Adrian Mitchell Quotations

I use the language I use to my friends. They wouldn't believe me if I used some high-flown literary language. I want them to believe me.

I use rock and jazz and blues rhythms because I love that music. I hope my poetry has a relationship with good-time rock'n roll.

There have always been poets who performed. Blake sang his Songs of Innocence and Experience to parties of friends.

Written poetry is different. Best thing is to see it in performance first, then read it. Performance is more provocative.

I want to speak, to sing to total strangers. It's my way of talking to the world.

The man who believes in giraffes would swallow anything.

I don't like writing essays or theory.

You put your bombers in, you put your conscience out,You take the human being and you twist it all aboutSo scrub my skin with womenChain my tongue with whiskyStuff my nose with garlicCoat my eyes with butterFill my ears with silverStick my legs in plasterTell me lies about Vietnam.

Lovers lie around in itBroken glass is found in itGrassI like that stuff

I would have walked on the waterBut I wasn't fully insured.And the BMA sent a writ my wayWith the very first leper I cured.