Musician

There are no limits to where our brains can take us. We are, if there be a God, God's gracious creation.

I've never said I'm a communist.

Until I see an Arab country, a Muslim country, with a democracy, I won't understand how anyone can have a problem with how they're treated.

I cannot comprehend fundamentalism. It's fundamentally wrong.

Don't accept the old order. Get rid of it.

If you give me the chance, I'll destroy America for you.

There's many, many ways to write a song. But generally, sitting down at a table and writing is not one of them.

I had an Irish Catholic education. Horrible nuns, vindictive and cruel.

I'm not this callous clown walking around laughing at life all the time. I've had some serious, serious problems in my life. But I've come out with a smile.

When you grew up like me and my four brothers, you end up feeling somewhat inadequate, like somehow you don't count.

I have one major problem with the internet: It's full of liars. There doesn't seem to be any way to answer to people lying about you.

Situationism is a ludicrous proposition. It's ill-formed and it's perfectly French. That Gallic disposition towards common sense. L'Anarchie!

I don't believe in anarchy, because it will ultimately amount to the power of the bully, with weapons. Gandhi is my life's inspiration: passive resistance. I don't want to live in the Thunderdome with Mad Max.

Words cannot express quite a lot of feelings, whereas a noise or tone or drone or sound, an accordion falling down a staircase, can somehow capture an emotion much better.

The record companies fell apart - quite deservedly. Their corrupting, all-binding contract nonsense had to stop.

When you come from desperate poverty, and that's exactly what I come from, you know that nonsenses are not to be tolerated. I'm not sure who gains from chaos, but I know it's not the poor folks in the council flats. The politics of vindictiveness is never, ever anything like a solution.

Listen, you know this: If there's not a rebellious youth culture, there's no culture at all. It's absolutely essential. It is the future. This is what we're supposed to do as a species, is advance ideas.

I'm in England so often I haven't really left, but Americans aren't at all like they're misrepresented through their politicians.

I applaud the effort it takes to put a record together.

When you grew up like me and my four brothers, you end up feeling somewhat inadequate, like somehow you don't count. I was very ill as a child and in and out of hospital. That sort of alienates you, and in my songs I put that to good use.