Rufus Wainwright Quotes

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.

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

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.

I'm your knight in shining armor. I'm here to save you from Linkin Park.

Life is a game and true love is a trophy.

I am always writing; if you want to survive in this business, you need to keep working, keep creating and never stop the output.

I was in the forest jumping around daffodils while everyone was high on heroin.

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.

Being uncool is being pretty much the coolest you can be.

Cigarettes and chocolate milk These are just a couple of my cravings Everything it seems I like's a little bit stronger A little bit thicker A little bit harmful for me.

I like to make the mundane fabulous whenever I can.

I think we could all be a bit more elitist.

All humans realize they are loved when witnessing the dawn;

early morning is the triumph of good over evil. Absolved by light we decide to go on.

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.

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.

For me, the iPhone is harder than reading Faust.

All these poses of classical torture ruined my mind like a snake in the orchard.

I did go from wanting to be someone, now I'm drunk and wearing flip-flops on Fifth Avenue.

Some people go to Berlin to get more cutting edge;

I went and started wearing lederhosen and going to visit baroque palaces.

I am regarded as a usurper, as an imposter and dilettante, because I do technically come from the wrong side of the tracks in musical terms.

I may not lead the most dramatic life, but in my brain it's 'War and Peace' everyday.

I don't want to hold you and feel so helpless I don't want to smell you and lose my senses And smile in slow motion With eyes in love.

Let the little fairy in you fly!

I'm not born again, I'm not Kabbalah, God forbid, but I did have an experience hitting 30 that I needed to lean on something that assured me that everything is going to be okay. I had to regain a lot of my belief in fairy tales, in happy endings.

It seems like the older I get, the more unreal the world becomes.

When I wrote the opera, I made a deal with myself that for at least an hour a day I would work on it, even if it meant just sitting on my piano bench, staring into space and thinking about it. It's about keeping it regular, like your bowel movements - let's get real: it's your bodily artistic movements! It comes from the same place.

Being with the president’s daughter, no matter who the president is, you are connected to the most powerful political force on earth, and that’s scary. And when you mix crystal meth and alcohol with that, it’s…kind of exciting. A little too exciting.

The Germany I was enthused with was more old fashioned and kind of romantic.

I just got there, and the next thing you know, I had this huge gilded album. It was kind of an amazing experience because I didn't intend it to be that way.

I've developed a bit of a fascination with John Denver.

I always thought he was kind of tacky and somewhat revolting and had a kind of simplistic weirdness, but on second listen, he actually did have an incredible voice, and the blatant naiveté of his work is straight-edge, in a way.

These are just the rules and regulations Of the birds, and the bees The earth, and the trees, Not to mention the gods, not to mention the gods.

Musically I'm able to keep going, because it's not about money and it's not about success. It's a challenge.

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 twistsand turns of an artistic career. Throwing an opera at them is something they have to notice. There's nothing subtle about it.

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!

I don't know if it will be my big comeback, but I think it is a statement - that I am a self-sustaining, vibrant, long-term artist, and I'm not going away! And if you don't give me credit, then the musical gods will!

I would love to have a number one hit.

The truth is if I don't get one, I'll be fine, but at the same time, the truth is that I'm dying for one, as well. But it's worth a shot, I think, while I still have cheekbones.

I could always escape into this demi-monde of homosexuality, which I feel really indebted to. It stopped me being a 'mummy's boy.'

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

There's prejudice everywhere. I don't think the music industry is as bad as the movie industry. But I have taken a few hits over the years for my sexuality, and for being honest about my life. In the end, it's the music that rules the roost.

Every video I do is over budget by the time I walk on set.

I am massively extravagant in my personal habits.

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.

Growing up, for years and years I had no idea what the plots of operas were, and that's part of what fascinated me - I could make them up and learn bits and pieces of what was going on over time. There's something about it being always a step away that makes it more fun to chase.

I think my imagination and my passions are still firing away, but it's really the body that starts to make up the rules. It's not a major problem; it's just when you get a little older you realize how much your body thanks you when you are good to it.

I like to think of myself as a combination of Sid Vicious and Virgil Thompson

I've developed into quite a swan. I'm one of those people that will probably look better and better as I get older until I drop dead of beauty.

A diaper is as inspiring as a drink.

When it came to using elements of your personal life in your work, my mother was the master, or the mistress. There were three or four songs she wrote about my father - songs about failed love.

That will to love is very powerful. But it doesn't always win.

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 artist who gave me the most inspiration and direction, especially as a singer - and I absolutely consider myself a singer, 100 percent - is Nina Simone. She's my ultimate pianist-singer-type person.

There is this church that I go to a lot in New York.

I'm not religious but I love lighting candles and stuff. I find it useful.