Singer

I have a reputation for not turning up to sing. It's something I want very badly to get rid of.

I have no regrets except that I was born a woman instead of a man.

I'm not good at making compromises.

In New York all the young people know me... I have a lot of friends... but I hate New York.

I wanted to be an opera singer since I was a very little girl.

As I see it, the '80s are no different from the '60s.

People think I'm not polite. But, what I have to say to people seems so unnecessary. I can't be forced. I'd rather just be what I feel. Even when I sing I try to imagine I'm all alone, there's nobody out there listening. I play with the notes, with the feeling. Each time the song is different for me.

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a dancer. I studied ballet.

I guess I'm rather self-destructive, and I like to give other people who are self-destructive a song to sing.

Things repeat themselves.

Yesterday doesn't count. It is what you do today that counts. No amount of talking about yesterday is going to change it.

I haven't that much of a sense of humour.

When I started with the Velvets, I wanted to sing Lou's song 'I'm Waiting for the Man,' but he wouldn't let me. I guess he thought I didn't understand its meaning, and he was right.

Sometimes I'm sad and mostly I like sad songs.