As a child I was such an intense daydreamer; I could be so gone that I had to be smacked to come back. They were really worried that I had some kind of catatonia or something because I would go so far out. Because all I wanted to do was talk to god as a child.

I reflected on the fact that no matter how good I aspired to be, I was never going to achieve perfection

I never really wanted to be a singer - not with any longevity. But I always wanted to be a writer.

An artist is somebody who enters into competition with God.

The new artists coming through were very materialistic and Hollywood, not so engaged in communication.

All the traumas I went through separating art from writing don't exist anymore. That's why I love being in rock 'n' roll. It's a whole life thing.

The film [Dream of Life] looks at a time in my life.