“It’s been very important throughout my career that I’ve met all the guys I’ve copied, because at each stage they’ve said, ‘Don’t play like me, play like you.’”

Music survives everything, and like God, it is always present. It needs no help, and suffers no hindrance.

Our love will rule in this kingdom we have made.

I tried when I was 13, when my grandparents gave me an acoustic guitar, and I tried for a year. It hurt so much to play. I mean, the fingertips hurt so much, I gave up.

I feel a real need to observe a level of propriety in what I’m handing out. Instead of me just venting or spilling my guts, I’ve got to consider how it’s going to affect people. How it’s going to affect me, as well. Because it’s like a cycle.

When you’re onstage with an electric band going through a massive P.A. system, it’s very artificial. You can’t really hear your own voice as it comes out of your mouth.

I know there will be no more tears in heaven.

There’s a desire in me to express something – to match what I hear in my head.

But the guitar, when you think about it, is the most versatile, really. I mean you can pick it up and take it with you wherever you go.

And I don’t like having my picture taken. I’m almost like an old African in that sense. I think it steals a bit of the soul.

I couldn’t believe how good Jimi Hendrix was It was a really difficult thing for me to deal with, but I just had to surrender and say, ‘This is fantastic.’

I thought, ‘My God, this is like Buddy Guy on acid.’

I’ve always wanted the sound of Muddy Waters’ early records – only louder

Having lovers and friends is all good and fine But I don’t like yours and you don’t like mine.

I never set myself too high a goal. It was always tone and feeling, for me.

I wish I could write easily. I’m one of those guys who’s visited by the muse when things are dire.

Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees.

I can only listen to what I’m working on, at the time. I can’t listen to anything else because I don’t want to copy it.

An original artist is unable to copy. So he has only to copy in order to be original.

How I can’t find a physical copy to my own shit.

You can copy someone else’s paper but you’ll never know how you arrived at your answer. 

If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him.

Do your own thing. Others own their own thing. If you copy too much, you’ll find yourself in late night cocktail lounge cover band limbo.

Sometimes it’s flattering when people copy you, but sometimes it gets to a breaking point.

Success is dangerous. One begins to copy oneself, and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others. It leads to sterility.