Chart positions are for people with manbags who get to work at 11 A.M. because they've been at a digital meeting.

Gone are the days when Virgin Records was owned by Richard Branson, a fan of music. Now they're all owned by some guy who bought it off some guy who bought it off some guy who wants a return on his investment.

If I were in the Beatles, I'd be a good George Harrison.

If you don't want to be the biggest band in the world, you may as well pack it in.

I remember the 70s constantly being winter in Manchester and the Irish community in Manchester closing ranks because of the IRA bombings in Birmingham and Manchester, and you know the bin-workers' strike, all wrapped up in it... They were violent times. Violence at home and violence at football matches.

I don't live to work; I work to live.

My first instinct when I write songs is not a negative one. It's something positive... Everything I've ever done has some form of hope in it, I think.