Most people wait for the muse to turn up. That's terribly unreliable. I have to sit down and pursue the muse by attempting to work. Nick Cave More Quotes by Nick Cave More Quotes From Nick Cave It's always a pleasure on a personal note for me to come back to Australia. Nick Cave notes pleasure australia The secret to longevity in the music business is to change, and to be able to change. [...] An actor has to assume other people's identities. A rock star doesn't need to do that. [...] But change is important. Nick Cave rocks stars people When I start writing songs, and they come easily, I'm always very suspicious. That usually means they're reminding me of something I've already done before. When the songs become unsettling, and I feel anxious about what I'm doing, that usually means it's going to be more interesting later on when we actually record the stuff. Nick Cave writing song mean Songs need to have the ability to change and to grow for sure. They take on lives of their own. Some songs just don't have that capacity. They're locked within a period of time. And as soon as you take them out of that period of time, they die very quickly. Nick Cave capacity song needs If you took love out of the equation, I wouldn't know what else to write about. Nick Cave equations knows writing It's always a risky business inviting somebody on stage. You never know what they're going to do. I try to avoid letting people join me onstage because it can be very distracting, and overly theatrical. Nick Cave risky-business trying people I've always hated narrative songs. I hate those songs where, basically, it's an unfolding of a story. Nick Cave hate stories song I've always had an obligation to creation, above all. Nick Cave obligation creation It's an Australian thing to be dismissive. We find that endearing. Americans don't. They believe what you say. Nick Cave endearing australian believe Kylie Minogue is the greatest thing that has happened to Australian music. Nick Cave australian australia-day happened As people buy less and less records, it's become more and more important for me to spend more and more on them - to lavish that much more attention on them. The Bad Seeds were always quite protective and old school, but Grinderman has opened us up to do anything and be shameless. We're not so precious about it. Nick Cave important people school My records are basically a litany of complaints against the world, and I'm quite like that in real life as well. Nick Cave records real world I know when I sit with my band members and we're playing back a song that we've done, I know that they're experiencing it in a completely different way and hearing stuff that they're alerted to because the way the interpret the world is through their ears. Mine is through my eyes. Nick Cave different eye song I don't have any authority to talk about the domestic policies of America. But as an outsider, I am mystified by the fact that you are encouraged to buy a gun, but if you use it for the purpose that it is expressly designed for, you get the death penalty. That aspect of America is kind of mystifying. Nick Cave gun purpose america The problem with books, now that I've written one, is that the idea of adaptation is so much easier than sitting down to write something new. Nick Cave writing book ideas God is in everything whether I'm mentioning him or not. Nick Cave I’ve never intended to make religious records or records that preach some kind of point of view... If you’re involved with imagination and the creative process, it’s not such a difficult thing to believe in a god. But I’m not involved in any religions. Nick Cave religious views believe Songwriting, I have to take myself away from everybody to do. It's an unsightly act. Nick Cave songwriting Outside the world of politics, one person in the world of the arts I would mention as an influence is Nick Cave, another person who has been around since the late 1970s. He has developed and changed remarkably, whilst remaining true to his vision. He has been a great help to me as well, without his knowing it. Nick Cave vision knowing art That's what we [outsiders] feel America is really about - the kind of crazed ravings of the Christian right - when it's probably something quite different. Nick Cave different christian america