I once performed The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald to about 15 sea captains. The song was about a ship that broke in half and sank.

You will go with me everywhere. When I'm dreaming, you still share my lonely nights.

All that remains is the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

If there's a reason for the way that life is I'd like to find it. After all, who's life is it?

Of course I knew The Band's Canadian keyboard player, the late Richard Manuel, but I didn't play that night because I was there as a guest with my record executives. People ask, "why didn't you play?" If I had known I was going to be playing then I would have been prepared for it.

Think about the fool who by his virtue can be found in a most unusual situation playing jester to the clown.

My first song was Hula Hoop Song, in 1955. It was a novelty song. I had to find someway to reach out and it was with a novelty song. Now, all of my recording obligations have been taken care of. I made 14 albums for Warner Brothers. Five for United Artist before that.