I long ago learned that you can't expect people to interpret the songs in the way they had meant for you, as the writer.

In college, I thought I wanted to be solely an artist, and then when I got here, to college, I was like, "Okay, well I want to be a songwriter," 'cause it was like close to Nashville.

I do take enormous interest in what's going on. I try to see whatever I can, whenever I can.

I'm probably much more influenced by film-makers and painters than I am by other songwriters or poets.

First off, I think nudity is taken differently in America, though they did make a fuss in England, too.

I don't hold onto anything, because it's a waste of energy to do so, really. There's nothing that I can do about the way people want to write about me. I just try and concentrate on my work and do that as well as I can.

I think I'm a maker of songs, and songs are like films or a picture: You put them over there, and they have nothing to do with you.