I came into this whole business by going to see Rock Against Racism gigs with the Clash.

All musicians start out with ideals but hanging on to them in the face of media scrutiny takes real integrity. Tougher still is to live up to the ideals of your dedicated fans.

Don't saddle me with your ideals, and spare me all your guilt. For a poet with all the answers, has never yet been built.

Mixing pop and politics he asks me what the use is / I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses.

At some point in your life you have to engage with the fact that you are part of a society. Yeah the individual is the most important facet in society but unless every individual is the recipient of free health care, free education decent affordable housing and a proper pension then only the rich and powerful will be individuals and the rest of us will be exploited by them.

Never trust anyone who has no doubts. And I'm not talking about scepticism either: scepticism can be a healthy thing. You can have an argument with someone who's a sceptic. When I say 'cynic', I mean someone who has given up, and they want you to give up too, so it makes them feel better about themselves.

I try and write honestly about what I see around me now.