I don't think rock n' roll songwriters should worry about art. I don't think it comes into it...as far as I'm concerned, Art is just short for Arthur.

I've never had a problem with drugs. I've had problems with the police.

When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you.

Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones.

I look for ambiguity when I'm writing because life is ambiguous.

If you don't know the blues... there's no point in picking up the guitar and playing rock and roll or any other form of popular music.

You've got the sun, you've got the moon, and you've got the Rolling Stones.

If you've gotta think about being cool, you ain't cool.

True friends. Hardest thing to find, but you never look for them - they found you ; you just grow into each other

Everyone talks about rock these days; the problem is they forget about the roll.

You don't find a style. A style finds you

Because we have loved profoundly, Because we have given much, Because we have hoped passionately, Because we have desired intensely, We allow ourselves to be infinitely hurt.

The only day you should never write and achieve your goals is when the day ends with the letter y.

Sarcasm is when you tell someone the truth by lying on purpose.

Prayers Are Free, But Change is going to cost you.

My mum translated this in her head to "witchfinder, " which was good because like most West Africans, she considered witchfinding a more respectable profession than policeman.

To abstract is to draw out the essence of a matter.

I'm a big fan of 'Mad Men.'

All middle-class novels are about the trials of three, all upper-class novels about mass fornication, all revolutionary novels about a bad man turned good by a tractor.

Life is made up of constant calls to action, and we seldom have time for more than hastily contrived answers.

Never can true courage dwell with them, Who, playing tricks with conscience, dare not look At their own vices.