Sometimes I think there are only two instructions we need to follow to develop and deepen our spiritual life: slow down and let go.
Come up and be a kite, On a diamond flight!
I don’t know you, And you don’t know me. It is this that brings us together.
I split it up into working on the two narrative pieces that can tell a story. The scariest thing was whether I'd be any good performing live again. It was such a long time since I'd done any live work. It's so different for me than recording. Every night my audiences were what I would dream of. You could just feel their support.
The thing with 50 Words of Snow is that it was literally back-to-back from Director's Cut [also released in 2011]. It was more or less that I got to make two albums in one hit. I was already in this space in my mind to be writing and making an album.
It wasn't that we were afraid of the Church or the Vatican. The record company thought people might find the title offensive. They asked me if I would change ["A Deal with God"].
They were worried we wouldn't get any radio play at all[ for "A Deal with God" ]. That's why it was changed [to "Running Up That Hill"].
But genius looks forward: the eyes of men are set in his forehead, not in his hindhead: man hopes: genius creates.
It is certain that there is no other passion which does produce such contrary effects in so great a degree. But this may be said for love, that if you strike it out of the soul, life would be insipid, and our being but half animated.
And let its meaning permeate Whatever comes, This too shall pass away.
I always knew that I wanted to live with books, even as a child, because we traveled a lot. Home was the book to which I came back every evening.