The talents of an artist, small or great, are God-given. They've nothing to do with the private person; they're nothing to be proud of. They're just a sacred trust... Having been given, I must give. Man shall not live by bread alone, and what the farmer does I must do. I must feed the people - with my songs.

The Undiscovered Paul Robeson, An Artist's Journey, 1898-1939 (ed. Wiley, 2001)