Captain Beefheart

I'm not interested in the surface. I'm interested in the depths.

I like to be a volcano. I like to be an avalanche.

I don't like to be a mirror. I like to be a window.

I like to be a dream. I like to be a nightmare.

I'm not interested in reality. I'm interested in possibility.

I like to be a mystery. I like to be a secret.

I'm not a musician. I'm a magician.

I don't like music. I like sound.

I'm not a poet. I'm a painter.

I don't like the word 'artist.' It's too pretentious.

I'm not interested in being a pop star. I'm interested in being a scientist.

I don't believe in guilty pleasures. If you like something, like it.

I don't like the word 'genius.' It's too masculine.

I'm not a role model. I'm a human being.

I'm not a human being. I'm a mammal. I don't know what a human being is. I don't even know what a man is. I'm just a mammal, and I'm here to do a job.

Most people are like meat – they just sit there and don't do anything. They just exist. I don't want to exist, I want to live.

I don't think there's any such thing as a bad person. I think there are just people who are confused.

The blues is a strange thing. It's like a big old black dog that follows you around.

I'm not interested in making money. I'm interested in making music, and if the money comes, that's fine.

I don't believe in God. I believe in nature.