--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Detroit, my lord, what a place." description: "\"Detroit, my lord, what a place.\" — Wilson Pickett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/wilson-pickett-12822_detroit_detroit-my-lord-what-a-place-510814_510814.jpg" --- # Detroit, my lord, what a place. ![“Detroit, my lord, what a place.” quote by Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/wilson-pickett-12822_detroit_detroit-my-lord-what-a-place-510814_510814.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/wilson-pickett-12822_detroit_detroit-my-lord-what-a-place-510814_510814.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/wilson-pickett-12822_detroit_detroit-my-lord-what-a-place-510814_510814.jpg) > “Detroit, my lord, what a place.” [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lamentation of Detroit's decline, expressing disappointment and nostalgia. **In simple terms:** Detroit is portrayed as a disappointing place. Key Takeaway Recognize and address urban decay. Themes urban decline nostalgia disappointment Mood melancholic hopeful Type social commentary poetic When to use this quote - city planning - community activism - historical preservation Key Concepts socioeconomic decay cultural loss urban renewal Questions to Reflect On - What can be done to revitalize Detroit? - How does nostalgia affect urban perception? A Different Perspective May overlook positive aspects of the city. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) ## Related quotes > [One place had a winning record that I went to, and that was Detroit. Rick Carlisle laid a foundation that gave us a chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-brown/one-place-had-a-winning-record-that-i-went-to-and-that-was-detroit/) [Larry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-brown/) > [I want to be in a place where I have to have God in everything I do . . . where God is indispensable to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-want-to-be-in-a-place-where-i-have-to-have-god-in-everything-i-do/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Detroit, the heart of the country... I grew up on 10 Mile, 2 miles better than 8 Mile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-bell/detroit-the-heart-of-the-country-i-grew-up-on-10-mile-2-miles-better/) [Kristen Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-bell/) > [“As I rode back to Detroit, a vision of Henry Ford's industrial empire kept passing before my eyes. In my ears, I heard the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/as-i-rode-back-to-detroit-a-vision-of-henry-ford-s-industrial-empire/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [Ever since I've become chairman, there have been profiles of me in People, George, The Washington Post, The Detroit News, and all of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-bond/ever-since-i-ve-become-chairman-there-have-been-profiles-of-me-in/) [Julian Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-bond/) > [One of my strongest memories is my father playing bongos in the living room in Detroit listening to Motown radio. He was this skinny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/one-of-my-strongest-memories-is-my-father-playing-bongos-in-the/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [You also had in Detroit that summer, an early variation of Ferguson. A black prostitute was shot in the back by police. And all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-maraniss/you-also-had-in-detroit-that-summer-an-early-variation-of-ferguson-a/) [David Maraniss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-maraniss/) > [If the auto plants in Detroit would just sit around the table and say, 'What do we gotta do to make this thing work?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-devos/if-the-auto-plants-in-detroit-would-just-sit-around-the-table-and-say/) [Richard M. DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-devos/) > [I got this tiger head ring that's similar to a Cartier ring. I had my jeweler Sean from Detroit make it similar to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-got-this-tiger-head-ring-that-s-similar-to-a-cartier-ring-i-had-my/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [My eight years in Detroit, obviously, were my most successful years managing. I think that Pittsburgh and Detroit are probably very, very similar. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-leyland/my-eight-years-in-detroit-obviously-were-my-most-successful-years/) [Jim Leyland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-leyland/) > [I think when you saw this year's playoffs, Miami and Detroit have a pretty fierce rivalry now. Also, the Suns and San Antonio look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-starks/i-think-when-you-saw-this-year-s-playoffs-miami-and-detroit-have-a/) [John Starks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-starks/) > [My mom is from Ghana, and my dad is from Detroit, so I would go back and forth to Africa a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-richardson/my-mom-is-from-ghana-and-my-dad-is-from-detroit-so-i-would-go-back/) [Sam Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-richardson/) > [Some of the friendliest, friendliest people you're going to meet are going to be in Detroit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-michael-key/some-of-the-friendliest-friendliest-people-you-re-going-to-meet-are/) [Keegan-Michael Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-michael-key/) > [I would like to invest more of my brain space in understanding the history of my city, because whenever I learn about the history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-michael-key/i-would-like-to-invest-more-of-my-brain-space-in-understanding-the/) [Keegan-Michael Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-michael-key/) > [The Obama administration seems to be following what might be called 'the Detroit pattern increasing taxes, harassing businesses, and pandering to unions. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-obama-administration-seems-to-be-following-what-might-be-called/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## More by Wilson Pickett > [I made two or three albums with money from my own pocket, but I couldn't get them released or played on the radio. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/i-made-two-or-three-albums-with-money-from-my-own-pocket-but-i-couldn/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [If I'm not getting played on the radio and I'm not making any money, I have nothing to lose by telling the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/if-i-m-not-getting-played-on-the-radio-and-i-m-not-making-any-money-i/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [There are no Soul singer Wilson Pickett singers in disco.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/there-are-no-soul-singer-wilson-pickett-singers-in-disco/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [We used to have a lot of fun. We got cheated out of a lot of money, but we seemed to enjoy ourselves anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/we-used-to-have-a-lot-of-fun-we-got-cheated-out-of-a-lot-of-money-but/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [One of the secretaries at Atlantic Records caught me pinching one of the other secretaries on the butt one morning. She said, 'My, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/one-of-the-secretaries-at-atlantic-records-caught-me-pinching-one-of/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [Berry Gordy believed in owning the artist for life and controlling everything: the money, the station wagons, everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/berry-gordy-believed-in-owning-the-artist-for-life-and-controlling/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [I took five hit records to Memphis, and '634-5789' was stolen from me totally. Those songs are worth millions. I've never understood how someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/i-took-five-hit-records-to-memphis-and-634-5789-was-stolen-from-me/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [Disco music can only take you so far because it's plastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/disco-music-can-only-take-you-so-far-because-it-s-plastic/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [Put your hands on your hip, let your back bone slip. Do the Watusi, like my little Lucy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/put-your-hands-on-your-hip-let-your-back-bone-slip-do-the-watusi-like/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [Anytime you've got artists singing songs, doing grooves that they don't want to do, it's terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/anytime-you-ve-got-artists-singing-songs-doing-grooves-that-they-don/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [The baddest woman in my book... my mother. I get scared of her now. She used to hit me with anything, skillets, stove wood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/the-baddest-woman-in-my-book-my-mother-i-get-scared-of-her-now-she/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [I'd start to sing, and the record would start skipping. You'd be skipping along with it. Those were the days, my friend. We'd look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/i-d-start-to-sing-and-the-record-would-start-skipping-you-d-be/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [Singing like I do is very hard, and as you get older, it's getting harder and harder all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/singing-like-i-do-is-very-hard-and-as-you-get-older-it-s-getting/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [You can talk about all the great guitarists you want Jimi Hendrix or whoever but as far as I'm concerned, Duane Allman is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/you-can-talk-about-all-the-great-guitarists-you-want-jimi-hendrix-or/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [I got very bored with the music business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/i-got-very-bored-with-the-music-business/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) [Explore all 53 Wilson Pickett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) ## More Detroit quotes > [Detroit, the heart of the country... I grew up on 10 Mile, 2 miles better than 8 Mile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-bell/detroit-the-heart-of-the-country-i-grew-up-on-10-mile-2-miles-better/) [Kristen Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-bell/) > [I would like to invest more of my brain space in understanding the history of my city, because whenever I learn about the history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-michael-key/i-would-like-to-invest-more-of-my-brain-space-in-understanding-the/) [Keegan-Michael Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-michael-key/) > [Some of the friendliest, friendliest people you're going to meet are going to be in Detroit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-michael-key/some-of-the-friendliest-friendliest-people-you-re-going-to-meet-are/) [Keegan-Michael Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-michael-key/) > [My mom is from Ghana, and my dad is from Detroit, so I would go back and forth to Africa a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-richardson/my-mom-is-from-ghana-and-my-dad-is-from-detroit-so-i-would-go-back/) [Sam Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-richardson/) > [I think when you saw this year's playoffs, Miami and Detroit have a pretty fierce rivalry now. Also, the Suns and San Antonio look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-starks/i-think-when-you-saw-this-year-s-playoffs-miami-and-detroit-have-a/) [John Starks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-starks/) > [One place had a winning record that I went to, and that was Detroit. Rick Carlisle laid a foundation that gave us a chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-brown/one-place-had-a-winning-record-that-i-went-to-and-that-was-detroit/) [Larry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-brown/) > [My eight years in Detroit, obviously, were my most successful years managing. I think that Pittsburgh and Detroit are probably very, very similar. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-leyland/my-eight-years-in-detroit-obviously-were-my-most-successful-years/) [Jim Leyland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-leyland/) > [I got this tiger head ring that's similar to a Cartier ring. I had my jeweler Sean from Detroit make it similar to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-got-this-tiger-head-ring-that-s-similar-to-a-cartier-ring-i-had-my/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [If the auto plants in Detroit would just sit around the table and say, 'What do we gotta do to make this thing work?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-devos/if-the-auto-plants-in-detroit-would-just-sit-around-the-table-and-say/) [Richard M. DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-devos/) > [You also had in Detroit that summer, an early variation of Ferguson. A black prostitute was shot in the back by police. And all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-maraniss/you-also-had-in-detroit-that-summer-an-early-variation-of-ferguson-a/) [David Maraniss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-maraniss/) > [One of my strongest memories is my father playing bongos in the living room in Detroit listening to Motown radio. He was this skinny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/one-of-my-strongest-memories-is-my-father-playing-bongos-in-the/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Ever since I've become chairman, there have been profiles of me in People, George, The Washington Post, The Detroit News, and all of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-bond/ever-since-i-ve-become-chairman-there-have-been-profiles-of-me-in/) [Julian Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-bond/) > [“As I rode back to Detroit, a vision of Henry Ford's industrial empire kept passing before my eyes. In my ears, I heard the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/as-i-rode-back-to-detroit-a-vision-of-henry-ford-s-industrial-empire/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [The Obama administration seems to be following what might be called 'the Detroit pattern increasing taxes, harassing businesses, and pandering to unions. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-obama-administration-seems-to-be-following-what-might-be-called/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When I thought about Detroit, I would think big city, very urban - not a lot of places to walk around, not a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-cummings/when-i-thought-about-detroit-i-would-think-big-city-very-urban-not-a/) [Erin Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-cummings/) Browse all 488 Detroit quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Detroit, my lord, what a place.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wilson Pickett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/detroit-my-lord-what-a-place/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Detroit" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/detroit-my-lord-what-a-place/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/wilson-pickett-12822_detroit_detroit-my-lord-what-a-place-510814_510814.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/wilson-pickett-12822_detroit_detroit-my-lord-what-a-place-510814_510814.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/wilson-pickett-12822_detroit_detroit-my-lord-what-a-place-510814_510814.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Detroit, my lord, what a place.” — Wilson Pickett", "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": "Wilson Pickett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Detroit, my lord, what a place.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/detroit-my-lord-what-a-place/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/detroit-my-lord-what-a-place/#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 } } ] } ```