I try to write like the writers I admire - I rip them off in form. It comes from George Strait and Merle Haggard records, and country music in general is really good at that, the twisted phrase... So Im always looking for that angle in my own work.

I'm a last-minute shopper. I end up at the mall or somewhere on Christmas Eve. It's a shame.

I'm sure there are a few things in my CD collection that might surprise people. I like classical music, the blues, and I'm a big fan of alternative rock.

I get to cry to Barbara Walters, when things don't go my way. I'll get community service no matter which laws I break.

As a guitar player, it's harder for me to impress somebody than it is to write a song that they like.

There ain't a woman in the world that wants to hear the word yes when she asks if you think that she looks chubby in that dress. And if she cooks all day you better eat it with a smile; it doesn't matter if it tastes just like bad gravy on a Goodyear tire.

I'm aware of the fact that a lot of talented people out there will never get this chance.