Quotes from John Lydon

Every single lyric I've ever written I meant.

I went to visit Alcatraz years ago when I was on tour with the Pistols, and I really liked the atmosphere of the place. I genuinely, really, thoroughly enjoyed the whole morning there. I just liked the quietness and stillness of what is basically a cruel prison complex. I still found some kind of joy in that. That's how I am.

I have a sensible set of values that tell me to never lie.

If you can sort out why you feel the way you do then you might be in better shape to meet your maker.

If anyone asks for your autograph they're showing you respect and give it back to them.

You have moments of grief in life, and if you can put pen to paper and capture that, that's something wonderful. I can revisit actual songs about past deaths, and I know that emotion is as true now as it was then.

When I write, my brain moves faster than my hands so I'm always trying to picture things.

I don't like the monikers, and I don't like being pigeonholed. You know, I'm a human being.

You'd have to be daft as a brush to say you didn't like Pink Floyd.

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.

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 think national pride leads to nothing but wars and hate.

Gossip is a very dangerous tool. We should be more wary of the gossiper, and not the gossip they're trying to relay to you.

Me, as a human, I never want to take away another human being's choices or lifestyles or anything.

For a gun-toting nation, Americans are surprisingly passive.

I was brought up and raised in Britain as a Labour man, and that quickly changed. And I find there are more working-class people in the Conservative Party than the Labour party.

I'm not here for your amusement. You're here for mine.

Analog, electronic, whatever it happens to be, I simply love and adore literally every aspect of making music.

Here's how I understand music. If you can play the same bunch of noise twice, it's music. To go beyond that is supercilious and pontificating.

Music can describe emotions far more accurately than words ever can. As soon as I realised that, I knew music was where I wanted to be.

I mean, the genuine roots of culture is folk music.

Pop music I have always loved best. But the more extreme, fascist-led examples of the music business I tend to detest the most.

I don't believe in pets. I like animals to be wild and free.

I'm very open about my politics. I don't believe in any political party at all, none of them.