I come from a line of great Sicilian women, and their mentality is to endure and push through to the other side.

I can't judge the way other people behave. I can only look at myself.

I don't have good business sense. You never get much money for the arts. But I like independence. I like to grow.

With fame, I'm able to create more. With every success, you have more freedom to create.

When I got hoarse, the manager would say, 'Drink this. Joplin used to drink this,' and I used to say, 'Joplin? Joplin's dead

If you think you're hearing something and you can't think what it is. If you feel a quiet longing lift your heart into the wind. There you'll find my kindred spirit. There you'll meet me as a friend. It is just a kindred spirit and a song to let you in.

I've always felt, even as a songwriter, that the rhythm of speech is in itself a language for me.