My father being in the movie business, I thought being an actor would be great. But when I started singing to people in coffeehouses, you know, singing folk music and then, later, singing songs that I started to write myself, I felt more than an affinity for it.

I believe in this country [the USA], I love this country, I believe in the idea of this country, and this country is an idea.

I write very sporadically. I write sometimes three things in a week and then nothing for a year. I make a space for it but I don't push it. They just come and they come.

I'm not givin' in an inch to fear.

Now record companies are run by lawyers and accountants. The shift from the one to the other was definitely related to when the takes started to get big.

The stupid thing I incorrectly believed for a long time is that I believed for a long time that some politicians could sometimes tell the truth.

I do like to smoke pot. I think it's good.