Musician

All I can really remember doing was listening to the radio and listening to records when I was at school. I wasn't very academic, and I certainly wasn't a very good student.

I used to think I was ordinary and just like everybody else, and I am, but there is something about being in a band. It's not for everyone.

I never want to bore the public.

I don't know if I feel like an outsider or an insider; I just feel like I always did. I don't have one of those stories where I felt like no one understood me.

I am very grateful to punk because I was a girl, and I felt like if I got in a band, I'd be kind of a novelty act, but punk was all about non-discrimination. No one cared because it was punk, so, you know, anyone could do anything they wanted.

My heroes would never let me down; they never have. I've never been disappointed by any of them.

The so-called feminist writers were disgusted with me. I did my thing, and so I guess by feminist standards I'm a feminist. That suits me fine.

In this business, things go in waves, and I might make a record every three years. That's enough for me; that satisfies me. And it satisfies the so-called public, because they don't really need a record every year. They don't even want one.

I'll make music as long as I can sing and stand up and hold a guitar and I feel like doing this.

I can't force myself to do anything I don't wanna do, really. I never have.

I have no sense of patriotism, but I do have a sense of community.

My policy is to do the least amount to get by.

I don't think that Michael Jackson died. He's probably dead now, but I don't think he died when they said he did. I think he wanted out of the game anyway, so he just disappeared.

When I hear myself singing, I hear Iggy Pop and Jimi Hendrix. There's a conversational thing going on. I suppose it depends on which The Pretenders song you're listening to.

I just liked music, and I really liked rock guitar. I didn't think I was going to be a rock guitar player, because I was a girl. I would've been too shy to play with guys.

I don't think it's good to be sentimental, so I try not to be.

Music reflects the time that it's being made in, and so certainly, the music that's being made in 1986 by a 14-year-old kid will reflect some magic of 1986 for him if he's an inspired and creative musician.

Yeah, the industry has always been both the enemy and the best friend of the artist. They need each other. That's the bottom line.

Look, as long as we can make records and sell enough so we can do some shows, that's all I want. You know what? I just want to play guitar and be in a band. Same as I always did.

I don't know any guitar player, any of the real greats, who don't rate Joni Mitchell up there with the best of them.