“I can never be anonymous – especially when I walk round looking like this; especially when I take so much trouble not to be anonymous, right?”

I don’t know, I’ve always written songs that are mainly about attitude, not me personally.

As for what other people think of me, I don’t care. I don’t care and never have.

Just ’cause something’s popular, it can still be good. In fact, if more people are buying it, then you must be doing something right.

I was brought up by two women: my mother and my grandmother.

I was lucky: I didn’t get married, so I didn’t have to have that responsibility.

I always write about war, love, death, and injustice. There’s plenty of that around, so I never run out of ideas.

Got two kids; one’s a record producer who lives just up the road from me – great guitarist and piano player, too.

I hate golf! I still can’t believe Alice Cooper plays golf!

It’s very much up to you, how you shape your life. I mean, I missed out on human relationships. But looking at relationships that I’ve seen along the way, I don’t think I’ve missed much.

Oh, I listened to a lot of the blues. I love the blues. You know, Slim Harpo, people like that, and Sonny Boy Williamson.

I listen to everything from Ravel to the Bee Gees.

Bomber’ was the first song I wrote about war.

I don’t really admire musicianship per se – as is obvious from my own playing.

I wanted to be a farmer; actually, I wanted to be a horse-breeder. And I had the stallions… but then I heard Little Richard, and that was it.

You can’t win fame; you have to earn it. If you’re given fame without working for it, then you’re not going to be ready for it.

I saw the Beatles play the Cavern in Liverpool when I was 16. They had attitude: Onstage, they were like a four-headed monster.

In the future, everybody will be anonymous for 15 minutes.

The anonymity of the city is one of its strengths as well as – carried too far – one of its weaknesses.

By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.

The challenge for me as an actor is if you become a celebrity, you don’t meet strangers anymore. And strangers are where we have our anonymity. And I believe it’s essential for the soul to be anonymous, especially if you’re going to be an actor.

Anonymity beats fame. One cannot undo fame.

I think everybody really responds to the secret society aspect. This idea that you have to remain anonymous, and yet at the same time, you’re kind of saving the world.

In a room where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence, one word of truth sounds like a pistol shot.

Overall I enjoy a certain anonymity. I live a very normal, very ordinary life.