You know, the songs that are self-conscious or jerky, they are that way, but the other ones aren't, so that's a good thing. Some of the songs are Beck-jokey, but the others, they have heart in them.

We're probably a couple of freaks who've created their own little universe, are living in our own little world and that's the only place where we can survive.

Lou Reed is something like a personal favorite of mine, but you could always put me into that drawer of singers who can't really sing, who speak their songs.

If a voice is just too nice, without an edge, it kinda all flows by. You forget it. You don't listen to the lyrics.

A good voice isn't so important. It's more important to sound really unique.

I'm not sure if you can blame everything on the American way of life, but the United States are big. So, if you have a lot of people there, the percentage of stupid people is bound to be higher.

I think most musicians know if they make the same record twice, even if they say they don't.

Despite my own doubts of being marketable or crushworthy, my goal was to write a record of peppy pop songs, hopefully without annoying anybody.

We're not on a desperate mission to write chart compatible stuff.

I didn't really like confessional poetry or things. They seemed sort of dated to me, or just corny.

The lyrics are different from Nick Cave songs and lyrics. His songs are very narrative.

School boards can be a steppingstone to higher forms of political leadership.

The one thing that makes me feel super lucky about my financial success is that I have a housekeeper.

I don't think Hollywood per se is supposed to be taken seriously, otherwise, dear Lord, that would be frightening.

For men who want to flee Family Man America and never come back, there is a guaranteed solution: homosexuality is the new French Foreign Legion.

Respect is the most important thing. Be respectful toward others and have respect for yourself.

I just wanted it to be American.

The climax of absurdity to which art may be carried when led away from nature by fashion, may be best seen in the works of Boucher.

I like to help others and count it as my greatest pleasure in life to see a person free himself of the shadows which darken his days.

I see life everywhere I look. I get the energy off the water.

Every bullet has its billet.