Keith Richards

Songwriting's a weird game.

I mean, give me a guitar, give me a piano, give me a broom and string, I wouldn't get bored anywhere.

You get onstage and make other people feel happy. Make them feel good.

I've never had my hair cut by anybody, I do it all myself.

Yes, I've been trepanned. That's quite an interesting experience, especially for my brain surgeon, who saw my thoughts flying around in my brain.

If you say I'm great, thank you very much. But I know what I am. I could be better, man, you know?

You don't start to play your guitar thinking you're going to be running an organisation that will maybe generate millions.

It's an addiction... and addiction is something I should know something about.

It's good to be anywhere.

I never thought I was wasted, but I probably was.

To me, as long as we've known each other, I've always thought Mick's most brilliant thing was that he could work in an area two foot square and give a very exciting performance.

To make a rock'n'roll record, technology is the least important thing.

There's no substitute for live work to keep a band together.

The Stones in a club is still the ultimate rush.

I have no idea what the audience makes of me.

Good music comes out of people playing together, knowing what they want to do and going for it. You have to sweat over it and bug it to death. You can't do it by pushing buttons and watching a TV screen.

Everyone talks about rock these days; the problem is they forget about the roll.

You didn't know whether Chuck Berry was black or white - it was not a concern.

When I listen to what I did under the influence - 10 years of work - I don't think it either enhanced or impaired me. It didn't have that much to do with it.

Songwriting's a weird game. I never intended to become one - I fell into this by mistake, and I can't get out of it. It fascinates me. I like to point out the rawer points of life.