Tragedy is what happens to me; comedy is what happens to you.

I usually start with the words. The rhythm of the words gives me the rhythm of the song, and then I look for the musical highlights in it to carry it.

My brothers went to work at 12 and put themselves through school and brought the family out of ruin into food and clothing.

The thing is to be brave and move the audience with you, instead of cater to the lowest common denominator, you know, slipping on a banana peel and falling on your ass. You got to move the audience a little further ahead in terms of their appreciation of what is comedy. It's complicated.

I always thought it was great to be able to make people feel better. It was a little like being God.

As long as the world is turning and spinning, we're gonna be dizzy and we're gonna make mistakes.

Tolstoy was the most gifted writer who ever lived. It's like he stuck a pen in his heart and it didn't even go through his mind on its way to the page.