About this quote

In The Shawshank Redemption (1994), this line is delivered by the character Red during a scene when a record of Italian opera is played over the prison loudspeakers. The yard falls silent as the music pours across the compound, and Red admits he never knew what the singers were saying — and that he prefers it that way. The line is memorable for its dry humor and for how it anchors Red's plainspoken, observational voice amid an unexpectedly beautiful moment.