“You say how you feel, and songs don’t lie. Songs are the most honest form of human expression there is–there’s nothing that lies about a song.”

I always do get a little bit paranoid when I get a lot of attention. But I get used to it.

I have auditory hallucinations, I hear voices saying derogatory things, like I’m terrible and I’m going to die, and they’re usually worse in the afternoon.

All of the artists did such a beautiful job I can’t thank them enough. I’m just honored that ‘God Only Knows’ was chosen. ‘God Only Knows’ is a very special song. An extremely spiritual song and one of the best I’ve ever written.

The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Phil Spector. Those were my idols.

I’m happy; I’m a happy person.

I can write songs, I’ve had songs in movies, but I can’t compose film scores, you know?

Surfing music is dead. It was just a summer craze for kids on the beach. I’m finished with it.

I’d earned over a million dollars by the time I was old enough to vote.

I meditate and I also think about meditation. Which is funny. I think about Maharishi, about just the idea of meditating. It gives me something.

I’m not a genius. I’m just a hard-working guy.

I’m doing good. I’ve had a slight nervous breakdown in the ’60s. I got through that. And I got through the ’70s. And I was in a doctor’s program during the ’80s and then I met Melinda and we’ve been together ever since. I’ve got a happy life.

You don’t really know what to believe until the Government denies it.

Gershwin inspired me very much. The concept of ‘That Lucky Old Sun’ was inspired by ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ – not influenced, but inspired.

I’m just a shy and retreating kind of person. Sometimes I get in a real talkative mood – but not very often.

If you’re going to write a song, try to get together with a collaborator because it’s better to write with collaborators.

Any article’s good. Long as it’s publicity, I think that’s all that matters. I think it’s advancement for my career.

As far as how I expressed ‘practice, practice, practice’ over and over again, I wouldn’t take that back because, obviously, that sound bite is great for the media and for the fans, because they love it.

Bunch together a group of people deliberately chosen for strong religious feelings, and you have a practical guarantee of dark morbidities expressed in crime, perversion, and insanity.

I still remember the days, not wanting to see anybody, not wanting to talk to anybody, really not wanting to live. I was on an express elevator to the bottom floor, wherever that might be.

I suppose you inevitably fall into habits of expression.

The best football is always about expression of emotion. Always.

It is very true to say that work done by writers is quite often an attempt to give solid expression to that which is bothering them. They feel they have got it right if they express the stress.

If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.

Singing has always seemed to me the most perfect means of expression. It is so spontaneous. And after singing, I think the violin. Since I cannot sing, I paint.