Before then, Britain was pessimistic and the role of government was largely managing Britain in decline.

After the first couple of years recording I did a lot of praying. I said, 'Lord, please give me a hit.' I want one so bad.

There, gleaming in the glow, was that ten-horsepower rotary engine under a seat. A key glistening in the ignition. I imagine the top speed for that old mower was five miles per hour. It might have taken an hour and a half or more for me to get to the liquor store, but get there I did.

Today they forget you in five years. They give an artist nowadays four or five years and that's it. Some of them don't have that. They get a couple of releases. If you don't sell two million copies, you're gone, you're out of here.

It didn't make much difference what time of night it was, whenever [my father would] come in drunk, he'd say, "Get up and sing me some songs." We didn't want to sing but we sang.

If you're gonna drive me crazy baby, drive me to drink.

You can shut out the world. But you always have to stop, and the world is always waiting when you do.