When I write lyrics, it's only when I'm angry or hurt or sad. So lyrically it's never really easy going. And the music is always really intense.

I live my life by the numbers. Not only am I an American, I am an Americanist.

Joe Strummer, Johnny Rotten, and Ian MacKaye were all people who really made me see things differently.

I think in rural settings, people have a different appreciation for animals than might the city dweller. In parts of India where poisonous snake bite is common, people have a much different value system. I live in a city. I'm not thinking about wolves, lions, etc.

You can say, "Well, I have a question," and someone will say, "Oh, so you hate America." And it has nothing to do with the discussion at all.

I get along with Australians really well. Everyone's usually really cool, and it's always a drag to leave.

Best not to mix the past with the present. The present paints the past with gold. The past paints the present with lead.