John Joseph Lydon Quotes
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I've created several musical trends, really. That's not because I'm so far out and fabulous. It's because most bands have no ideas of their own. They're so desperate they'll grab at any old straw.
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I'm in England so often I haven't really left, but Americans aren't at all like they're misrepresented through their politicians.
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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.
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Any new ideas go into PiL. My inspiration is everything that the human being gets up to. I don't listen to any music when I'm in PiL-zone, because influences can poison your well. Otherwise, I listen to anything.
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There's many, many ways to write a song. But generally, sitting down at a table and writing is not one of them.
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I don't think there's any such thing as rock n' roll anymore - it's an amalgamation of business interests.
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If you were to look back at me as a school kid you'd see a very quiet little church mouse kind of character.
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Move to Italy. I mean it: they know about living in debt; they don't care. I stayed out there for five months while I was making a film called 'Order Of Death,' and they've really got it sussed. Nice cars. Sharp suits. Great food. Stroll into work at 10. Lunch from 12 till three. Leave work at five. That's living!
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If you give me the chance, I'll destroy America for you.
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I love conversation and the sharing of different thoughts and philosophies. That kind of stuff always makes me happy. I don't mind interviews, either - I like doing them.
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I'd rather give up my ears than my eyes, which might sound unusual for a musician.
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I have one major problem with the Internet: It's full of liars.
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I've never said I'm a communist.
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I'm not great at dealing with death, I have to say. I find death very hard: my mum, my dad, Sid Vicious. I'm not a monster; I feel it and it scares me. One death at a time, please, is all my heart will bear.
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I've helped launch 49 careers - those that have been in PiL. To me, they are my babies; whatever they get up to, they know I love them. They've been living in my pockets, and they should show more gratitude.
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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.
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You can always wake up on the wrong side of the bed and, boo-hiss, everyone suffers. We can all be temperamental.
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I love a bit of flag-waving.
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Obama's dense as a doorbell; not much going on up there - it's a wooden top.
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Look, if the Situationists achieved what they wanted, they would be very unhappy and they would have to be Situationists all over again. It's a never-ending process.
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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.
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I don't like the monikers, and I don't like being pigeonholed. You know, I'm a human being.
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Some song ideas absolutely require a kind of rigid discipline, and others require absolute chaotic abandon. The form is only valid if you know how to un-form it. I don't mean to sound like an intellectual here!
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It's a repressive society where you can't be horrible, I'm not horrible, they made me horrible, I'm just honest.