Once you encounter people who are really testing the limits of kindness, that's when you start to build up a shield and close yourself down.

It's funny, I think after you are a star like Sting and you no longer think you need any guidance or aid - it would be great to see those stars work with other songwriters.

I'm pushing ahead on my own - you no longer need a large record company to make you a star.

I watch documentaries for information. I watch films to be entertained.

There's no hierarchy in suffering. I think songs that are transcendent are the ones where everyone can feel something from it, you know?

Our leaders and Osama Bin Laden all claim to do the right thing in the name of God. I question that. I wonder if that God is worth the life of another human-being.

Madonna is interesting. She changed music. She definitely did. She gave me an opportunity that no one else would give me, so I am very grateful to her.