I just like people. I'll hold a conversation at a gas station. It's not about the fame and the fortune, I just like people.

People have allowed me into their homes, through my words and my music.

So much of my career has been about saying things the way people say them, using melodies not that I can sing but that the people can sing.

Today we've learned to celebrate mediocrity. Back in the day we had creative artists; today we have created artists.

The music business was not safe, but it was FUN. It was like falling in love with a woman you know is bad for you, but you love every minute with her, anyway.

Exactly when people are in turmoil is the time that the entertainment business has always been at its best. Because people don't want to be reminded every day that they are under siege, or that they're not having a great time of life.

I find the greatest songs in the world come out of pain, and I don't like it! Here's what it does: It strips away all of your facade. It makes you so honest. It's cleansing.