Cynicism, I contend, is the wailing of someone who believes that things are, or should be, or could be, much, much better than they are.

The protagonist in 'Deacon Blues' is a triple-L loser - an L-L-L Loser. It's not so much about a guy who achieves his dream but about a broken dream of a broken man living a broken life.

There are some things that I write that I know are personal in a way, or the gag is so obscure that it's just for me, and there's other things that could basically be for anybody or be anything, at least until the lyrics start to get written.

I'm someone who believes in 'live and let live,' and that applies to everything.

I'm someone who believes in centrist governing philosophy.

I always look for the weirdest note to land on. I felt that that was the least I could do for the great musical traditions which I've spawned.