100 Shameless Quotes on Family, Addiction, and More

You’d be surprised at how much you can learn from these extremely relatable and hilarious Shameless quotes!

Shameless undoubtedly kept our eyes and hearts on the screen for more than 10 years. With this show, you’re just never sure of what you’re going to see next. The Gallagher family, especially Frank, kept us on our toes with his—true to the show’s title—shameless acts, decisions, and thoughts!

Though Shameless is equipped with comedy and wit, it serves as a platform to discuss social topics such as addiction, mental health issues, family scandals, and more. It is a complete gem that makes us both laugh and learn.

So, if you want to know more about this comedy-drama series, make sure you check out our complete list below! Maybe you’ll also take away a lesson or two that you can apply in your day-to-day life.

Dive into the best Shameless quotes below.

And make sure to read these Frank Gallagher quotes and Yellowstone quotes.

Best Shameless Quotes

1. “Every time we open our hearts, every time we open our gates, we take a risk.” – Sarah Cleary

2. “Doing things you don’t want to do is how you make a relationship work.” – Frank Gallagher

3. “Just because we were born here, doesn’t mean that we end up here.” – Mandy Milkovich

4. “Life throws challenges at us to see what we’re made of, right? Yeah, apparently, I’m made of bourbon and blow.” – Robbie Pratt

5. “Great things don’t happen in tiny little increments, you know. They happen when someone thinks completely differently.” – Phillip Gallagher

6. “You couldn’t count on her, but she never had a bad thing to say about anyone, and she always had a good time. And that’s something.” – Fiona Gallagher

7. “I am whatever I need to be at the time I need to be it.” – Frank Gallagher

8. “Sometimes, when people love each other very much, they need time apart, so when they come back together, their love is even stronger.” – Sheila Jackson

Famous Shameless Quotes

9. “This is not a dictatorship. This is America. Give me liberty, or give me meth.” – Frank Gallagher

10. “We’re all addicts, just trying to fill a void.” – Robbie Pratt

11. “I wanna tell you something, but I don’t really wanna talk about it because I’m not sure how I feel about it, and I don’t wanna be told how to feel.” – Debbie Gallagher

12. “The good parts of love are so good, you’re willing to suffer an unbelievable amount of pain just to get to them. That’s why I have been married 3 times and engaged 12.” – Sammi Slott

13. “We who follow this path, we struggle with our relationship with the outside world.” – Sarah Cleary

14. “Ninety percent of the world’s problems are caused by tiny words that come in pairs. I mean, we’re healthy and we’re happy, but when people ask, we say, ‘Not bad.’” – Jimmy Lishman

15. “You did okay, Mickey. You know, you tried. That’s a lot more than most people would do.” – Phillip Gallagher

Also read: The Vampire Diaries Quotes, Letterkenny Quotes

Shameless Quotes That Will Teach You Valuable Life Lessons

16. “Sometimes we get so wrapped up in getting what we want, that we forget to ask ourselves why we wanted it in the first place.” – Ian Gallagher

17. “Minimum wage? Just a fancy term for industrialized slavery.” – Frank Gallagher

18. “Bullying is a vital part of every ecosystem. It teaches kids resilience. The world is a rough place. Bullying is like getting inoculated. It’s a vaccine.” – Frank Gallagher

19. “Stuff just happens sometimes.” – Phillip Gallagher

20. “Every day is an opportunity you don’t get back, so don’t blow it working.” – Frank Gallagher

Also read: Quotes to Live By, Encouraging Quotes

Shameless Quotes to Give You Insight Into Love and Relationships

21. “I know who I love and I know what I want, even if you don’t.” – Debbie Gallagher

22. “Marriage—who gives a sh*t? It’s a f*cking piece of paper.” – Mickey Milkovich

23. “I love you. It means we take care of each other. It means thick and thin, good times, bad, sickness, health, all that sh*t.” – Mickey Milkovich

24. “You’re my best friend and the best f*ck I ever had.” – Monica Gallagher

25. “I need you back because of what you let me feel by allowing me to make you feel something that you don’t want to feel.” – Sheila Jackson

26. “I can’t tell you that this is definitely gonna work out. There are no guarantees. But if this turns out to be a big mistake, then let’s make it the most fun big f*cking mistake we’ve ever made.” – Fiona Gallagher

27. “You need to let me go. You need to let me let you go.” – Fiona Gallagher

28. “Your life’s not simple, Fiona, and you can’t stop it from showing because you’re not fake. You’re not lost. You don’t need finding. This whole city belongs to the Jennas. I’m sick of them. I swear, Fiona, you’re nothing like anyone I’ve ever met. You make me want to enjoy my life again.” – Jimmy Lishman

29. “Love is not supposed to be cute. Love is supposed to be raw and destructive.” – Frank Gallagher

Also read: True Love Quotes

Wise Shameless Quotes to Change Your Perspective

30. “Revolutions don’t come wrapped in a cute ribbon. You want to bring down power structures? You want to get in the face of people who are peddling corroded ideals? You need a uniform that screams authenticity.” – Frank Gallagher

31. “F*ck mortgage-backed security. F*ck bailouts. F*ck too big to fail. It’s time we get a piece of the action.” – Phillip Gallagher

32. “They tell you that Jesus had all these messed-up ideas, but the truth is that you f*cking girls is exactly what Jesus wants you to do because that’s love and Jesus is love. You know, most of the *ssholes are closeted gays anyway. They wish they were as free as you.” – Frank Gallagher

33. “You see, this is the point I’m making with the liberal elite. In the war between the have-nots and the have-everything’s, their guilt is our ammunition. Never forget that.” – Frank Gallagher

34. “Why would I want to come to Canada? So your national health care can make me wait 60 years for a new kidney? The whole country’s a bunch of parka-wearing, draft-dodging, chickenshit cowards who didn’t have the balls to stay home and fight the Vietcong to preserve our American way of life.” – Frank Gallagher

Also read: Cobra Kai Quotes, Sons of Anarchy Quotes

Shameless Quotes to Make You Think

35. “Once you announce your depravity, there are plenty of other depravers seeking company.” – Jody Silverman

36. “If I had to apologize for all the stuff my father’s done, I wouldn’t have a voice left.” – Fiona Gallagher

37. “Don’t let your emotions completely obscure the barbaric roots of the sexual act. Don’t lose touch with the seeds of our animal nature.” – Frank Gallagher

38. “When you’re poor, the only way to make money is to steal it or scam it.” – Phillip Gallagher

39. “I just need someone to say, ‘F*ck it. This kid deserves a chance.’” – Phillip Gallagher

40. “Tourettes coupled with bipolar disorder and a drinking problem—he’s a shrink’s wet dream.” – Veronica Fisher

Also read: This Is Us Quotes, Mad Men Quotes

Short Shameless Quotes That Will Take You Back to the Series

41. “Expenses? Alcohol and drugs are non-negotiable.” – Frank Gallagher

42. “We have a moral duty to rip this *sshole off.” – Frank Gallagher

43. “Everyone smokes. You’re only a rebel if you don’t.” – Kyle

44. “He doesn’t just use drugs, he uses people!” – Frank Gallagher

45. “Thank God, I’m great at sex.” – Frank Gallagher

46. “If ignorance is bliss, then down syndrome’s got to be euphoria.” – Frank Gallagher

47. “All I had to do was pull out and you would have never been born.” – Frank Gallagher

48. “You can’t drink him away. It won’t work.” – Debbie Gallagher

Also read: New Girl Quotes, Euphoria Quotes

Sad Shameless Quotes That Will Make You Emotional

49. “Dying is lonely.” – Frank Gallagher

50. “You ever talked to someone getting chemo or radiation? They feel like someone’s clawing at their teeth from the inside. They can’t remember what day it is or keep their eyes open. They lay in bed all day and get bedsores that don’t heal. Is that how you would want to spend your final days on this planet?” – Bianca Samson

51. “I’m not homeless, I told you. I have a home, I’m just not welcome there.” – Frank Gallagher

52. “I’m a truth-teller. But you’re too weak to hear the truth.” – Frank Gallagher

53. “Human misery—you can’t get enough of it! Willing a bloke to chuck himself to his death so that you can have a bit of f*cking entertainment! Serves you right if he lands on your heads, you brainless cunts.” – Frank Gallagher

Funny Shameless Quotes

54. “Why was the broom late for the meeting? It overswept.” – Frank Gallagher

55. “I had no idea people I knew could die.” – Debbie Gallagher

56. “I always fantasized about having enough money to stock up on toilet paper.” – Fiona Gallagher

57. “When my son looks at me, I wanna see that same twinkle. And not from being stoned. That’s more of a glaze.” – Frank Gallagher

58. “The worst part about crack is long term addiction, but I won’t be around for long-term anything.” – Bianca Samson

59. “If you’re waiting for a new organ, you are just interfering with God’s plan.” – Frank Gallagher

60. “You remind me of your mother, and that’s not a good thing. Good luck.” – Debbie Gallagher

61. “All teenagers are sex addicts.” – Phillip Gallagher

62. “If God didn’t want us putting things up our *ss, he would have given the rectum a gag reflex.” – Frank Gallagher

63. “Don’t worry if you shoot a Milkovich. Nobody cares about them.” – Carl Gallagher

Also read: Funny Quotes

Shameless Quotes for a Day Full of Laughter

64. “I’m home! I’m home! Overweight minimum wage workers buying discount laundry detergent! I have missed you so much! God bless America! God bless America!” – Frank Gallagher

65. “Prison is no place for a man with naturally tight glutes.” – Frank Gallagher

66. “You are not gonna hand a pound of meth to a six-year-old.” – Fiona Gallagher

67. “Making a mental note of your face, sh*t bag.” – Carl Gallagher

68. “I slept with a gay dude. I probably have aids right now.” – Debbie Gallagher

69. “Every Libertarian was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple.” – Phillip Gallagher

70. “This is our Chicago and we’re gonna enjoy every f*cking minute of it.” – Frank Gallagher

71. “Ah, babe, you’ve never had in-laws. This is what they do. They stop by unannounced and annoy the sh*t out of you.” – Kevin Ball

72. “I am not a religious man, but every now and then, a child comes along who makes me believe in the existence of Satan.” – Principal

73. “Four f*cking dollars for a beer? It should be that price for a six-pack.” – Mickey Milkovich

Shameless Quotes to Better Understand the Characters

74. “Too much! Too much is wrong with me. That’s the problem, isn’t it? Too much is wrong with me, and you can’t do anything about that. You can’t change it. You can’t fix me. Because I’m not broken, I don’t need to be fixed, okay? I’m me!” – Ian Gallagher

75. “I was raised by a con artist, so I know one when I see one.” – Fiona Gallagher

76. “You’re needy and annoying. And slutty, and a bad mother.” – Sheila Jackson

77. “I’m the worst kind of addict. I’m addicted to the rush of life.” – Robbie Pratt

78. “You are gorgeous. You’re sweet. You’re funny. You’re very smart. You know that, right?” – Phillip Gallagher

79. “Yes! It’s about me! Okay, because it’s never about me and I’m finally making it about me.” – Fiona Gallagher

80. “You’ve got a demon mind and a devil’s womb and heart, and your coochie smells of brimstone and sulfur! I will f*ck you up!” – Peggy Gallagher

81. “I wouldn’t be here unless I was desperate.” – Frank Gallagher

82. “I’m washing dishes, and Carl’s got a scholarship. The world’s upside-down.” – Phillip Gallagher

Shameless Quotes That Zoom in on Sensuality

83. “Find someone to keep you. How? You find someone weak, stupid, and desperate. And you wear bras so your breasts levitate.” – Svetlana Yevgenivna

84. “You can’t lose your virginity to a tampon. It has to be a penis with a man attached.” – Sammi Slott

85. “Look, you got to grab this tit, and you got to massage it till you get the milk ducts flowing, girl.” – Carol Fisher

86. “I hate the penis. Ugly f*cking skin stick. Always trying to get in where it doesn’t belong, hoping to explode like a sticky volcano.” – Svetlana Yevgenivna

87. “Your current girlfriend ran over your ex-girlfriend with a car?” – Kevin Ball

88. “I started to look at sex like a fight, and my weapon was my cock.” – Jody Silverman

89. “Imagine you are swimming. And baby shark comes out of nowhere and sinks his f*cking teeth into your ball sacks. This is what it feels like when they bite nipples. Like they have declared war. Like, if you have a hammer in your hand, you could bash the brains out of this little sh*t. This is what it feels like.” – Svetlana Yevgenivna

90. “I prefer the hands yanking my Johnson to be soft, petite, and wearing nail polish.” – Phillip Gallagher

Interesting Shameless Quotes for Every Fan

91. “Daddy Frank, you are a serious badass and an essential member of this family.” – Frank Gallagher

92. “I forgive you for everything you’ve done. For stealing my dad’s car and driving it into Lake Michigan. For not telling me when you cut that batch of coke with just a touch of Drano. I forgive you for promising me to that drug dealer in exchange for crystal meth. I forgive you for dragging me three blocks with the car.” – Monica Gallagher

93. “Look, it was fun while it lasted, but it stopped being fun right around the time she started f*cking her fake father with the scary tattoos in our bed.” – Kevin Ball

94. “So you’re saying you f*cked up beyond the capacity of the modern human mind to process?” – Phillip Gallagher

95. “I’m a law enforcement officer—emphasis on the enforcement. You need to know what happened last week on Shameless? You better go find someone who actually gives a sh*t.” – Carl Gallagher

More Shameless Quotes That You Will Love

96. “Sun all year round, no more freezing our *sses off. Just sandals and tequila from here on, man.” – Mickey Milkovich

97. “When I collect a workman’s comp, some lady has to fill out the paperwork. That’s her job. If it wasn’t for me, she’d be unemployed.” – Frank Gallagher

98. “I believe the answer to that question, like the answer to most questions, is f*ck you!” – Phillip Gallagher

99. “Frank, people like the Milkoviches would love nothing more than a young, Black boy breaking into their property.” – Liam Gallagher

100. “My domestic partner is a clean and sober, hard-working citizen of this country. I think he deserves the same rights as a woman who would abandon her children.” – Frank Gallagher

Did You See Any Similarities Between Your Family and the Gallaghers?

There’s no better bunch to take the crown for TV’s most dysfunctional family than the Gallaghers. As the single head of the Gallagher family, Frank’s alcohol and substance addiction constantly kept the family dynamics rocky and hard to handle. You may not believe it, but he’d even go as far as to use his son as collateral for his misdeeds!

With all the shameless acts, eccentric characteristics, and bad decisions they made throughout the show, you may think that there’s no hope for the family. But, Shameless is a reminder that we’ll all go through bad times in our lives; so, it’s okay to mess up and fail.

What we have to remember is that through thick and thin, our family will always be the one to stick by us. Family is everything, and they will be the ones to accept us for who we are. So, don’t be afraid to be yourself!

Another vital lesson Shameless imparts is that our past doesn’t define who we are and who we will be. It doesn’t matter if your past is positive or negative—whatever it is, you have to focus on doing what’s best in the present. After all, by working and doing our best in our day-to-day lives, we’ll be more certain of the good things that lie ahead.

We hope we were able to give you some wise and insightful lessons from Shameless. The next time you watch the series, think about the wisdom you’ve gained from this collection and watch it in a whole different light!

Which Shameless quote is your favorite? Have you watched the show before? Share your thoughts below!

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Karen Danao

Hi, I’m Karen, a content curator and writer for Quote Ambition; I’m also a marketing and advertising professional. Beyond the keyboard and the screen, I’m someone who’s out to enjoy every bit that life has to offer!

Poetry, philosophy, history, and movies are all topics I love writing about! However, my true passion is in traveling, photography, and finding common ground to which everyone from different cultures can relate.

With the many places I’ve been to, I found that love, inspiration, and happiness are some things that bring people together. No matter how different we are on the outside, I’m a true believer that our emotions don’t lie; if you dig deep into our psyche, we’re all the same inside.

This belief was further amplified when I joined Quote Ambition. Through the quotes I’ve read, collected, organized, and written about, I found that humans are resilient, creative, and compassionate.

We take from each others’ hearts and courage, and it’s through our individual experiences that we learn how to rise above our challenges and pain. In so many ways, Quote Ambition is a platform that allows people from all over the world to gain the inspiration they need anytime, anywhere!

You can find me on MuckRack and LinkedIn.