298 Quotes by Elvis Costello

Obviously I got known for some other songs early on, and some of those were rock'n'roll songs. Some of them were melodic pop songs. And I've done lots of different things, as you know, but every so often I get drawn back.

There are a lot of things that you can like at a distance without spending a huge amount of time pondering. It's not so complicated.

Obviously the people that I admired, like the Beatles, were really into rock'n'roll, but it was already a little past rock'n'roll when I started listening and making my own choices about music.

Was it a millionaire who said, "Imagine no possessions"?

The long arm of the law slides up the outskirts of town.

If I am frightened then I can hide it If I am crying, I'll call it laughter If I am haunted, I'll call it my imaginary friend If I am bleeding I'll call it wine But if you leave me then I am broken And if I'm broken then only death remains

The cost of living in sin would make a poor man out of Paul Getty.

People speak with enormous pomposity and arrogance about music.

[Commercial radio] is owned by one or two corporations now, and they're not in the music business. They're in the advertising business.... So let's not kid ourselves. If you want to hear music, go buy a guitar.