The fact that somebody's telling you a story about people who didn't exist doesn't make the experience of the story any less real in your heart and mind.

The process of touring is always so weird to me. Once you've made the album, that's over, you move along.

The studio's a collaborative environment. I just try to let people bring their own ideas to the songs and see what happens.

I was 14 or 15 when I discovered poetry, and I pretty much stopped writing prose until Master of Reality.

This is the funny thing about me. People think John just comes up with all the ideas. I'm honored. People think I have a big old brain, but actually I am the sum of the people I work with.

If my songs are being listened to between any other songs, that is awesome, and I'm glad people are getting something out of them. We go to countries like Germany, where I can't imagine that all of my fans are engaging with the lyrics first and foremost. I think they're catching a vibe, a feeling. I consider myself a lyricist first and foremost, but if you get something else out of what I do, that's fine too. I'm not sitting back and telling people how they have to take my stuff. We just want to play music, and hope that people like it.

I seem to get the best work when I'm angry and depressed and alienated.