That's what I mean by "Western morality," is the lack of morality. There is none. People are out for themselves, and they'll stab you in the back.

I couldn't write a political song. There's just opinion; it's all arbitrary anyway. It's all subjective.

I don't need to control anything. Even with romantic partnerships, I don't need to control anyone.

To me, craft work is the ultimate. Maybe I got this idea from the autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini, who was employed as a sculptor to the state and church, making coins and things. While he admired Michelangelo, he also made fun of his spiritual angst with art.

I was just a folk singer. I cut my teeth on the streets, you know.

I don't care much about politics. That kind of witchcraft I stay away from because people end up dead. I'd rather die for music.

The writing of the record didn't take long, because I just have a huge stack of papers and I just pluck from the stack. It took a long time because it's very expensive to make records; in fact, I think it's a complete rip-off.