There is a part of me that has to depend on fantasy, because if you can't be somewhat of a fantasy person, then you can't write

I was not going to be a stupid girl singer. I was going to be way more than that.

Even in my really bad, drugged-out days, I didn't go away. I still toured, still did interviews. I never gave up the fight. That's why I'm who I am today, because I didn't leave. And I think I made the right choice.

I remember Prince gave me a cassette of Purple Rain. It was like 20 minutes long and he asked me to write something on it. I tried for a month and then he came to L.A. I went to see him and said, "I can't do it. It's too perfect. It's like 'Stairway to Heaven.'" He said OK and then I go, "I can keep the cassette, right?" He said, "Of course and thank you for trying."

I made a conscious decision that I was not going to have children. I didn't want others raising them, and looking after them myself would get in the way of being a musician and writer.

It's the first time I can ever remember being scared that the United States might mess up and something terrible will happen to us.

The truly incredible thing is were realizing that you can perform a two-and-a-half-hour gig without being high and still have a fantastic time.