“You’ve given me the best of you, but now I need the rest of you.”

I’m writing for the sake of writing music. Whether it gets heard or not isn’t an issue for me. It keeps my own juices going and my mind active.

Don’t make music for some vast, unseen audience or market or ratings share or even for something as tangible as money.

I’m in a New York state of mind

Usually when I’m writing, I try to write fairly quickly. If a song sits around too long, it starts to take on a stink.

This is our moment, here at the cross-roads of time. Time is relentless and as the past dissappears, we’re on the verge of all things new.

As an atheist you have to rationalize things… Then you have to try and make some sort of sense out of your problems. And if you try and find you can’t, you have no choice but to be good and scared — but that’s okay!

My songs are like my kids.

There’s nothing better than good sex. But bad sex? A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is better than bad sex.

Don’t go changing, to try and please me You never let me down before.

Remember how I found you there alone in your electric chair, I told you dirty jokes until you smiled.

It’s alright, you can afford to lose a day or two

You may never understand How the stranger is inspired For he is not always evil, And he is not always wrong.

Videos destroyed the vitality of rock and roll. Before that, music said, “Listen to me.” Now it says, “Look at me.”

There’s a deep-seated paranoia that Americans have about not being Americans or something.

And you know that when the truth is told that you can get what you want or you can just get old.

Musicians want to be the loud voice for so many quiet hearts.

When you’re given a platform, and you’re allowed to perform, and someone’s there to heighten you as opposed to dampen you, that’s a nice feeling.

Democracy, like liberty, justice and other social and political rights, is not “given”, it is earned through courage, resolution and sacrifice.

To whom much is given, much is expected. I do believe this. It’s embedded in me.

For those to whom much is given, much is required. It is not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up. There is no substitute for victory.

So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.

A person is born with feelings of envy and hate. If he gives way to them, they will lead him to violence and crime, and any sense of loyalty and good faith will be abandoned.

But, hey I did everything the right way and earned my spot in this game, nothing was given to me.

I don’t trust what this life has given me.