I think pain is the best feeling for song writing. You can write good happy songs, but I think the kind of bruiting, depressing ones are more effective. They are easier to write when I am impassioned and angry. It is a good way to channel that negative energy.

Roads taken far away from you are many. Do not fear, Mother; they all lead back.

The power and the potency of music will transcend any one person's opinion about it.

I think the first thing that you need to detach yourself from is numbers, because music has now splintered off into so many different forms of media, MTV doesn't play videos, the radio is now competing with the Internet.

I'm feeling like the music business is reaping what it's sown. It's going through what inevitably it was going to go through. It was a very decadent, very glamorous business that took advantage of a lot of people for a long time and didn't do things right and had a poor business model.

Shakira is a new friend, but I love her dearly already. She's so sweet and adorable and hilarious.

Before I go on stage, I pretend that everyone loves me.