Disappearing act? That's a magic trick, isn't it? I like magic tricks!

I've learned you can't take any steps to protect any art. It is so vulnerable.

Whatever is going on in your life when you're writing has to somehow seep into your work.

Comedy is a very big part of the English culture, the sense of humor; it's a very dominant trait.

The only person with you all your life is you. Your parents die. Things inside you die — illusions, gushes of personality. Only you can sort yourself out. Yourself may not be all you need, but it’s all you’ve got.

When I'm writing I've been playing something for a couple of hours and I'm almost in a trance. At two or three in the morning you can actually see bits of inspiration floating about and grab them.

For "Running Up That Hill" we had worked with a drum machine [in 1985]; the basic rhythms of "Running Up That Hill" happened because the whole track was built on a drum machine.