If you go into the eastern bloc countries we are huge, and in Russia. Maybe there is something about the depressing nature of our music and lyrics that some people find an affinity with.

When people meet me I think they're surprised to find out I'm not always angst-ridden.

I always hate explaining away songs, because for me they mean something, and for other people, they'll mean something absolutely different.

I lead two totally separate lives. There are times when I have to slip into rock star mode.

I will be the focal point for however long I decide to play. Half of me likes that idea and half of me doesn't, but once the adrenaline kicks in, I'll probably really enjoy it.

Anything that I write comes from the soul.

I don't think I've ever tried to be anything other than a weirdo.

I'm not advocating violence but I think somebody should shoot Simon Cowell.

It creates a conflict of interest - what songs would I use for me, and what would I use for the band.

I do a cover of a Velvet Underground song, and they were one of the most important bands, for me.

When I write love songs, people think they're really soppy - but I see love as a consolation for the boredom of life.

Ask the Lord to reveal to you the reason why He created you

Starlight beats when heart twinklesYouthful sky beyond cloudy wrinklesMuse of glory to flame the nightVerse inscribed as written light

You're a survivor because everyday you make a choice not to be governed by their harsh words or actions. No one has the right to take away your happiness.

Writing is my oxygen. Music is my carbon dioxide.

An honest cop still can't find a place to go and complain without fear of recrimination. The blue wall will always be there because the system supports it.

With "Let's Dance," there was actually a chance that I was actually going to be able to keep the money I had made.

I can't sleep. There is a woman stuck between my eyelids. I would tell her to get out if I could. But there is a woman stuck in my throat

You can't be too careful what you tell a child because you never know what he'll take hold of and spend the rest of his life remembering you by.

I've always worked. I have always been too responsible. But I don't know how to live any other way. I think that this discipline was also demanded of me by my work.

Mining in BC's Sacred Headwaters is like drilling for oil in the Sistine Chapel