La Bamba (1987) - Quotes

Talent and Fate: The Ritchie Valens Story

Taglines: Talent made him a star, fate made him a legend. The true story of Ritchie Valens.

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From Poverty to Stardom: The American Dream

Taglines: Born to poverty. Destined for stardom. He lived the American Dream.

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Sky Belongs to the Stars

Buddy Holly: Hey, Ritchie, relax, man. Everything's cool. Besides, the sky belongs to the stars, right?

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A Christmas Dress Dispute Between Brothers

Ritchie Valens: Bob. Where's mom's new dress?

Bob Morales: What new dress?

Ritchie Valens: The one I asked you to buy her for Christmas.

Bob Morales: Hey, you're the asshole with all the money, why don't you buy it yourself?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Balancing Friendship and Ambition in Music

Bob Keene: Wait Ritchie, look. I understand about friendship... but I'm being honest here. Not everyone in the world gets a shot at the "brass ring." You're gonna have to ask yourself what's more important, your friends... or your music.

Ritchie Valens: [Walks back to table] My family...

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Confrontation Over Unexpected Pregnancy

Bob Morales: Look Rosie, you're not my wife. Quit being such a drag. What the shit's eating you anyway?

Rosie Morales: [long pause] I'm pregnant. Well aren't you gonna say anything?

Bob Morales: What's there to say? It's not my first. Or my last.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Struggles of Brotherhood and Acceptance

Bob Morales: I've had one sip of beer and I have to admit it taste like piss to me. Want it?

Ritchie Valens: [takes a sip then puts the beer down] Yeah. What's your problem man?

Bob Morales: Old Steve, boy. He always said you'd be somebody and I bought it, too. If that's the way Steve wanted it that's the way it was going to be. Even after he told me he wasn't my dad. Once I knew the full score, I understood why he treated you just a little bit better than me. Okay? I said it, you know. I said, I'll just hang around for the leftovers, like a dog. That's how much I loved him. Like a goddamn dog.

Ritchie Valens: Bob we don't have to talk about this right now.

Bob Morales: No! Shit, no, I want to talk about this right now and you're gonna listen to me!

Ritchie Valens: This is a crock of shit man!

Bob Morales: No, he set you up, man, to conquer the world and didn't leave me shit!

Ritchie Valens: Nobody told you to throw your life away man! I'm only sorry I didn't say something about you being drunk half the time. You did it to yourself!

Bob Morales: Listen to you, coming in here like you own the whole goddamn country. To me you'll always be that little asshole who followed me around in the sticks.

Ritchie Valens: Yeah, I followed you around man. I followed you around cause I thought you were somebody... then!

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Conflicted Loyalties Among Family Members

Connie Valenzuela: How could you do this to Ritchie?!

Bob Morales: To Ritchie? I did this to me, okay!

Rosie Morales: That's my Bob, always thinking of others first.

Bob Morales: Shut your goddamn mouth!

Ritchie Valens: Hey man, don't take it out on Rosie, okay.

Bob Morales: [walking away] Ritchie, you don't understand man. You don't understand a goddamn thing! What do you think, the whole fuckin world revolves around you?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Prom Night Comparison

Ritchie Valens: [in Tijuana] This is like my high school prom.

Bob Morales: Yeah. Except this prom puts out.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Dreams and Ambitions in Rock and Roll

Bob Morales: Don't be such a dreamer, man.

Ritchie Valens: My dreams are pure rock and roll.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Importance of the Guitar to Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens: Bob! Watch it! My guitar, man!

Bob Morales: Sorry. I didn't know that piece of junk was so important to you.

Ritchie Valens: I even sleep with it.

Desire for control in relationships

Rosie Morales: [about Bob] He doesn't want a wife. He wants a love slave, one that he can kick around.

Commitment to Love and Feelings

Donna Ludwig: I will never let anyone get in the way of my feelings for you, ever again.

Reflections on Absentee Fatherhood

Bob Morales: [takes swig of vodka and grimaces] You know, my old man wasn't around when I was born. Why should I be?

Understanding Sperm Pressure in Relationships

Bob Morales: [to Ritchie] You've been laid yet? I'm serious, I know what your problem is. Sperm pressure, it's scientific.

Longing for Donna's Presence

Ritchie Valens: [singing] Oh Donna, oh Donna. Oh Donna, oh Donna. I had a girl, Donna was her name. Since she left me, I've never been the same. Cause I love my girl, Donna oh where can you be?