Claude Banks Quotes in Life (1999)

Goldmouth: Maybe I oughta eat *your* cornbread.

Rayford Gibson: Motherfucker, you can't have my cornbread. That's for damn sure. You try and take my cornbread, Killing Spree, Part 2 gon' begin up in here on your ass. You thinking about my cornbread, better get the taste out your mouth. That's for damn sure.

Claude Banks: Ray, chill out...

Rayford Gibson: No, fuck him. Fuck that, 'cause I'm from New York City, goddammit. Nobody take no cornbread from me. That goes for anyone of you motherfucking farmers who wanna start some shit. You fuck around with me, there's gonna be consequences and repercussions.

Claude Banks: You know, I'm finally starting to wrap my mind around this shit. We're in here for life. We're gonna die in here! We might as well go up to the cometary, picks out a plot and start digging.

Rayford Gibson: Now, you listen to me. My daddy died in a place just like this cause of that shit you're talking about. He gave up hope and he hung hisself! And I'm not going out like that!

Claude Banks: Well, maybe you're just a chip off the old block, Ray.

Rayford Gibson: You take that back or we're no longer friends.

Claude Banks: News flash, Ray! We ain't never been friends! We've just been stuck together for twelve years!

Dexter Wilkins: You've been on this farm for quite a spell, haven't you?

Claude Banks: Over 40 years now, me and Ray Gibson over there.

Dexter Wilkins: 40 years... that's a long time for any crime, even murder.

Claude Banks: It's a hell of a lot longer when you're innocent.

Dexter Wilkins: Half the men in this prison swear they're innocent, Claude. Don't you think that's kind of funny?

Claude Banks: Well, you have to forgive me if I don't laugh.

Claude Banks: [Claude has just been punished for crossing the gun line and Ray shares the punishment, but he chuckles to himself] What' you laughin' about, Ray?

Rayford Gibson: Ah, just thinkin' about you runnin' with them bullets flying all over the top of your head, that's something to see there, that was a sight to see.

Claude Banks: The bullets weren't the problem, ray. The pie was too hot! Burned my damn tongue.

Claude Banks: Oh yard boy Mrs. Myrtle could use some attention perhaps some fertilizer would restore its exuberance. Get yo ass to work!

Claude Banks: Don't touch this car.

Rayford Gibson: 'Cause I piss on the motherfucker. I ain't gonna touch it, I piss on it.

Claude Banks: Why you got to say nasty shit, Ray?

Rayford Gibson: 'Cause I'm a nasty motherfucker.

Claude Banks: [on seeing a body bag being wheeled past] Looks like Jonesy got his walking papers.

Goldmouth: Hey, girl! You gon' eat yo' cornbread?

Claude Banks: You talkin' to *me*?

Rayford Gibson: Yeah, I think he's talkin' to you.

Rayford Gibson: Uh, no. Not at all; I want you to have it. Uh, Willie, you mind passin' this down to-

Rayford Gibson: Hey, no, don't pass your cornbread to him. That's your cornbread.

Claude Banks: Ray, I'm a grown man, okay, I'm not gonna eat this cornbread, if he wants the cornbread, damn it, have the cornbread!

Rayford Gibson: No no, if he wants some cornbread, let him go up to the front and get his own portion of cornbread, that's your cornbread, fuck him.

[to Goldmouth]

Rayford Gibson: Hey, man he gonna eat his cornbread, all right? Fuck you.

Claude Banks: Ray, look, I don't need you to take up for me, I'm all right, I'm a grown man, I can handle this.

Rayford Gibson: If you let have your cornbread, you're gonna be ironin' hisdrawers and clippin' his toenails.

Claude Banks: [Ray and Claude have just found Winston Hancock's recently murdered body] I think he's hurt pretty bad, man!

Rayford Gibson: [feels Winston's head for signs] This guy's dead.

Claude Banks: I ain't, I ain't never seen no dead body before, Ray.

[Ray is now searching through Winston's pockets]

Claude Banks: What are you doin'? The man's been dead two seconds and you're in his pockets? Don't you have any respect?

Rayford Gibson: It ain't here!

Claude Banks: What ain't there?

Rayford Gibson: My daddy's watch, this is the guy that took my watch from. Motherfucker, you did fucked around with the wrong person, didn't you, didn't you?! Now look at your ass bleedin'!

Claude Banks: [standing on a crate of bottles] Damn, one of my toes in the bottle, damn it, Ray.

Pokerface: [on a break; Ray and Claude have just come in] Either one of you new fellas know how to read?

Rayford Gibson: I know how to read, why?

Pokerface: I've been carrying this letter for four months now

Claude Banks: You mean to tell me none of y'all can read?

Willie Long: Last fella what could read made parole about, what, Christmas.

Pokerface: [about his letter] I don't even know who this come from.

Rayford Gibson: [takes the letter] Gimme that shit.

[turns to old inmate sitting next to him]

Rayford Gibson: You can't read?

[old inmate replies "no"]

Rayford Gibson: Almost sixty years old; motherfucker can't read. Here: look, it's from, it's from your mama's neighbor, Mrs. Tadwell, you know who that is, Mrs. Tadwell; she thought you ought to know that your second cousin Bo died, Bo died, and your, and your other cousin Sally on your daddy's side, she died. Oh, and apparently your sister died, too.

Pokerface: Jenny?

Rayford Gibson: No, it said Marlene here, Marlene died

[reads on]

Rayford Gibson: ... no no no, Marlene, Jen-Jenny, Jenny died, too, Jenny and Marlene both dead. Then it goes on for a while about how the crop didn't come in on account of the frost, she finished up, there's been a big tornado in which your mama and your daddy were both killed, but don't worry because she's gonna take care of the dog, that is if he gets over the worms; dog had worms.

Pokerface: Appreciate it.

Rayford Gibson: Yeah, well you know, any time I can help.

Claude Banks: [digging a hole] I don't believe in this "before Abe" shit.

Claude Banks: You know what I'm going to buy with my first paycheck?

Daisy: What, baby?

Claude Banks: Season tickets to the Yankees. Right there on the first baseline.

[Daisy looks unhappy]

Claude Banks: What's wrong, baby?

Daisy: I was hoping you were going to say an engagement ring, Claude?

Claude Banks: An engagement ring?

Daisy: That's what respectable folks do: get a job, get married, start having babies. That's what you want, isn't it?

Rayford Gibson: [the two are now old men and Ray suspects Claude of having an escape plan] I'ma go to sleep. Why for I can't sit here and look at yo' ass...and wonder what you got up your sleeve?

Claude Banks: Yeah, I got somethin' brewin: I got a ass whuppin' brewin' for you here, Ray, if you don't stop fuckin' with me!

Claude Banks: You know what you probably just slow me down.

Rayford Gibson: How I'ma slow yo slow ass down!