I've got used to the fact -​ just about -​ that whatever I do is going to be compared to the other Beatles. If I took up ballet dancing, my ballet dancing would be compared with Paul (McCartney)'s bowling.

We put a President up there, and then we set fire to him because he's not solving all our problems.

I didn't come after Elvis and Dylan, I've been around always. But if I see or meet a great artist, I love 'em.

Life doesn't imitate art...it is art!

For a long time I wasn't listening to music, to the rock and roll stuff on the radio, because it would cause me to get sweaty. It would bring back memories I didn't want to know about, or I would get that feeling that I'm not alive 'cause I'm not making it. And if it was good, I hated it 'cause I wasn't doing it. And if it was bad, I was furious 'cause I could've done it better.

I'd like to incite people to break the framework, to be disobedient in school, to stick their tongues out, to keep insulting authority.

I don't believe in magic ... I don't believe in Jesus ... I don't believe in Buddha ... I don't believe in Elvis ... I don't believe in Beatles.