Quotes By Adam Clayton

From an early age I didn't buy into the value systems of working hard in a nine-to-five job. I thought creativity, friendship and loyalty and pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable was much more interesting.

I was actually pretty shy in school. My defense mechanism was to be the class clown. I remember getting into a lot of trouble for being disruptive, and I was brought in front of the headteacher, who said: 'What's going to happen to you; what are you going to do when you grow up?' and I said: 'Well, I'm obviously going to be a comedian.'

I don't think rock 'n' roll is necessarily a young man's game.

The art market was very different before the mid-1980s: then, art was all about passion, whereas now it's become a commodity.

It's very confusing when fame comes early on in your career. You get a little bit bent out of shape in terms of what's important. Fame is like the dessert that comes with your achievements - it's not an achievement in itself, but sometimes it can overpower the work.

You can't make assumptions when you're dealing with health issues.

There are two types of collector, I think. There are those who are quite academic, and get into the archaeology of finding the earliest example of a particular idea. Then there are those interested in what's new.

I think rock 'n' roll would become exponentially, considerably more difficult to perform past about 65.

If you believe in a cause, you must be willing to put yourself on the line for that cause.

I was drawn to things I thought were either sexy or aggressive - or both.

Fame is like the dessert that comes with your achievements - it's not an achievement in itself, but sometimes it can overpower the work.

I definitely got to a point where I realize how unusual it is to be able to play large, sold-out shows 30 years into a rock and roll career. I don't take it for granted.

I don't think rock 'n roll is necessarily a young man's game. I think Neil Young is just as rock'n'roll now as he was in his 20s. I'd like to think we can still be edgy and challenging.

Unless man is committed to the belief that all mankind are his brothers, then he labors in vain and hypocritically in the vineyards of equality.

I've never necessarily chosen to be a bachelor. I've had girlfriends throughout the last 20 or 30 years. It's just that there were times when I met people that fascinated me and times I didn't.

The drums tell me everything. Everything else registers a millisecond later.

Men should not be forced to wear pants when it's not cold.

A man's respect for law and order exists in precise relationship to the size of his paycheck.