Delta Slim quotes from Sinners (2025)
Played by Delroy Lindo
View Quote
See, white folks, they like the blues just fine. They just don't like the people who make it.
View Quote
[Explaining to Sammie] Blues wasn't forced on us like that religion. Nah, son, we brought that with us from home. It's magic what we do. It's sacred... and big.
Scenes with Delta Slim
View Quote
Sammie Moore: Delta Slim.
Delta Slim: Yeah, I thank you for your generosity. I guess that Chicago wind blew your black asses back down here, huh? Who the boy?
Stack: This my little cousin. Preacherboy Sammie. Happens to be the finest blues player in all the Delta.
Delta Slim: I got socks older than this here boy. What the hell he know about the blues?
Sammie Moore: [Holding up his guitar] I can show you better than I can tell you.
Delta Slim: Hold up, now. Put down that mother****er...
Stack: Put that away.
Delta Slim: Now, this here my patch right here. Now, you wasn't his cousin and a young pup to boot. I'd cut your ass too thin to fry.
Stack: And you threaten him again I'mma make your drunk ass swallow that harmonica. You still nice with them keys?
Delta Slim: Depend on who you ask.
Stack: I'll give you $20 to come play at our juke tonight.
Delta Slim: Yeah, I wish I could. I'mma be at Messengers tonight same as I am every Saturday night.
Stack: What they pay you?
Delta Slim: For a gangster, you sure ask a lot of questions.
Stack: They ain't paying you $20 a night, I know that.
Delta Slim: You ain't paying no $20 a night. You payin' $20, maybe, tonight. I ain't never heard of your juke. Maybe it's here tonight, is it here tomorrow night? The week after that? Nah. I've been at Messengers every Saturday night for the last ten years. Messenger's gon' be there another ten years after that, at least. Shit. That's probably more time than I got left on this earth, Stack. I play, and I get as much corn liquor as I can drink. A sinner like me, I can't ask for more than that.
Stack: Know what, Slim? I'll drink to that. [He takes out and opens up a bottle of liquor]
Delta Slim: Ooh. What you got there, boy?
Stack: Oh, this? It's a Irish beer. Straight from the north side of Chicago.
Delta Slim: You sayin' that's beer?
Stack: Wind didn't bring us down here empty-handed. [He hands Slim the bottle]
Delta Slim: [Chuckles] Give me that. [He takes a swig] my goodness.
Stack: I got 500 more bottles just like that. Ice cold. Say we pay you $40 a night, and all the beer that you can drink. After that, no strings. You act now, I'll even let you finish that bottle in your hand. [Slim and Sammie are performing] These two gon' be playin' down at the old sawmill. It's the grand openin' of our new joint. Club Juke. We gon' have us a battle of the blues. It's gon' be a real-ring-a-ding-ding. Just for us. Y'all ready to eat? Y'all ready to drink? Y'all ready to sweat till y'all stank. All right. We gon' to get funky like a Mississippi donkey y'all. Get a drink on the Twins when you get there.
Delta Slim: Yeah, I thank you for your generosity. I guess that Chicago wind blew your black asses back down here, huh? Who the boy?
Stack: This my little cousin. Preacherboy Sammie. Happens to be the finest blues player in all the Delta.
Delta Slim: I got socks older than this here boy. What the hell he know about the blues?
Sammie Moore: [Holding up his guitar] I can show you better than I can tell you.
Delta Slim: Hold up, now. Put down that mother****er...
Stack: Put that away.
Delta Slim: Now, this here my patch right here. Now, you wasn't his cousin and a young pup to boot. I'd cut your ass too thin to fry.
Stack: And you threaten him again I'mma make your drunk ass swallow that harmonica. You still nice with them keys?
Delta Slim: Depend on who you ask.
Stack: I'll give you $20 to come play at our juke tonight.
Delta Slim: Yeah, I wish I could. I'mma be at Messengers tonight same as I am every Saturday night.
Stack: What they pay you?
Delta Slim: For a gangster, you sure ask a lot of questions.
Stack: They ain't paying you $20 a night, I know that.
Delta Slim: You ain't paying no $20 a night. You payin' $20, maybe, tonight. I ain't never heard of your juke. Maybe it's here tonight, is it here tomorrow night? The week after that? Nah. I've been at Messengers every Saturday night for the last ten years. Messenger's gon' be there another ten years after that, at least. Shit. That's probably more time than I got left on this earth, Stack. I play, and I get as much corn liquor as I can drink. A sinner like me, I can't ask for more than that.
Stack: Know what, Slim? I'll drink to that. [He takes out and opens up a bottle of liquor]
Delta Slim: Ooh. What you got there, boy?
Stack: Oh, this? It's a Irish beer. Straight from the north side of Chicago.
Delta Slim: You sayin' that's beer?
Stack: Wind didn't bring us down here empty-handed. [He hands Slim the bottle]
Delta Slim: [Chuckles] Give me that. [He takes a swig] my goodness.
Stack: I got 500 more bottles just like that. Ice cold. Say we pay you $40 a night, and all the beer that you can drink. After that, no strings. You act now, I'll even let you finish that bottle in your hand. [Slim and Sammie are performing] These two gon' be playin' down at the old sawmill. It's the grand openin' of our new joint. Club Juke. We gon' have us a battle of the blues. It's gon' be a real-ring-a-ding-ding. Just for us. Y'all ready to eat? Y'all ready to drink? Y'all ready to sweat till y'all stank. All right. We gon' to get funky like a Mississippi donkey y'all. Get a drink on the Twins when you get there.
View Quote
Sammie Moore: [Stack, Delta Slim and Sammie are driving by a chain gang at work] Hey, you know some of them?
Delta Slim: All of 'em.
Sammie Moore: What happened?
Delta Slim: Me and my buddy Rice, we was hustlin' back and forth up the delta, we got busted for vagrancy. Them white sheriffs take us down to the jailhouse... that was empty. I thought for sure they was gonna kill us that night. But they gave us our instruments back, and they tell us to play. Stack, we played. Preacherboy, we played, you hear me? Music was comin' out the windows. People on the street was stoppin' to come in. Next day, one of them sheriffs got the bright idea they gonna take us on the road now. They cover us and throw us in the paddy wagon. They take us to this big house. I mean, it's full of white folks. Pass around their hats and have us to play. See, them white folks we playin' for, they had real money.
Sammie Moore: Had y'all playing them old ragtime songs?
Delta Slim: We played a fair amount of blues too. See, white folks, they like the blues just fine. They just don't like the people who make it. Them peckerwoods was noddin' their heads, stompin' their feet. Some of 'em was almost in rhythm, Stack. And then Rice and me, we changed it up, confuse 'em.
Sammie Moore: What y'all do with the money?
Delta Slim: Drank it.
Delta Slim: All of 'em.
Sammie Moore: What happened?
Delta Slim: Me and my buddy Rice, we was hustlin' back and forth up the delta, we got busted for vagrancy. Them white sheriffs take us down to the jailhouse... that was empty. I thought for sure they was gonna kill us that night. But they gave us our instruments back, and they tell us to play. Stack, we played. Preacherboy, we played, you hear me? Music was comin' out the windows. People on the street was stoppin' to come in. Next day, one of them sheriffs got the bright idea they gonna take us on the road now. They cover us and throw us in the paddy wagon. They take us to this big house. I mean, it's full of white folks. Pass around their hats and have us to play. See, them white folks we playin' for, they had real money.
Sammie Moore: Had y'all playing them old ragtime songs?
Delta Slim: We played a fair amount of blues too. See, white folks, they like the blues just fine. They just don't like the people who make it. Them peckerwoods was noddin' their heads, stompin' their feet. Some of 'em was almost in rhythm, Stack. And then Rice and me, we changed it up, confuse 'em.
Sammie Moore: What y'all do with the money?
Delta Slim: Drank it.
View Quote
Sammie Moore: You're the devil, ain't you?
Remmick: Sammie! You're the one I came for. I sensed you. I want to see my people again, I'm trapped here. But your gifts can bring them to me. Y'all give them to me now. Just- just give me little Sammie. We'll let y'all live.
[Sammie moves to the door, but Smoke and the others hold him back]
Smoke: Hey, hey, easy.
Delta Slim: I'm gonna tell you something, you goddamn peckerwood. You can't have him. He belongs to us. He belongs with us! And I ain't gonna let that happen.
Remmick: You can't save him, Smoke - no more than you could save your brother.
[Stack walks up to Club Juke, laughing and carrying Mary in his arms]
Remmick: You ain't safe here. No matter how many guns or how much money, they gonna take it from you when they want. You built something here tonight, and it was beautiful. But it was built on a lie. Hogwood? Well, he's the grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. [He points to Bert] That's his mother**** nephew! They was always gonna kill you - I just happened to show up at the right place at the right time.
Stack: He telling the truth, Smoke. I can see his memories.
Delta Slim: Smoke, that ain't your brother.
Stack: This wasn't no juke joint, no club. This is a... slaughterhouse.
Bert: It's a goddamn killing floor.
Joan: But what Uncle Hogwood don't know is we gonna start ourselves a new Klan based on love.
Remmick: Now that we got numbers, we'll probably go to that old bigot and rectify him, too.
Annie: Why can't y'all just go?
Mary: Because we're not leaving without y'all. We family. Ain't that right? I know it sound crazy, but... after we kill y'all, we're gonna have heaven right here on Earth!
Remmick: Sammie! You're the one I came for. I sensed you. I want to see my people again, I'm trapped here. But your gifts can bring them to me. Y'all give them to me now. Just- just give me little Sammie. We'll let y'all live.
[Sammie moves to the door, but Smoke and the others hold him back]
Smoke: Hey, hey, easy.
Delta Slim: I'm gonna tell you something, you goddamn peckerwood. You can't have him. He belongs to us. He belongs with us! And I ain't gonna let that happen.
Remmick: You can't save him, Smoke - no more than you could save your brother.
[Stack walks up to Club Juke, laughing and carrying Mary in his arms]
Remmick: You ain't safe here. No matter how many guns or how much money, they gonna take it from you when they want. You built something here tonight, and it was beautiful. But it was built on a lie. Hogwood? Well, he's the grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. [He points to Bert] That's his mother**** nephew! They was always gonna kill you - I just happened to show up at the right place at the right time.
Stack: He telling the truth, Smoke. I can see his memories.
Delta Slim: Smoke, that ain't your brother.
Stack: This wasn't no juke joint, no club. This is a... slaughterhouse.
Bert: It's a goddamn killing floor.
Joan: But what Uncle Hogwood don't know is we gonna start ourselves a new Klan based on love.
Remmick: Now that we got numbers, we'll probably go to that old bigot and rectify him, too.
Annie: Why can't y'all just go?
Mary: Because we're not leaving without y'all. We family. Ain't that right? I know it sound crazy, but... after we kill y'all, we're gonna have heaven right here on Earth!
View Quote
Delta Slim: Hey, let me tell you somethin'. Let me tell YOU goddamn somethin', ****. The Stack I know, he ain't fellowshipping with no goddamn devil.
Stack: **** you, ****. It is me. Elias Moore. And I'm talking to my big brother right now, so I'mma kindly ask you to shut the **** up.
Stack: [turns to Smoke] We was never gonna be free. We've been running around everywhere looking for freedom. You know damn well we was never gonna find it. Until this. This is the way. Together. Forever. And I ain't doing this shit without ya. There is no me without you. What's it gon' be?
Stack: **** you, ****. It is me. Elias Moore. And I'm talking to my big brother right now, so I'mma kindly ask you to shut the **** up.
Stack: [turns to Smoke] We was never gonna be free. We've been running around everywhere looking for freedom. You know damn well we was never gonna find it. Until this. This is the way. Together. Forever. And I ain't doing this shit without ya. There is no me without you. What's it gon' be?
View Quote
Cornbread: Slim! Smoke!
Delta Slim: Where the hell you been at, man? Huh?
Cornbread: To go see a man about a dog, like I told you, you old drunk. Turns out I need to take a shit, too. [Noticing that Smoke is covered in blood] God Dog! What happened to you, Smoke?
Smoke: Stack dead. ****, what the **** happened to you?
Cornbread: I'm sorry. All right, well, let me in, so I can help.
Annie: Hold on.
Cornbread: What y'all doin'? Just step aside and let me on in, now.
Annie: Why do you need him to do that? You big and strong enough to push past us.
Cornbread: Well, that wouldn't be too polite now, would it, Miss Annie. I don't know why I'm talking to you anyway. Probably your fish sandwich messed up my guts in the first place. Usin' old, stale grease.
Annie: [Defensively] I ain't never used stale grease, and you know it.
Cornbread: Shut up, Annie. Smoke...
Annie: Don't talk to him. You talkin' to me right now. Why can't you just walk your big ass up in here without an invite, huh? Go 'head. Admit to it.
Cornbread: Admit to what?
Annie: That you dead. That one of them white folks out there kill you, and you a haint now.
Cornbread: [Laughs] Smoke, you listenin' to this? Woman, this man showed me kindness. Employed me. Grabbed me out of the field. Now, he say his brother been killed. The man needs comfort, not you fillin' up his mind with that old Louisiana bayou bullshit you on. Now, we out here playing games, telling ghost stories in place of doin' what we ought to do.
Delta Slim: And what is it we s'pose to be doin'?
Cornbread: [Spreading out his arms] Being kind to one another. And bein' polite. Now, we is one people's. And we shouldn't go in, bargin' into other folks' places uninvited. So...
Smoke: You been in and outta here all day. Ain't never need an invite then. Yeah, somethin' ain't addin' up.
Cornbread: Shit, Stack was my ride up here. I 'posed to walk back?
Smoke: That ain't my problem.
Cornbread: Well, it be, your own peoples. And I thought you was better than this, but you just like the white man. Can I at least get my money?
Delta Slim: Oh you did such a bang-up job, now you wanna to get paid for what you ain't did.
Cornbread: Ain't nobody talkin' to you, you old drunk. Shut your mouth.
Delta Slim: No, you shut the **** up. Don't give him shit, Smoke. Don't give him nothin'. [Smoke is taking money out of his pocket]
Annie: Careful.
Delta Slim: Where the hell you been at, man? Huh?
Cornbread: To go see a man about a dog, like I told you, you old drunk. Turns out I need to take a shit, too. [Noticing that Smoke is covered in blood] God Dog! What happened to you, Smoke?
Smoke: Stack dead. ****, what the **** happened to you?
Cornbread: I'm sorry. All right, well, let me in, so I can help.
Annie: Hold on.
Cornbread: What y'all doin'? Just step aside and let me on in, now.
Annie: Why do you need him to do that? You big and strong enough to push past us.
Cornbread: Well, that wouldn't be too polite now, would it, Miss Annie. I don't know why I'm talking to you anyway. Probably your fish sandwich messed up my guts in the first place. Usin' old, stale grease.
Annie: [Defensively] I ain't never used stale grease, and you know it.
Cornbread: Shut up, Annie. Smoke...
Annie: Don't talk to him. You talkin' to me right now. Why can't you just walk your big ass up in here without an invite, huh? Go 'head. Admit to it.
Cornbread: Admit to what?
Annie: That you dead. That one of them white folks out there kill you, and you a haint now.
Cornbread: [Laughs] Smoke, you listenin' to this? Woman, this man showed me kindness. Employed me. Grabbed me out of the field. Now, he say his brother been killed. The man needs comfort, not you fillin' up his mind with that old Louisiana bayou bullshit you on. Now, we out here playing games, telling ghost stories in place of doin' what we ought to do.
Delta Slim: And what is it we s'pose to be doin'?
Cornbread: [Spreading out his arms] Being kind to one another. And bein' polite. Now, we is one people's. And we shouldn't go in, bargin' into other folks' places uninvited. So...
Smoke: You been in and outta here all day. Ain't never need an invite then. Yeah, somethin' ain't addin' up.
Cornbread: Shit, Stack was my ride up here. I 'posed to walk back?
Smoke: That ain't my problem.
Cornbread: Well, it be, your own peoples. And I thought you was better than this, but you just like the white man. Can I at least get my money?
Delta Slim: Oh you did such a bang-up job, now you wanna to get paid for what you ain't did.
Cornbread: Ain't nobody talkin' to you, you old drunk. Shut your mouth.
Delta Slim: No, you shut the **** up. Don't give him shit, Smoke. Don't give him nothin'. [Smoke is taking money out of his pocket]
Annie: Careful.