Musician

I think a lot of bands would rather put mediocre rock tracks on their album to try to maintain some sort of testosterone badge of courage.

Nobody can beat those songs on 'Abbey Road.'

Technology has made music ultimately more democratic.

I think the music business is as crass and as unrewarding as it has ever been.

Back in 2000, I had come to a crossroads in my life, unsure about what career path I should pursue. Shepherd, bouncer, philosopher king, ventriloquist or perhaps man on the flying trapeze. Fortunately, I was guided back onto the path of the magical world of music.

If you have talent and you work really hard, it increases your odds but it doesn't ensure anything. But every now and then, the universe must tilt in your direction.

We came along at a time when people were really focused on music. We were part of the second generation of bands after all of those great 60's bands when rock was still in its' infancy.

Every artist thinks his most recent work is his best. If you didn't feel like that, you wouldn't do anything.

There are all kinds of pretensions about art, but I'm just a guy who sings for his supper.

Anyone in showbiz rock 'n' roll who says they're so tired of playing their hit songs, I want to smack them. I think it's an act. Because, look, you work your tail off to get people to validate you.

I am what I am. Whatever it was that made me what I am, I thought I should stay around and be that.

It took me a while to realize that the only way to really communicate with people is to give them your point of view.

Nobody can figure out why it does what it does to human beings. But there is no other art form greater than music.

A unique style comes from not being able to do things in a conventional manner. If David Byrne could have sung like Paul McCartney, he would have.

It's a good job when you get to have fans come up to you and thank you for writing your songs.

Heck, I feel guilty getting my senior discounts.

I feel like the luckiest guy on the planet.

I could forgive anybody.

It's great when it all comes together in a great musical like 'Sweeney Todd,' when Stephen Sondheim writes songs from heaven, the book is good and the staging is good. But it's very rare when that happens.

I was damn lucky to choose this profession. I had no idea when I started out that I was really an illusionist and a magician.