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

You enrich humanity with the profound expression of these feelings. … My songs are like my kids.

I always loved music, so I would probably either be in a band with another group of people, or an arranger, a producer, a musicologist, a music history guy, something to do with music. Either that, or I would probably be in jail. Or dead.

There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision.

Don’t wait for answers, just take your chances. Don’t ask me why.

Even when I was struggling and had horrible day jobs and wanted to be successful but wasn’t finding my way in.

Say goodbye to Hollywood Say goodbye my baby Say goodbye to Hollywood Say goodbye my baby.

I’m not sure about life after this; god knows I’m not a spiritual man.

There was only really one accident that was kinda bad but it was nothing to do with booze, just bad luck…

There was an edge of, ‘Go away kid, you’re bothering me’. I’ve kicked myself a million times since. I could’ve discovered Whitney Houston.

I see the winos talking to themselves and I can understand.

Slow down you’re doing fine You can’t be everything you want to be Before your time Although it’s so romantic on the borderline tonight Too bad but it’s the life you lead

We never could have come this far I took the good times, I’ll take the bad times I’ll take you just the way you are Don’t go trying some new fashion Don’t change the color of your hair. […] I could not love you any better I love you just the way you are.

I compare songwriting to childbirth. How many kids can you have before your uterus explodes?

I didn’t have this rebellious streak in me. To me, I’m a product of circumstance.

Spiritual life is like living water that springs up from the very depths of our own spiritual experience. In spiritual life everyone has to drink from his or her own well.

After staring at origami directions long enough, you sort of become one with them and start understanding them from the inside.

There’s a difference between music that’s original and music that’s retro. A lot of bands now are kind of retro 70s whether it’s Kraut-rock or… I’ve heard people suggest that we’re kind of retro 80s.

Rock and roll is catching on all over . . . France . . . England . . . They even have it in Japan, only over there they call it judo.

Rock isn’t art, it’s the way ordinary people talk.

I’m mostly a jazz fan and I’ve never really been into rock ‘n’ roll music.

Sometimes you come to a fall and sometimes you come to white water. Your rowing has to adapt to the situation.

Stand up like a mountain; have faith like a rock; love like an avalanche

I came into this whole business by going to see Rock Against Racism gigs with the Clash.

I’m always looking to rock out. But it isn’t really about rocking out versus being mellow, in terms of your personal satisfaction. In the end, you just want to be good.