I was a single parent, and I was prohibited from working.

Within three months I had gone from being this black sheep of the town to suddenly becoming a pop star.

I came from a small town and at school in one class there was me, a member from Depeche Mode and someone who went on to join The Cure. That was all in one class of 30 kids.

When you have a creative mind it doesn't stop going.

It is interesting seeing young people these days and watching how unimportant music is in their lives compared with our generation.

I think the world is a dead carcass and I think the purpose of human beings is as maggots.

Instead of thinking that's a nice tune, you start thinking is it the right pace, is it the right tempo? That is the death nell for artists.

I wasn't good at being affable. You get beyond that and realise the attraction in any human being has more to do with what they give to someone rather than just being face candy.

When you find yourself on stage singing and you are embarrassed about what you are singing in front of your peers, then you have to think about your priorities.

I have never done any other job. I have sung in bands since I was 15. I left school completely unqualified. I have no other training.

When you make a lot of money for a record company, they don't want you to evolve. Growing older, you naturally do.

Sometimes command means letting those under you do their job

Your pain is a divine rite of passage through which you will be reborn as a being of strength, wisdom and purpose.

I've also been known to cry during MasterCard commercials.

Natural selection is not the wind which propels the vessel, but the rudder which, by friction, now on this side and now on that, shapes the course.

Do you think he's the murderer?""It's worse than that -- he's an actor!

The church is the only institution supernaturally endowed by God. It is the one institution of which Jesus promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Sleep is for those people who are broke.

When all comes to all, the most precious element in life is wonder. Love is a great emotion, and power is power. But both love and power are based on wonder.

Who cares about a kid from the Midwest writing pentameter? It's stupid.

I had made all these rules for myself: I'm not writing social commentary, I'm not writing love songs.