Singer Songwriters From England

"We stayed out of Memphis early on in the late 70s for obvious reasons. People were very sensitive about Elvis Presley, and my stage name obviously would be provocative to some people in that area at that time. So we didn't visit Memphis until about 1984."

"When the media attention switches away from this story onto the next thing that happens in the world, the circumstances will still be there."

"The people with the most resources are the federal government. If you can invade a country halfway across the world in a matter of days, you can surely come to the aid of your own citizens in a shorter order of time."

"The first song that most people picked up on, particularly in America, of mine, was a ballad, not a rock'n'roll song. It was 'Alison', and that's an R&B ballad. I don't think there's any other way to describe it."

"I had a lot of problems with my name … my first name Declan is really not very well known outside of Ireland, MacManus is a name they could never spell ... if you think about the names of '76, '77 … I got off kind of lightly — with a name you could live with, you know, in time. … I kind of liked the dare of it. Of course we weren't to know that within a month of my first album actually being issued Elvis Presley would die, and it would actually be a talking point. … Let me put it this way — people don't forget you with that name. It's sort of receded as — and this may sound terribly disrespectful and heretical — but as Elvis Presley has receded as a musical force, people make much less of a case about it. Elvis is a sort of cultural figure but there is no direct line between the music of Elvis Presley and the music of today. There is none whatsoever, he's no influence whatsoever, that I can detect, on music made today. Other than people who consciously retro in styling themselves after his ideas. There is no direct impact in the way that you can hear the influence of The Beatles or Stevie Wonder or numerous other people."

"My ultimate vocation in life is to be an irritant, someone who disrupts the daily drag of life just enough to leave the victim thinking there's maybe more to it all than the mere hum-drum quality of existence."

"WARNING: This album contains country & western music and may cause offence to narrow minded listeners."

"I can't actually play any instrument properly. I can't read music. And here's the New York Times calling me the new George Gershwin. It was so ridiculous, really embarrassing. It was embarrassing to watch these people fall into the trap of their own critical conceits."

"Then I became an altar boy because of the solemn face, but I got thrown out at fourteen for laughing, because the priest used to mumble everything except the church plate takings."

"These are the sort of things that push you on in music — the curiosity, a passion for new ideas. It's important to keep restoring that, and at the same time, hold on to the core things about music that whenever you pick the simplest form of instrument; guitar or piano, you can find a song that's worthwhile."

"I'm a man with a mission in two or three editions And I'm giving you a longing look Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book."

"I'm scared Of all this emotion for years I've been holding it down."

"Oh well dreams can come true if you know inside you really want them to or you can sit you can wait you can leave your fate in someone elses hands."

"Im not lost, no no, just undiscovered."

"But if the rain must fall...It won't matter much to me If I had you And all I need is your love."

"Please give me something because someday I might know my heart."

"Some people say that i'm not worth it I've made mistakes but nobody's perfect"

"Oh it tears me up I try to hold on but it hurts too much I try to forgive, but it's not enough to make it all okay."

"I've got to take this chance and make it into something good."

"And I know that it's a wonderful world, but I cant feel it right now."

"But if I had someone I would do anything and never never never never let you feel alone."

"Who am I to dream?, dreams are for fools, they let you down..."

"The truth hurts and lie's worse."

"when there's no, no storm Then how can I feel the calm ? If theres nothing, nothing, nothing left to lose Then what is this feeling That keeps on bringing me back to you?"

"The last real individualist."

"If it wasn't for Amy and Frank, one hundred per cent I wouldn't have picked up a guitar, I wouldn't have written "Daydreamer" or "Hometown" and I wrote "Someone Like You" on the guitar too. Contrary to reports, me and Amy didn't really know each other, we weren't friends or anything like that. I went to Brit School and she went for a little while. But a million per cent if I hadn't heard Frank this wouldn't have happened. I adored her."

"I'll battle this bitter finale, Just me, my dignity and this guitar case."

"Amy Winehouse: Did she invent white soul? Wearing a beehive? No. But she did something brand new and fresh, altogether as a package, and you see who's in her wake, from the Duffys to the Lana Del Reys. Adele selling 20 million records? That would not have happened if Amy Winehouse was alive."

"I don't understand, Why do I stress a man, When there's so many bigger things at hand. We could've never had it all, We had to hit a wall, So this is inevitable withdrawal. Even if I stop wanting you And perspective pushes through, I'll be some next man's other woman soon. I couldn't play myself again, I should just be my own best friend, Not fuck myself in the head with stupid men."

"He walks away, The sun goes down, He takes the day but I'm grown And in your way, In this blue shade My tears dry on their own."

"He left no time to regret, Kept his dick wet, With his same old safe bet. Me & my head high, And my tears dry, Get on without my guy."

"Then you notice likkle carpet burn My stomach drop and my guts churn You shrug and it's the worst Who truly stuck the knife in first? I cheated myself like I knew I would I told you I was trouble, you know that I'm no good I cheated myself, like I knew I would I told you I was trouble, yeah you know that I'm no good."

"Though I battle blind, Love is a fate resigned Memories mar my mind, Love is a fate resigned Over futile odds, And laughed at by the gods And now the final frame, Love is a losing game."

"I'd rather be at home with Ray, I ain't got seventy days Cause there's nothing, There's nothing you can teach me That I can't learn from Mr Hathaway. I didn't get a lot in class But I know it don't come in a shot glass."

"It's okay in the day, I'm staying busy Tied up enough so I don’t have to wonder, "Where is he?" Got so sick of crying So just lately When I catch myself I do a 180 I stay up, clean the house At least I'm not drinking Run around just so I don't have to think about thinking That silent sense of content That everyone gets Just disappears soon as the sun sets His face in my dreams, seizing my guts He floods me with dread Soaked to the soul He swims in my eyes by the bed Pour myself over him Moon spilling in And I wake up alone."

"They tried to make me go to Rehab I said no, no, no Yes, I've been black, but when I come back You'll know, know, know! I ain’t got the time, And if my daddy thinks I'm fine Just try to make me go to rehab I won't go, go, go."

"You've got a degree in philosophy, So you think you're cleverer than me. But I'm not just some drama queen, Cos it's where you're at not where you've been. So what do you expect from me, To hold your head above the sea? And there are you even though you're bigger, Cos don't you know you crush my tiny figure? And anyway we're still so young And this isn't yet the day. I can't help you if you won't help yourself."

"You'll never get my mind right like 2 ships passing in the night."

"You can't sit down right, Cause your jeans are too tight, And you're lucky it's ladies night. With your big empty purse, Every week it gets worse, At least your breasts cost more than hers."

"The Moschino bra you bought me last Christmas Put it in the box, put it in the box Frank's in there and I don't care Put it in the box, put it in the box, Now take it, Take the box."

"My destructive side has grown a mile wide and I question myself again: what is it about men?"

"What kind of fuckery is this? You made miss the Slick Rick gig."

"You should be stronger than me, But instead you're longer than frozen turkey, Why'd you always put me in control? All I need is for my man to live up to his role, Always wanna talk it through- I'm ok, Always have to comfort you every day, But that's what I need you to do - are you gay?"

"It's not important to me to make other people at ease. I am difficult, but that's 'cause I don’t really give a fuck."

"I always said I never wanted to write about love, but then I went and did that anyway."

"I'm a songwriter but she [Katie Melua] has her songs written for her... She must think it's her fucking lucky day... It's not like she's singing old songs like Jamie Cullum], she's singing shit new songs that her manager writes for her."

"I know there are people in the world who have worse problems than falling in love and having it blow up in your face, but I didn't want to just wake up drinking, and crying, and listening to the Shangri-Las, and go to sleep, and wake up drinking, and listening to the Shangri-Las. So I turned it into songs, and that's how I got through it."

"Life's short. Anything could happen, and it usually does, so there is no point in sitting around thinking about all the ifs, ands and buts."

"Life happens. There is no point in being upset or down about things we can't control or change."

"There's no point in saying anything except the truth."