Great Quotations: Sting On Drugs And Songwriting

“I think if they’re used specifically as tools for a stated purpose. As in, ‘I’ll now smoke this joint and I’ll write a song… or I will write a piece of poetry.’ Then I think it’s perfectly acceptable. But if you’re just taking stuff to get out of it, then you’ll just get out of it. If I’m feeling stuck on a lyric or an idea isn’t quite gelling, sometimes a puff of weed will free it up. I rarely smoke it socially. It’s a tool, just as a pen is. I’m not alone. Several artists have used drugs to make great art.”

–Sting, via The Daily Mail

Behind The Song: Sting, “Why Should I Cry For You”