Terence Trent D'Arby

“In some very real way, rock 'n' roll is like a religion to me.”

“That's all I think my job is, to make my own contribution.”

“I believe every major strength we have can be used against us as a weakness. At the same time, things that people see as weakness can be part of our strength.”

“Songs come to me and I hear them. At least in part, they are very complete; I hear the whole chorus, including the drum pattern, the base, the countermelody, the basic harmonic structure and the main thrust of the lyric.”

“You have to hit people over the head to make them notice, and I did it.”

“In Milan, I'm treated with the respect that doctors receive in America. It's wonderful living where artists are revered.”

“There's a part of me which feels content to leave songs in a vault not to be heard until after my death.”

“I'm the type of person that, when it's my time in the spotlight, I'll do my duty in the spotlight. When it's not, and it's another person's time, I'll go away.”

“I don't want to force my vibe on anyone, but you've got to learn to love yourself, as opposed to being in love with yourself.”

“I don't want to be just the latest curiosity.”

“I have to follow my own vision.”

“It's imperative that I have another channel to pour ideas into, that have been with me for quite a while, that it would be hard for people to kind of accept on first listen. Some of that would be more classically based stuff and some more jazz based.”

“Children are born with pureness, and gradually become distracted with all the little pressures going on.”

“I learned that I can't be as indulgent as I'd like to be when I record.”

“The fact that you can even make a record and leave a document that you were here, that's nothing to sneeze at.”

“I am not a greedy person.”

“Everyone has a cross to bear. Sometimes I have to take the splinters out of my shoulders.”

“I came around at a time when myself, Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna and George Michael, we were considered kind of dangerous.”

“One thing about Italians is you can't let them in your head. They're inquisitive. The English and Germans are a dog tribe; the Italians are cats. They're very helpful, but it's in their own rhythm, their own way, and it can drive you crazy.”

“Real talent is mixing realism with bluff. Every great artist I really respect has a certain amount of bluff; sooner or later you have to be a conjurer, and conjure images.”