Remaining childish is a tremendous state of innocence.

I don't believe in false memories, like I don't believe in false songs.

Over the years, during television interviews, whenever the host or the reviewer or whoever gets cynical and nasty with me, I will behave accordingly. I will defend myself.

Anybody who says, "Look, John, I'm a politician. Don't believe a word I say," is a friend of mine.

I could take on England, but I couldn't take on one heroin user.

It's no good being nice and young and naive. There's no good in that at all. You've got to do it all yourself, and you've gotta learn quick. And you can't look for sympathy either.

You need the past as a guideline. The history of music is a good basis, but to escape that stuff, that tortuous rulebook, you have to learn it first. It's kind of like religion - once you've written the Bible, that's it, move on.