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“On our first expedition to the United States we noticed a distinct lack of crumpet."

“America was fairyland."

“Why the fuck is an American cop telling me to pour the national drink down the bog?"

—in response to a policeman in Omaha

telling him to dispense of the whiskey and

Coke in his dressing room, 1964

“America had all the things England had, only lots more … It all seemed so exotic. The wildest countryside I ever saw was the marshes over the river Thames."

“America was where all our music came from, and there was the magical thought of going there with all the radio stations and being able to find all the records you wanted."

“To me, the biggest thing America had done this century—apart from throwing its weight around—was its music. A whole brand-new way, with so many different elements put together that never had a chance to be welded before. And it’s still going on, of course."

ANGER (and CHANNELING IT)

“There were times we felt like killing people, but we got out our guitars and wrote songs instead."

ART

“As far as I’m concerned, art’s just short for Arthur."

“I do not believe in having lessons. You only learn how some old geezer in their thirties wants you to play."

“If you just fancy yourself as being a big star, don’t bother."

“I’m not into ratings. The day that I’m satisfied with what I do is the day that I give up."

“No other form of life on the surface of the planet needs art. That already makes us weird, as if it points a finger."

AUTHORITY

“The king is the man who can."

“If you’re going to kick authority in the teeth, you might as well use two feet."

“After I left school, I never said ‘Yes, sir’ to anybody."

“Whatever side I take, I know well that I will be blamed."

“What really fascinated me was that they thought three Herberts with guitars were a threat to the social structure of the country."

—on the English government throwing

the Stones out of the country

“I love England very much. I think Buckingham Palace would be my preferred residence. But they kicked me out!"

“What’s on trial is the same thing that’s always been on trial. Dear old Them and Us. I find this all a bit weary. I’ve done my stint in the dock. Why don’t they pick on the Sex Pistols?"

“When you think that kids, all they really want to do is learn, watch how it’s done, and try to figure out why and leave it at that … and they manage to turn the whole thing around and make you hate them."

“I thought it was ludicrous to take one of those gongs from the establishment … I don’t want to step out onstage with someone wearing a fucking coronet and sporting the old ermine."

—on Mick’s knighthood

BAD EXPERIENCES

“I’ve seen murders. I’ve seen dogs come onstage trying to savage people. I’ve turned round and found a pool of blood where the piano player should be! I’ve been struck by sharpened pennies. But you can’t really do anything about that. It’s just a part of the gig."

“Yes, I’ve been trepanned. I’ve got pictures of it. They cut my head, brain, skull open, went in and pulled out the crap, and put some of it back in again. But that’s the way it is. I mean, shit, Keith Richards has got to do everything once."

—on his brain surgery after falling out of a tree

“What goes down goes down, and it’s how to deal with it that counts."

“Even being busted—it’s no pleasure, but it certainly isn’t boring. I think boring is the worst thing of all, you know, anything but boring. At least it keeps you active."

“I might get a song out of it."

—on being asked at a press conference

following the Toronto trial what

the consequences would be

BANDS

“The whole joy of making rock ’n’ roll music is the interaction between guys playing."

“It must be obvious from the way the Beatles have split up and what’s happened since. Although they’re very good individually, now matter how much they say how little they worked together as a band, they did work together, ’cause nothing they’d done since has surpassed that."

“Most