I want to write songs that are so sad, the kind of sad where you take someone's little finger and break it in three places.

There's an element to songwriting that I can't explain, that comes from somewhere else. I can't explain that dividing line between nothing and something that happens within a song, where you have absolutely nothing, and then suddenly you have something. It's like the origin of the universe.

I always thought my records were number one; it's just the charts didn't think so.

It's an Australian thing to be dismissive. We find that endearing. Americans don't. They believe what you say.

I have to be able to see the thing that's going on that I'm writing about, or else it just doesn't make any sense to me.

Jesus Christ was the biggest blight on the human race, he was. And all them socialists and communists - second rate Christianity.

Cynicism and defensiveness are two things constantly levelled at me. Look, I've got time for people, I'm good mannered. I usually find that when you're down, nobody has a bloody minute for you. If I was a nobody, you wouldn't even talk to me. People, in general, don't like you being upfront and civil. They hate you for it. They label you a cynic 'cos you're reasonable.