Paula Cole

“I see my albums as working diaries, as living scrapbooks of me and my life.”

“At the age of 15 months my daughter was diagnosed with very bad asthma, and essentially I put my career on hold for a good eight years.”

“I wanted to be a cheerleader, like my sister was - all the most popular and beautiful girls are cheerleaders and I wanted that, and it demolished this vision of myself. That's when I found the piano, when music saved me; that's when I first attempted to write my own songs.”

“אני אוהבת נשים שיכולות לזרוק כדור ולצחוק בקול רם ויש להן קצת עמוד שדרה, ואני אוהבת גברים שלא אכפת להם לבשל ארוחת ערב.”

“אני חושבת שחשוב למצוא את הדברים הקטנים בחיי היומיום שעושים אותך מאושר.”

“בשבילי מוזיקה היא כלי להעלות את הכאב שלנו אל פני השטח, להחזיר אותו למקום הצנוע והרך שבו, עם מזל, היא יכולה לאבד את הכעס ולהפוך שוב לחמלה.”

“רציתי להיות מעודדת, כמו שאחותי הייתה – כל הבנות הכי פופולריות ויפות הן מעודדות ורציתי זאת, וזה הרס את החזון שלי. זה הרגע שבו מצאתי את הפסנתר, כשהמוזיקה הצילה אותי; אז ניסיתי לראשונה לכתוב את השירים שלי.”

“אני מלחינה שמכניסה את זיכרונות הילדות שלי ואת חרדת גיל העשרה שלי לתוך השירים.”

“I find that the older I get, the more I see that there really aren't huge zeniths of happiness or a huge abyss of darkness as much as there used to be.”

“I think it's important to find the little things in everyday life that make you happy.”

“I'm used to adversity and working really well in difficult situations. It was hard for me to accept the success.”

“I don't like to sit and bask in my own awards. Awards represent artistic death to me.”

“Walking is magic. Can't recommend it highly enough. I read that Plato and Aristotle did much of their brilliant thinking together while ambulating. The movement, the meditation, the health of the blood pumping, and the rhythm of footsteps... this is a primal way to connect with one's deeper self.”

“When you're a plebeian you want success, and when you're successful you want to be a plebeian again.”

“I'm accepting I'm not living that younger, dreamed version of myself in the big city.”

“The monsters are in your own head.”

“But at the age of 44, I sure hope to be a better businesswoman. I want to get the music straight to my fans.”

“I like women who can throw a ball and laugh loud and have some spine, and I like men who don't mind cooking dinner.”

“Didgeridoo was something I picked up while I was on tour in Australia with Peter Gabriel in '93. I found out later that it's only meant to be played by men.”

“I've left Bethlehem, and I feel free. I've left the girl I was supposed to be, and some day I'll be born.”