It’s so easy to write songs about misery and hard times and sadness. It’s much more difficult to write songs about happy and chirpy stuff.
I mean, in some cases with libel laws, you know, they can write things about people who have no course of action, because they can’t afford to take legal action against them.
Loneliness was tough, the toughest role you ever played. Hollywood created a superstar, and pain was the price you paid.
Love is the key we must turn, truth is the flame we must burn.
What a scandal, if I die. Yeah, I’m gonna kill myself, get a little headline news.
We have a society where every hit maker and TV presenter is gay.
I was ready to approach her with my English charm, when her brass knuckled boyfriend grabbed me by the arm.
I had a little Richard and that black piano, oh that sweet Georgia Peach, and the boy form Tupelo.
Shock waves to a tired brain, sends that hungry lady to my door again. She’s my shelter from the storm when I feel the rain, entertaining white powder.
I’ve had my fills of cocaine and pills.
And we have come so far like that. I mean, the advances on the medication side have been enormous, and the advances on the human side have been enormous. But we still have this stigma to get rid of, and then we really will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Some kneel and lie to God.
Until I can visualise what the lyrics are about and see the story or whatever, I can’t hear the melody.
I just think you shouldn’t expect people to pay money to see someone sing live and then lip-synch.
I’ve always been a fan, so my enthusiasm has always been great, but it’s never going to be the same as it was from 1970 to 1975. You cannot repeat that, but you can get inspired by searching, by being mystified.
I became successful and within five years conquered the world and had the most amazing run. I had so much momentum and adrenaline going, but then it ends and you have to find what level you’re going to be on, how enthusiastic you’re going to be.
We are all God’s people; we have to get along and the religious leaders have to lead the way. If they don’t do it, who else is going to do it? They’re not going to do it and it’s left to musicians or to someone else to deal with it.
The world is near escalating to World War Three and where are the leaders of each religion? Why aren’t they having a conclave; why aren’t they coming together?
There is such a thing as good interference from your record label. I don’t think I get enough interference from my record label.
Sometimes you can’t see the wood for the trees as an artist.
Instead of more violence why isn’t there a meeting of religious leaders. It’s all got to be dialogue – that’s the only way. Get everybody from each religion together and say ‘Listen, this can’t go on. Why do we have all this hatred?’