Rock in the mainstream culture has lost a lot of its mojo.
— Billy Corgan
I'm just an artist. I can only do so much. I can only say so much.
I'm very disappointed in my country right now, because I think we've kind of lost our moral compass.
I'm attacking the pomposity that says this is more valuable than that. I'm sick of that.
I had such a big mouth for so long that it doesn't faze anybody anymore.
It's a simple formula for me now, I don't play any song I don't want to play.
I still believe in my country.
I had concussions as a kid playing football and basketball, and know what it feels like and to have someone say 'Just rub some dirt on it, and get back in there.'
The deeper I get into my life as a musician, I'm discovering that it becomes less and less about other people, and more about what I want to do. And that's a good place to be.
I'm definitely responsible for coming in with some basic chord changes, or ideas. Everybody in the band looks to me to come up with the basic seed, so it's not very productive to come in with nothing.
I didn't find Jesus. He's been there the whole time.
There's a difference between being a poseur and being someone who's so emotionally challenged they're kind of just doing their best to show you what they've got.
I was brought up Roman Catholic. I'm not even baptized.
I didn't grow up with my mother, and so losing her for real was like, some sort of latent childhood, some sort of unresolved issue. When she left for real, it was sort of like, I was done.
I believe that if the Tribune company ever tries to close down Wrigley Field that you will have a protest from every corner of the globe.
As a citizen of the great city of Chicago, I find it impossible to root against the White Sox. The White Sox organization has been much more consistent, in my lifetime at least, at putting a winning ballclub on the field.
It just doesn't work without the others.
I mean there's certainly a lot of progressive rock and metal that exists at the underground level, which has its own vitality, as it should. But it seems to have lost its ability to really charge up the hill.
We need to get back to a level of social responsibility that we haven't seen for a long time.
There's nothing wrong with technology. It's when technology is the story and not the artist, that's the problem.
I look at other members of my generation who have basically done one thing, and one thing well, and have been handsomely rewarded for it.
Somewhere between the intellectual idea of why we're attracted to certain things and the pragmatic reality is some form of ever-evolving truth.
In our lives in a lot of ways it's all about fake. You've got people wanting things for fake reasons.
I've seen foreigners really shift on their view of America, and that's hard for me to take.
The funny thing about me that most people never really understand is that, at heart, I'm really a jock.
In the beginning, though, I have to admit that I did have a chip on my shoulder. I did want to prove everyone wrong. But after I went through the process and came out the other side, it wasn't about anyone else.
I feel like I'm always fighting not to repeat myself.
I was raised a Christian, but I wouldn't call myself a Christian now. I think when I was younger it was easier to focus on the negative, nihilist vision... this is sort of picking up on the other half of the body, which is God and white light.
If I have resistance to something, it means there's something wrong. The resistance to me is a sign of fear.
I don't have to play by these rules or do these things... I can actually have my own kind of version.
Saturn Return is just the return of your planets to their original position.
I lay a lot of blame at the feet of Dusty Baker for not being more strict about fundamentals, which I think would give the team a stronger day-to-day identity.
James, that's a bad situation. I'm not saying it's not repairable, but it's pretty far. When you go from being in one of the best bands in the world to some cover band... as far as I'm concerned, he was playing down at the pub.
I'm sort of like a lame, single guy in a red sports car.
I think when I listen to old records, it puts me back in the atmosphere of what it felt like to make the record and who was there and what the room looked like. It's more a sensory memory.
We've turned into a whining society.
I was part of a generation that changed the world, and it was taken over by posers.
Indie world won't have me, and mainstream world treats me like an alien, but here I am still floating between these two worlds.
I tend to be reactionary.
You've got to be ready to be in a great relationship.
Injuries are nothing to be ashamed about.
I'm viewed as this weird, crippled character. But you got to take your lumps.
I'll come in with a string of riffs and direct the musical ideas. But you still need a band and their input to make the ideas come alive. You can't underestimate band chemistry.
My version, of course, is not this flag-waving, let's all get on the Jesus train and ride out of hell. I'm not that kind of guy. It's an embrace that life is good, worth living and yeah, it's not easy, but there are more pluses than minuses.
For someone who's had the level of success I've had, there's been very little critical review of my work, which is pretty fascinating.
I walked away from going to church when I was 8. I didn't set foot in another church until I was 28.
I've always been spiritual but I've never had a proper context, and it took me awhile to find the proper context. It's hard to realize you can have any kind of relationship with God you want... and so I now have a punk rock relationship with God.
Your basic person wants to talk about material culture, internet culture. I think about God, cats, nature.
My pat line about the Cubs and payroll is that the amount of merchandise the Cubs would sell off a world series championship would more than cover for a big payroll.
You will never see the four original Pumpkins on stage ever again, unless it's a Hall of Fame thing. But you would never see a tour. There's so much damage, there's no way.
