Quotes from John Waite

My heart's in New York City. But you can't live that pace forever.

I was going to be a painter. I went to art school - but every 16-year-old wants to be a painter.

The only thing about rock n' roll in my house is a couple of paintings of Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan - and they were expensive, too.

I think rock 'n' roll is very visual. All of the best bands, like The Stones, The Who and Small Faces, were very valid both musically and visually.

To me, The Hard Way' is as raw and vital as anything I was doing when I first started only its way better!

When you're playing rock music to 10,000 people, you almost attack the audience. When you play acoustic you're waiting for the audience to respond. It's a reverse energy, and you're more vulnerable. It's really intense.

Being raise in England, we were all raised on blues and country.

I am the same man writing the music. I haven't changed directions to suit anyone except me.

It's amazing what the acoustic guitar can bring to the picture.

I don't even have any of my gold records on my walls at home. They're all in storage.

We always wish for money, we always wish for fame. We think we have the answers, some things ain't never gonna change.

Turning 40, your past really comes back to you. You're very aware of where you've been the plans you've made, the memories you have, and the mistakes you've made.

There's a lot of compromises, but that's what a great record should be, really.

I feel like I've got this great catalogue of songs sink or swim, it doesn't matter. If you've got that, you've got a lot.

I may not be top of the pops' anymore, but I seem to still be making a big impact.

I love country music, and I did as a kid.

Every time I think of you, I always catch my breath.

When I think of a song, I think of it as a beast. You chase these beasts around the room and try to grab them and put them in a tape machine. But they're slippery, and they run away a lot.

I really expected things to be different. But being in Bad English was too much of a compromise. Instead of being true to the artistic side, there was this incredible pressure to keep producing the same kind of hits.

Music comes from a whole different place. It tells the story of your life and it's probably the closest thing I have to a religion.

I just tried to disappear and write songs.

Television really does give you tremendous exposure in America.

Coming off the back of the live album, there was a certain edginess and an almost punk energy that I've missed for a while.

I've always loved Country, folk, and the acoustic end of music.