Elvis Costello

I've been lucky to listen to lots of different types of music. ”

I find it to be the ultimate backhanded compliment when you are compared against yourself. ”

I've never felt British. I'm just not interested in national identity. I don't know why. ”

I don't think I was ever particularly mean. I can certainly think of some idiotic exchanges I've had. I was accused of destroying pop music, like Wagner destroyed opera - a guy in Germany started ranting that at me. ”

You have to face the fact that I have no reputation as a composer; I have my reputation as a songwriter and a performer-and that opportunity came this summer, when I was invited to perform at the Lincoln Centre festival in New York... three nights. ”

These are the sort of things that push you on in music - the curiosity, a passion for new ideas. ”

Smokey Robinson writes the heartfelt songs, whereas it was my job to write the songs about weakness and failure in love. ”

I believe that music is connected by human passions and curiosities rather than by marketing strategies. ”

I think when I was younger I was not very good at writing love songs that didn't have a twist. ”

And I don't feel any form of music is beyond me in the sense of that I don't understand it or I don't have some love for some part of it. ”