I write songs to turn myself into something else. And then I become that, and I want to become something else.

Everything I do is very visual and very aural, so I don't read music, and I draw as much as I write out lyrics.

Everything I write is about me.

Most of the people who write pop music were outsiders at some time in their life.

During my life I have seen, known, and lost too much to be the prey of vain dread; and, as for the hope of immortality, I am as weary of that as I am of gods and kings. For my own sake only I write this; and herein I differ from all other writers, past and to come.

I was brought up in many different cultures, moving around all the time, and I find my identity in my songs. I project the identity I want to have throughout the songs that I write.