It was like Elvis came along and whispered some dream in everybody's ear

[The Catholic religion] was something I carried with me, never forgot, brought into my music. And it's been in my music ever since.

Just sitting around waiting for my life to begin, while it was all just slipping away.

Our American government has strayed too far from American values. It is time to move forward. The country we carry in our hearts is waiting.

I like narrative storytelling as being part of a tradition, a folk tradition.

But I think that your entire life is a process of sorting out some of those early messages that you got.

I looked at myself, and I just said, well, you know, I can sing but I'm not the greatest singer in the world. I can play guitar very well, but I'm not the greatest guitar player in the world... And so I said, well, if I'm going to project an individuality, it's going to have to be in my writing.