I don't want a flashy car just something that would allow me to stop using the Tube. And it would be good not to have to rely on my mum all the time particularly when I have to listen to her singing in her car.

When I was really little I would sit in the back of my dad's car when he'd be playing old-school music. He'd turn down the music and turn around and I'd be singing and know all of the words but I didn't even know how to talk. From then on I've always wanted to be a singer.

I remember driving to North Carolina when I was a little girl in a snowstorm to get down to my mom's family in the Carolinas. There were chains on the car - it was the late sixties - and we were just singing in the car. Christmas carols.

I'm afraid for all those who'll have the bread snatched from their mouths by these machines. What business has science and capitalism got bringing all these new inventions into the works before society has produced a generation educated up to using them!

Without the element of uncertainty the bringing off of even the greatest business triumph would be dull routine and eminently unsatisfying.

I get uncomfortable when people give me presents and watch me open them. I don't have birthday parties because the idea of a group of people singing and looking at me while I'm blowing out candles gives me hives.

The only thing better than singing is more singing.

I remember when the candle shop burned down. Everyone stood around singing 'Happy Birthday.'

My imagination completely controls me and forever feeds the fire that burns with dark red light in my heart by bringing me the best dreams. I've always had a wild imagination a big heart and a tortured soul so I feel that dark fantasy love and horror are in my blood.

Stubborn and ardent clinging to one's opinion is the best proof of stupidity.

Literature boils with the madcap careers of writers brought to the edge by the demands of living on their nerves wringing out their memories and their nightmares to extract meaning truth beauty.

The New York City Ballet is obviously speaking to a whole new generation and bringing it the same wonder and beauty that it brought previous generations.

It is shallow people who think beauty is frivolous or excessive. If you are bringing beauty and god you are enriching the country. Rice feeds the body books feed the mind beauty feeds the soul. It is one thing I can really be proud of and stand tall in the world.

The first show I ever did singing and dancing was 'Beauty and the Beast.' I was playing Gaston. Gaston has red tights knee high boots and it's very physical. I had headaches every day for two months.

I think we're in good hands. There's definitely much more momentum in bringing in good things to help support the show. Everyone's got a good attitude about it and I think that makes all the difference.

I was bringing my attitude as a regular person 'cause this is my attitude.

And the attitude of faith is the very opposite of clinging to belief of holding on.

The art of living does not consist in preserving and clinging to a particular mode of happiness but in allowing happiness to change its form without being disappointed by the change happiness like a child must be allowed to grow up.

When we can lay down our fear and anger and choose responses other than aggression we create the conditions for bringing out the best in us humans.

My therapist says I still haven't got in touch with my anger. Maybe one day I'm going to explode. But I'm still really happy. I know it looks like a strange and painful upbringing - all those experiences led me to the paths that I'm on now.

I really believe that all of us have a lot of darkness in our souls. Anger rage fear sadness. I don't think that's only reserved for people who have horrible upbringings. I think it really exists and is part of the human condition. I think in the course of your life you figure out ways to deal with that.

It's so amazing standing on the corner -this happened in Washington D.C. - and somebody comes by in a Cadillac and you hear 'Manic Monday' on the radio and you don't even know this person and they're listening to it and singing along with it. Wow! Blows your mind.

It's so amazing to hear a crowd of people singing one of your songs. It's the best feeling.

It's amazing when you're playing to a crowd who barely understands English but they're singing parts of your song back to you.