“I was never going to be a doctor or a lawyer, so being a musician seemed to be the best of what was on offer.”

Eddie Cochran – I never got to see him live, but he could play. Him and Buddy Holly, they were the best guitarists. They could get a good raunchy beat going.

Falling in love is terrible. It makes you act foolish, like an idiot.

Everyone wants to be safe. Well, I got news for you: You can’t be safe. Life’s not safe. Your work isn’t safe.

My persona has given me a certain notoriety, if not international celebrity.

I went to go see the Rolling Stones in the park, and they were awful: completely out of tune. Jagger wore a frock.

Women always left me because I wouldn’t commit, but then nothing changes a relationship like commitment. If you move in with someone, you lose all respect for them.

I don’t eat vegetables. I eat potatoes and green beans, and that’s it.

It’s much more fun to be full of hope than pessimism any day of the week.

We’ve made bad albums in the past, and people have bought them. I don’t know. I don’t care. I’m just grateful for it.

You can’t plan your life. It doesn’t work.

It’s when you get to 60 when everything starts to go pear-shaped. Everyone thinks that becoming an older guy is easy, but you never consider it fully. It comes as quite a shock.

Human nature is to blame for everything, innit? We’re just a disease on this planet.

It just seems like we get more popular every eight years or so. For some reason, it becomes cool to like Motorhead again.

It’s not that I take pride in being unfashionable. It’s just that I’ve gotten used to it.

A lot of photos were taken of us next to milk churns.

I don’t know if love exists, not the kind that keeps.

My friends and I are crazy. That’s the only thing that keeps us sane!

That’s the difference between me and the rest of the world. Happiness isn’t good enough for me! I demand euphoria!

Don’t try to be somebody you’re not because it doesn’t work. If you try to be this perfect person or perfect persona of what you think that somebody should be when they’re involved in public office, it’s just not going to work.

I have no problem with being vetted. What I do have a problem with is being lied about and then putting that as truth.

Positive and powerful: Sometimes people won’t like me, and it’s okay. Positive and powerful: I like me, and that’s all that matters.

To the new ‘Apprentice’ candidates I would say to follow your gut instincts, be yourself and get ready to work hard for the next few months. Oh, and try to have some fun!

Accepting that your imperfections and so-called negative attributes are part of what makes you unique will help you to stop continually trying to be someone or something that you are not.

All my life I’ve been doing. For now, I’m being — being quiet, being grateful.