When my wife died, I booked myself into the studio just to work, to occupy myself.

I worked there [on Pontiac] three weeks, got really sick of it, went back home and joined the Air Force.

In the Air Force, I had an old Wilcox Gay recorder, and I used to hear guitar runs on that recorder going (vocalizing) like the chords on "I Walk The Line." And I always wanted to write a love song using that theme, that tune.

My contract with mercury PolyGram Nashville was about to expire. And I never had really been happy. The company, the record company, just didn't put any promotion behind me. I think one album, maybe the last one I did, they pressed 500 copies. And I was just disgusted with it. And about that time that I got to feeling that way, Lou Robin, my manager, came to me and talked to me about a man called Rick Rubin that he had been talking to that wanted me to sign with his record company.

God gives us life and takes us away as He sees fit.

Get rhythm when you get the blues.

Jesus will not fail me, I shall not be moved.