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" I'm definitely a fan of juxtaposition. Using the most beautiful line to say the most horrific thing - I think one of the main things in songwriting is definitely friction between the words and the melody. "

Rufus Wainwright

Words

Think

Say

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" I have this horrible, horrible habit of going on YouTube and checking out comments about what I do. "

" Places that have experienced great defeat experience a kind of rebirth, which I think America has to do - unless we want to get more decrepit. I don't think we have to destroy the place totally. "

" Premiering a new opera is probably one of the hardest things in the world to do, and opening nights of any opera are always pretty stressful. "

" You know the question: 'How do you get to Carnegie Hall?' Answer: 'Practise?' Well, in my case, I got there by not practising. I didn't finish my music degree. And when I got into the pop world, I decided not to conform because I figured that the point of being an artist was that you shouldn't be like anyone else. "

" New York is not the centre for American culture and art that it once was because of the forces of conservatism. Giuliani, capitalism - and then there was 9/11. I really believe that if I leave, it will suffer! Maybe that's why I love it here, because I feel wanted. "

" I have a good face for what I do. "

Rufus Wainwright

Face

Good

" Let the little fairy in you fly! "

" There's no life without humour. It can make the wonderful moments of life truly glorious, and it can make tragic moments bearable. "

" When I'm in the classical world, I really treat it as exactly classical and I don't try and spruce it up or jazz it up or make it easier for the masses. "

" My mother's songs are really turning out to be masterpieces. I have inherited this incredible legacy and am so fortunate to bathe in her sensibilities. It is tinged with tragedy. I'd much rather she was here in person, but there is still a positive force to come out of her death and that is having the gift of music that she gave. "

" The thing I hate most is false modesty. The artists who are, like, 'Oh, you know, I'm really not that good. Oh, I can't believe I'm here.' I find it vaguely sinister, even. "

" I have managed to eke out a good and substantial existence. I'm not shoveling gold bricks or anything, but I do very, very well. "

" I want to carve out a serious period of time to focus on the next opera without any distractions. And to do that you need money. "

" Everything I do, I feel is genius. Whether it is or it isn't. "

" I believe a lot of our lives are spent asleep, and what I've been trying to do is hold on to those moments when a little spark cuts through the fog and nudges you. "

" My parents were serious working musicians, but they were not stars - not like pop stars that you have now. They had to make a living and that meant touring, working hard, going on the road - and we were roped in. "

" I think I've done a pretty fantastic job, but of course I want to sell millions of records. "

" I am undefinable. I don't fit into any particular category. "

" I do not consider myself a guitar player. My father is a guitar player - I'm not. "

" In retrospect, I'm really shocked at how far I put my heart out there on the line with 'Prima Donna'. I seem to have this knack for being able to accomplish that. "

" I've had my ups and downs, and I definitely have a sense - in America, especially - that once you've made your mark and gotten your Rolling Stone piece and your Grammy nomination, that they're on to the next piece of meat, and they don't necessarily like to follow the twists and turns of an artistic career. "

" I basically have needed to go to the piano and give voice periodically to, you know - I'm always afraid to describe it as a kind of therapeutic process, but nevertheless it was a type of unloading that had to occur due to my personal life with my mother's health or just my professional trials and tribulations. "

" I've always gravitated towards opera, and the Royal Opera House is quite possibly the greatest opera house on earth. "

" To me, songs come of their own volition - and with an open-ended philosophy. "

Rufus Wainwright

Philosophy

Own

" I've paid the price; I definitely have a reputation that precedes me, and there is a camp that plots my demise. But then again... it's funner that way. "

Rufus Wainwright

Again

Reputation

" I like to sing to Verdi, I like singing to Sibelius, and Mahler maybe. "

Rufus Wainwright

Mahler

Sing

" When it comes to sitting down and composing, there is no hesitation, no concern, no critics breathing fire down my neck. For me, writing a song is the purest part of all. No one can mess with that. "

" Crazy as it sounds, I'm a believer in destiny and serendipity, and I have had cosmic experiences all my life. Something told me I was meant for greater stuff. And look, I've had a baby! And I've written an opera! "

Rufus Wainwright

Destiny

My Life

" I was reared on folk music. "

" I made the decision to take on board the critical feedback. Reviews are something you can easily ignore as a performer or writer but I chose to not ignore them here and I think that I benefited. I think I'm stronger for it - and I have a tougher skin as a result. "