John Quotes

Liberty and personal independence in America are still a concept some here have never known.

. . when the target of crime is armed, there is more law present, more public policy present, and more public interest served than by all 20,000 gun laws in force.

There is no problem anywhere on the earth which cannot be solved better under Liberty than under any other system.

Nothing puts the dignity in personal dignity (or the freedom in personal freedom) like the self in self-rule.

Nothing puts peace in its proper perspective better than the loss of personal liberty first.

Local self-government…is the life-blood of liberty.

A talent for repartee is one that increases with practice.

For a century longer, Rome still retains its outward form, but the swarming nations are now in full career.

Life is a great gift, and as we reach years of discretion, most of us naturally ask ourselves what should be the main object of our existence.

When important decisions have to be taken, the natural anxiety to come to a right decision will often keep you awake. Nothing, however, is more conducive to healthful sleep than plenty of open air.

We must be careful what we read, and not, like the sailors of Ulysses, take bags of wind for sacks of treasure.

It is sad, indeed, to see how man wastes his opportunities. How many could be made happy, with the blessings which are recklessly wasted or thrown away.

The veil is slowly rising, but as regards innumerable questions we must be content to remain in ignorance.

But, you know, I'd be happy just making music.

You can't get blood from a stone.

Comparisons do ofttime great grievance.

Woord is but wynd; leff woord and tak the dede.

All is not golde that shewyth goldishe hewe.

I don't think there's any such thing as rock n' roll anymore - it's an amalgamation of business interests.

I have no time for lies and fantasy, and neither should you. Enjoy or die.

Some of us are born big-minded with small penises. Others have big penises and small-minded.

This is a very difficult thing to remain independent and persistent.

Situationism is a ludicrous proposition. It's ill-formed and it's perfectly French. That Gallic disposition towards common sense. L'Anarchie!

People should never allow themselves to be dictated to by media.

Me, as a human, I never want to take away another human being's choices or lifestyles or anything.

I always knew the Sixties wasn't a revolution. It really was just a bunch of university students with wealthy parents having fun.

Oscar Wilde turned the world upside down and was able to laugh at it, and hopefully by the time I'm 120 and worn out, that's what I will achieve. I love being alive so much.

I have one major problem with the internet: It's full of liars. There doesn't seem to be any way to answer to people lying about you.

The record companies fell apart - quite deservedly. Their corrupting, all-binding contract nonsense had to stop.

Britain's an island; it's always had a constant ebb and flow of immigration - it makes it a better place.

Pop music I have always loved best. But the more extreme, fascist-led examples of the music business I tend to detest the most.

Punks in their silly leather jackets are a cliché. I have never liked the term and have never discussed it. I just got on with it and got out of it when it became a competition.

I love books, and all the best ones are people analysing their own emotions. You can learn from that.

I've been asked over the years to compile a list of desert-island discs. I couldn't do that. If I was trapped on a desert island, I don't think I'd want 10 songs to bring with me.

When you grew up like me and my four brothers, you end up feeling somewhat inadequate, like somehow you don't count.

I love conversation and the sharing of different thoughts and philosophies. That kind of stuff always makes me happy. I don't mind interviews, either - I like doing them.

It seems like the more I punish myself, the better it's been. What it is, I'm relentless and I never give up. I never take the easy way out.

If you can sort out why you feel the way you do then you might be in better shape to meet your maker.

I have a sensible set of values that tell me to never lie.

I don't like the monikers, and I don't like being pigeonholed. You know, I'm a human being.

I love pop music. It's not easy to write a good pop song. It may be easier to put out a fake jazz album, as Sting does from time to time.

For a gun-toting nation, Americans are surprisingly passive.

If the Royal Family was going to assassinate someone, they would have gotten rid of me a long time ago.

I applaud the effort it takes to put a record together.

I never take any commitment lightly, and I certainly don’t take my wife lightly. I never did and I never will. That’s permanent. That’s true love.

There are some Rolling Stones songs that are just stunners.

Punk was never about one particular clean-cut imagery... it's about many, many individuals coming very loosely together.

I've done no harm to no one. In fact, I think I've improved the world.

I think I have something valid to say. My words are my bullets. I like to brag that somehow I got it right.

I don't like walking in the street and seeing 30,000 copies of myself.