“The dilemma of the eighth-grade dance is that boys and girls use music in different ways. Girls enjoy music they can dance to, music with strong vocals and catchy melodies. Boys, on the other hand, enjoy music they can improve by making up filthy new lyrics.”

“bitch power is the juice, the sweat, the blood that keeps pop music going. Rick James helped me understand the lesson of the eighth-grade dance: Bitch power rules the world. If the girls don't like the music, they sit down and stop the show. You gotta have a crowd if you wanna have a show. And the girls are the show. We're talking absolute monarchy, with no rules of succession. Bitch power. She must be obeyed. She must be feared.”

“The reality of boy-girl life gets harsh, but in my fantasy, the music keeps them together.”

“I was totally clueless about social interaction, and completely scared of girls. All I knew was that music was going to make girls fall in love with me.”

“If the girls keep dancing, everybody's happy. If the girls don't dance, nobody's happy.”

“Nothing connects to the moment like music. I count the music to bring me back, or more precisely, to bring her forward.”

“I knew I would have to relearn how to listen to music, and that some of the music we'd loved together I'd never be able to hear again.”