If someone wants a piece of you, never let them pay. What you do not give to them time takes anyway.

The stores and the things like that, the business side of things came out at the point when, I'd say probably in the early '70s, it looked like the year of the singer-songwriter was over, 'cause music changed in our time and the spotlight was out.

Where's the church, who took the steeple, Religion's in the hands of some crazy ass people, Television preachers with bad hair and dimples, The God's honest truth is, it's not that simple

I just thank God I don't live in a trailer.

I hate to mention age, but I come from an era when we weren't consumed by technology and television. My mother insisted that her children read. To describe my scarce leisure time in today's terms, I always default to reading.

My only contact with the outside world was an RCA Victrola, and Elvis would sing, and then I'd dream about expensive cars.

And you find as a writer there are certain spots on the planet where you write better than others, and I believe in that. And New Orleans is one of them.