"After 17" is a song I wrote when my first daughter went to college, so that's kind of where I'm at in that part of my life. If you listen to that song and knew anything about me, you'd say, "Oh yeah, he wrote that about his daughter," but I try not to write them that they are so specific that they wouldn't apply to anybody that has a child.

If you can last until you're 40 years old, hopefully you'll be mature enough to figure out the rest of the years.

I've had several working-man songs that I like.

To me, songwriting is the backbone of Nashville. Looks can go, fads can go, but a good song lasts forever.

I think if you retire from touring, then people think you are retired.

What I enjoy doing more than anything is, I have my little antique car collection, and when the weather is pretty I like to get out one of my old cars. I have a little route I run down in the country, down Nachez Trace Parkway. The loop down through there is just really relaxing, not much traffic.

I'm hooked on my baby's love, there ain't nothing in the jug this strong.