I'm not this callous clown walking around laughing at life all the time. I've had some serious, serious problems in my life. But I've come out with a smile.
— John Lydon
I love American ski resorts because they're open to everyone, are not incredibly expensive. They're not snobby and you can have fun all day long on the most excellent mountains.
These days young kids don't have any place to form an epic adventure. It's more often in front of the TV screen or a laptop. That's very hard on them. They're being taught daily unsocial skills. Facebook is an unsocial skill. It's so sad.
I find Lady Gaga hilarious. And I kind of like her. My heart's warmed to her.
There are some Rolling Stones songs that are just stunners.
Records were vitally important to the development of music and of all music cultures. With that being pushed by the wayside, I can't see an iPod uniting us. In fact it separates us, the streets are full of people bumping into lamp posts, listening to their own little universe, and there's no sharing in that.
I love books, and all the best ones are people analysing their own emotions. You can learn from that.
People should never allow themselves to be dictated to by media.
I've been in very many situations where I've not liked the other members of the band or they have not liked me. I grew up presuming that's the way music was made. It doesn't need to be that way. It's taken me years years to find that out.
I could never be a member of a single party. I want the best of all worlds, thank you.
I don't like the monikers, and I don't like being pigeonholed. You know, I'm a human being.
I love a bit of flag-waving.
I like America's diversity and its landscapes.
I think I have something valid to say. My words are my bullets. I like to brag that somehow I got it right.
If anyone asks for your autograph they're showing you respect and give it back to them.
I've never said I'm a communist.
I'm not blowing my own trumpet here, but I made a rap song 20 years ago with Afrika Bambaataa.
I never take any commitment lightly, and I certainly don't take my wife lightly. I never did and I never will. That's permanent. That's true love.
I love boating - not flash, 'noisy go fast' nonsense, but the general relaxation of it. My wife and I love to get in our little Wellcraft and go as far out to sea as we can, hopefully beyond land. That is the best thing you can ever do. It clears your psyche.
I've had great pleasure meeting the likes of Newt Gingrich and having a chat with the fellow on a staircase. I found him completely dishonest and totally likeable, because he doesn't care! He knows what a politician is, and he's a perfect embodiment of one.
Art should be life. It's an imitation of life. It should have some humanity in it.
If my leg falls off, I'll get a prosthetic. There'd be no deep sadness about. I'd just get on with it! It's called life, and I love life. You have to be positive, and you have to crack on no matter what.
If you can sort out why you feel the way you do then you might be in better shape to meet your maker.
If you have something to say then you want someone to pay attention or at least to have the opportunity for them to tell you to shut up and go away.
I cannot comprehend fundamentalism. It's fundamentally wrong.
You know, I've been to some superstars' houses, and I've been really disgusted when I see their platinum discs hanging in the toilet. They're just there on the walls glaring at you when you're trying to be occupied with other things.
I love pop music. It's not easy to write a good pop song.
Periods of inactivity, I don't know such things. I'm consistently writing. My life is busy. It always is. There are hardly any moments for self-indulgent laziness.
I don't believe in anarchy, because it will ultimately amount to the power of the bully, with weapons. Gandhi is my life's inspiration: passive resistance. I don't want to live in the Thunderdome with Mad Max.
I'm in England so often I haven't really left, but Americans aren't at all like they're misrepresented through their politicians.
I nearly die of fear before I go on stage. Something wicked. I can't eat a thing the day before a gig.
I don't release records to be anything but enjoyable.
I have one major problem with the internet: It's full of liars. There doesn't seem to be any way to answer to people lying about you.
I mean, the genuine roots of culture is folk music.
I love Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart because they're bringing irony back into American humor, which is a delicious treat. The entire Colbert persona of being extreme right-wing when he's not at all is highly amusing. He does it so well, but sometimes a little too well. My wife is convinced he's completely that way.
I was a very sickly boy when I was young; nearly died when I was 7. I had a life-threatening attack of meningitis, and that put me in a coma for a few months. It took me four years to get my memory back.
Just because people think politically different to you doesn't mean they're inhuman.
I never thought of Green Day as a punk band. Just bubblegum, really.
Analog, electronic, whatever it happens to be, I simply love and adore literally every aspect of making music.
Words cannot express quite a lot of feelings, whereas a noise or tone or drone or sound, an accordion falling down a staircase, can somehow capture an emotion much better.
Listen, you know this: If there's not a rebellious youth culture, there's no culture at all. It's absolutely essential. It is the future. This is what we're supposed to do as a species, is advance ideas.
Me, as a human, I never want to take away another human being's choices or lifestyles or anything.
Remaining childish is a tremendous state of innocence.
I've been asked over the years to compile a list of desert-island discs. I couldn't do that. If I was trapped on a desert island, I don't think I'd want 10 songs to bring with me.
Being born into the Royal Family is like being born into a mental asylum. Marrying into it is not something to be taken lightly.
The only good political movement I've seen lately was Occupy Wall Street. They had no leaders, which was genius. But unfortunately it always ends up with some hippy playing a flute.
Dummy Dum Dum was my nickname for years at school. I was the strange one of the family, the one who couldn't remember his name.
I keep falling off the edge of the stage because I can't see it. I can't see my wrinkles in the mirror either, though.
Rules are important, but they're temporary and they're always supposed to be changed.
Pop music I have always loved best.
