Jimmy Rabbitte Quotes in The Commitments (1991)

Jimmy Rabbitte: Do you not get it, lads? The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin. So say it once, say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud.

Jimmy Rabbitte: What do you play?

Failed Drug Buyer: I used to play football in school.

Jimmy Rabbitte: I mean, what instrument?

Failed Drug Buyer: I don't.

Jimmy Rabbitte: What are you doing here, then?

Failed Drug Buyer: Well, I saw everyone else lining up, so, uh - I thought you were selling drugs.

Jimmy Rabbitte: What do you call yourselves?

Derek: "And And And."

Jimmy Rabbitte: "And And fuckin' And?"

Derek: Well, Ray's thinking of putting an exclamation mark after the second "and." Says it'd look deadly on the posters.

Jimmy Rabbitte: Psshh...

Outspan Foster: You don't like it? You think it should go at the end?

Jimmy Rabbitte: I think it should go up his arse.

Outspan Foster: Well, we're not married to it.

Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr.: What did Evel Knievel want?

Jimmy Rabbitte: God sent him.

Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr.: What?

Jimmy Rabbitte: God sent him.

Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr.: On a fucking Suzuki?

Joey: Look, I know you're hurtin' now, but in time you'll realize what you've achieved.

Jimmy Rabbitte: I've achieved nothing!

Joey: You're missin' the point. The success of the band was irrelevant - you raised their expectations of life, you lifted their horizons. Sure we could have been famous and made albums and stuff, but that would have been predictable. This way it's poetry.

Jimmy Rabbitte: Who're you, then?

Joey: Are you the one startin the band?

Jimmy Rabbitte: Yeah.

Joey: The name's Joseph Fagin. Joey "The Lips" Fagin.

Jimmy Rabbitte: [sarcastically] And I'm Jimmy "The Bollocks" Rabbitte

Joey: I get mine from my horn playing. How'd you get yours?

Jimmy Rabbitte: Don't get snotty with me.

Joey: I get snotty with no man.

Outspan Foster: There's a band around called "Free Beer". Always draws a big crowd.

Derek: I like "A Flock of Budgies".

Jimmy Rabbitte: We have to be "the" something. All the great sixties bands were "The Somethings".

Outspan Foster: We could be... The Northsiders.

Derek: Or The Liffy Lads.

Outspan Foster: How about... The Fucking Eejits?

[learning the band will be called "The Commitments"]

Billy: The Commitments?

Jimmy Rabbitte: It's a "the".

Deco: How do you spell it?

Jimmy Rabbitte: T-H-E.

Jimmy Rabbitte: [pretending to be Terry Wogan] So, lookin' back Jimmy, what have you learned from your experience with The Commitments?

Jimmy Rabbitte: Well, that's a tricky question, Terry. But as I always say, we skipped the light fandango, turned cartweels 'cross the floor. I was feelin' kinda seasick, but the crowd called out for more.

Jimmy Rabbitte: [pretending to be Terry Wogan] That's very profound Jimmy! What does it mean?

Jimmy Rabbitte: I'm fucked if I know,Terry!

Jimmy Rabbitte: I got Mickah Wallace to do Security.

Outspan Foster: Mickah Wallace? But he's a savage!

Jimmy Rabbitte: Yeah... but he's OUR savage!

Jimmy Rabbitte: Elvis is not soul.

Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr.: [defensively] Elvis is God.

Jimmy Rabbitte: I never pictured God with a fat gut and corset singing "My Way" at Caesar's Palace.

Jimmy Rabbitte: Soul is the music people understand. Sure it's basic and it's simple. But it's something else 'cause, 'cause, 'cause it's honest, that's it. Its honest. There's no fuckin' bullshit. It sticks its neck out and says it straight from the heart. Sure there's a lot of different music you can get off on but soul is more than that. It takes you somewhere else. It grabs you by the balls and lifts you above the shite.

Natalie: You all right, Jimmy?

Jimmy Rabbitte: Sure. They just get on my arse at times.

Natalie: Wanna share a taxi home?

Jimmy Rabbitte: For fuck's sake, Natalie. How could you ask me that after what I just said in there?

Natalie: Well if you weren't the manager, would you?

Jimmy Rabbitte: Would I what?

Natalie: ...take me home?

Jimmy Rabbitte: But I am the manager.

Jimmy Rabbitte: say it once and say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud.

Jimmy Rabbitte: I'd like to introduce you to the hardest-workin' band in the world. On bass, Derek "Meatman" Scully. On piano, Steven "Soul Surgeon" Clifford. Dean "Mr Nipple" Fay on sax. Joey "The Lips" Fagan on trumpet. Our gorgeous chanteuses are Bernie, Imelda, and Natalie. Deco "Deep Throat" Cuffe on vocals. On lead guitar, Outspan "Fender bender" Foster. Finally, on drums, Mickah "Don't Fuck With Me" Wallace. Ladies and gentlemen, The Commitments.

[Jimmy has been auditioning unimpressive musicians all day]

Smiths' Song Singer: [singing] I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour, but heaven knows I'm miserable now...

Jimmy Rabbitte: Yeah, I know how you feel.

Unemployment Official: Mr. Rabbitte, you've been collecting unemployment benefit for two years. Are you trying to tell me you can't get a job?

Jimmy Rabbitte: We're a third world country - what can you do?

[talking about kicking Ray out of the band]

Jimmy Rabbitte: How did Ray take the news?

Derek: Not too bad. Said he was goin' solo.

Jimmy Rabbitte: He doesn't have much of a choice, does he?