broken heart. I know what it's like to feel pain: When my songs don't become hits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-warren/i-know-what-it-s-like-to-have-a-broken-heart-i-know-what-it-s-like-to/) [Diane Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-warren/) > [ The thing that breaks my heart about \[Dennis Wilson\] is that he was very naïve from the beginning to the end. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-longworth/the-thing-that-breaks-my-heart-about-dennis-wilson-is-that-he-was/) [Karina Longworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-longworth/) > [My little girls can break my heart. They can make me cry just looking at them eating their string beans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/my-little-girls-can-break-my-heart-they-can-make-me-cry-just-looking/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Thank you for breaking my heart. -- Mia Kirshner”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smith-magazine/thank-you-for-breaking-my-heart-mia-kirshner/) SMITH Magazine Browse all 169 Breaking my heart quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Who’s teasing? I’m telling him the truth. He ain’t going to have it. Neither one of ‘em going to have it. And I’ll tell you something else you not going to have. You not going to have no private coach with four red velvet chairs that swivel around in one place whenever you want ‘em to. No. and you not going to have your own special toilet and your own special-made eight-foot bed either. And a valet and a cook and a secretary to travel with you and do everything you say. Everything: get the right temperature in your hot-water bottle and make sure the smoking tobacco in the silver humidor is fresh each and every day. There’s something else you not going to have. You ever have five thousand dollars of cold cash money in your pocket and walk into a bank and tell the bank man you want such and such a house on such and such a street and he sell it to you right then? Well, you won’t ever have it. And you not going to have a governor’s mansion, or eight thousand acres of timber to sell. And you not going to have no ship under your command to sail on, no train to run, and you can join the 332nd if you want to and shoot down a thousand German planes all by yourself and land in Hitler’s backyard and whip him with your own hands, but you never going to have four stars on your shirt front, or even three. And you not going to have no breakfast tray brought in to you early in the morning with a red rose on it and two warm croissants and a cup of hot chocolate. Nope. Never. And no pheasant buried in coconut leaves for twenty days and stuffed with wild rice and cooked over a wood fire so tender and delicate it make you cry. And no Rothschild ’29 or even Beaujolais to go with it.” A few men passing by stopped to listen to Tommy’s lecture. “What’s going on?” they asked Hospital Tommy. “Feather refused them a beer,” said. The men laughed. “And no baked Alaska!” Railroad Tommy went on. “None! You never going to have that.” “No baked Alaska?” Guitar opened his eyes wide with horror and grabbed his throat.” You breaking my heart!” “Well, now. That’s something you will have—a broken heart.” Railroad Tommy’s eyes softened, but the merriment in them died suddenly. “And folly. A whole lot of folly. You can count on it.” “Mr. Tommy, suh,” Guitar sang in mock humility, “we just wanted a bottle of beer is all.” “Yeah,” said Tommy. “Yeah, well, welcome aboard.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Toni Morrison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/who-s-teasing-i-m-telling-him-the-truth-he-ain-t-going-to-have-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breaking my heart" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/who-s-teasing-i-m-telling-him-the-truth-he-ain-t-going-to-have-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toni-morrison-271_breaking-my-heart_who-s-teasing-i-m-telling-him-the-truth_2269260.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toni-morrison-271_breaking-my-heart_who-s-teasing-i-m-telling-him-the-truth_2269260.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/toni-morrison-271_breaking-my-heart_who-s-teasing-i-m-telling-him-the-truth_2269260.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Who’s teasing? 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