This much I know: Jarvis Cocker

Jarvis Cocker photographed by: Eamonn McCabe

The Observer conducted an interview with thee brilliant singer-songwriter-guitarist Jarvis Cocker on fame, ageing and drinking milk from a bottle.

My greatest talent is to sing and move my hands at the same time. It's not something I've thought through; it's not that I'm trying to do signing. But it's nice – you can move your hands and shape the words. Shirley Bassey's very good at it.

I wanted to be famous when I was young. I wanted to be a pop star. I was a shy child and I had this idea that if I became famous it would be a social enabler.

I found it difficult - I still find it difficult now - to go up and start talking to somebody. I always think I'm imposing on them, getting on their nerves. I thought: if I'm famous, people will come and talk to me; once that's out of the way, it'll be OK.

I'm not very keen on ageing. I'm not keen on the physical decay. I probably am quite vain. I think you want to try and look OK for the benefit of other people.

I haven't got any phobias. But there are things that I dislike intensely. When a drink leaves a film on the side of a glass, I find that a bit bad. If I saw somebody drinking milk from a bottle, and there's a creamy deposit left on the glass – I hate that.

Money isn't important, but you have to have enough, so you don't have to think about it. Thinking about money is a drag.

I haven't sought therapy, but I think it could speed the process of getting through depression. You can get through it yourself, but speaking to someone else might make it faster – and in the end that's what you want. Depression is incapacitating; you don't do as much. You waste time.

I would like to believe in an afterlife; it makes things more palatable. But I'm not banking on it.

I am passionate about keeping the human dimension in things. You have to keep the rough edges and the inconsistencies, that's what makes it interesting. I've always striven to be as sloppy as possible.

The muddling through life is the exciting bit of it.

I am the happiest I've been for a long time.

Jarvis Cocker is also Eurostar's ambassador for Cultural Connect.