I say, 'Yeah, Taylor Swift.' I think she is a smart, beautiful girl. I think she's making all the right moves. She's got a good head on her shoulders. She's surrounded with wonderful people. Her songs are great. She keeps herself anchored. She knows who she is, and she's living and standing by that.

I ain't never far away from a pencil and paper or a tape recorder.

Most country songs, certainly all the stuff I've written, are stories driven by characters.

You can't just will your dreams to come true. You have to work hard. You have to give 'em wings, arms, legs...whatever it takes to make your dreams come true.

You gotta keep trying to find your niche and trying to fit into whatever slot that's left for you or to make one of your own.

Wondering if God loves us when we're cheating? Oh, but why he lets us feel things, if it's wrong.

I know some of the best Dolly Parton jokes. I made 'em up myself.