Ready for some Madonna quotes? And, no, I don't mean the the religious one. I'm talking about Madonna Louise Ciccone, the one and only music icon who changed the face of fashion and music forever. If you grew up in the 80s, you've seen her go from rebellious to downright controversial and back to popular beyond belief. It's only fitting that we celebrate her August 16th birthday with some fun and flirty quotes from none other than the music queen herself.

1. "A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That's why they don't get what they want."

2. "When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm thirsty, I drink. When I feel like saying something, I say it."

3. "I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art."

4. "Better to live one year as a tiger, than a hundred as a sheep."

5. "I always thought I should be treated like a star."

6. "My father was very strong. I don't agree with a lot of the ways he brought me up. I don't agree with a lot of his values, but he did have a lot of integrity, and if he told us not to do something, he didn't do it either."

7. "To be brave is to love someone unconditionally, without expecting anything in return. To just give. That takes courage, because we don't want to fall on our faces or leave ourselves open to hurt."

8. "I wouldn't have turned out the way I was if I didn't have all those old-fashioned values to rebel against."

9. "I've always wanted to be taller. I feel like a shrimp, but that's the way it goes. I'm five-foot four-and-a-half-inches - that's actually average. Everything about me is average. Everything's normal, in the books. It's the things inside me that make me not average."

10. "Being blonde is definitely a different state of mind. I can't really put my finger on it, but the artifice of being blonde has some incredible sort of sexual connotation. Men really respond to it. I love blonde hair but it really does something different to you. I feel more grounded when I have dark hair, and I feel more ethereal when I have light hair. It's unexplainable. I also feel more Italian when my hair is dark."

11. "My having a child is not for public consumption. It's not a career move. It's not a performance to be judged or rated. Nor is my role as a mother."

12. "I think the ultimate challenge is to have some kind of style and grace, even though you haven't got money, or standing in society, or formal education. I had a very middle, lower-middle class sort of upbringing, but I identify with people who've had, at some point in their lives to struggle to survive. It adds another color to your character."

How could the critics have ever hated her? Sure, she's done some pretty "out there" things, but when push comes to shove it seems she's a pretty deep person who has her head on straight. Let's join the birthday celebration. The above 12 Madonna quotes are a great way to start.

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