The mythology in rock n' roll is that I'm a bit of a loose cannon. Yet I've produced more music than anybody in my generation. So how much of a loose cannon am I? But the general public believes that I'm a loose cannon, so let them believe it. I'm not going to correct them.

I get more out of life just being myself, by just being a human being. Not by being a rock star, not by being whatever. Sometimes I act like a jerk, but I think people respect me for being myself. That's the ultimate thing about the Smashing Pumpkins.

When you move artistically, the natural inclination is to denounce everything that's gone before.

Don't judge yourself by someone else's standards. You will always lose

Where is this great love for rock and roll that existed for 50 or 60 years?

I'm prepared to spend the rest of my life playing clubs, if that means I'm playing music that I believe in.

Being in a rock band is just an excuse not to get a job