The life that I live and the experiences that I have always affect what comes out of me creatively. I think that's what makes music real.

I don't feel like God called me to be a Gospel singer. He didn't call me to be a Christian singer, he called me to be a country singer, and I just happen to be a Christian.

I love Tennessee, but they don't have the pine trees and the sandy soil and the black water that I grew up around.

A No. 1 record is hard to come by.

'Long Black Train' was inspired by a vision that I had of a long, black train running down this track way out in the middle of nowhere. I could see people standing out to the sides of this track watching this train go by. As I was walking, experiencing this vision, I kept asking myself, 'What does this vision mean and what is this train?'

I grew up around people that enjoyed life day to day and found pleasure in simple things.

'All Over Me' is a song that I really got fired up the first time I heard it: it just really moved and it really had a lot of energy.