In Interviews etc.

• If literature or music can make you think or become aware, then it's done something. That's what we've always wanted to do, just ignite sparks in people's minds. We can't offer a manifesto of how to make your life better.
  • Spiral Scratch interview (1991)

• Where there's nature, or where there's breathing, there are true moments of joy. You've just got to recognise them and not take them for granted. And that's what I try to do, have moments of elation in life, however small, five minutes a day, and be able to think, 'Yeah, that'll do. That'll do me for now."
  • Vox (October, 1996)

• We were are Number 94 in the charts, but everyone had an opinion on us. That was the most brilliant thing we'd achieved.
  • Melody Maker

• We're looking forward to autodestructing more than ever.
  • The Observer

• The only good thing about America is that you killed John Lennon.
  • On-stage in New York

• Signing to a major record company is the price of an education. We don't care what they do to us.
  • NME

• Last night on-stage I really thought that we could have made something happen, started a riot, but it was like looking into the abyss and being really scared of what to do about it.
  • NME

Unsourced

• We are going to set fire to ourselves on Top Of The Pops.
• Long live the king! May he reign in Hell!
• If you look very far away there's a special tent, and it's like only four people allowed in 'cos that's all the fans they've got... it's the Beta Band, so if anyone wants to go and fuck off and see that pile of shit, a bunch of drugged up arseholes playing in a tent to one person, fuck off now. Yes, a true bunch of cunts.
• There's a guy looking at his watch down the front who wants to fuck off home. Go on, fuck off you prick! Get out of my fucking sight. This one's for Billy Bragg, the biggest-nosed twat in the world, his music is so bad, get back in the fucking army you dickwit. And stop stealing Woodie Guthrie's songs!
• I say build some more fucking bypasses over this shithole. (On stage at Glastonbury Festival 1994)
• In the season of goodwill, let's hope that Michael Stipe goes the same way as Freddy Mercury pretty soon.