The dumbing down of the country reflects itself on Broadway. The shows get dumber, and the public gets used to them.

I was never much of a reader. I'm a slow reader, which is unusual, because I'm so into language and I love words so much. But it's hard for me to read.

Perpetual anticipation is good for the soul but it's bad for the heart.

Lyrics have to be underwritten. That's why poets generally make poor lyric writers because the language is too rich. You get drowned in it.

I didn't really want to write just lyrics, but I wanted to meet Leonard Bernstein. Music was always the first reason I was writing songs.

Art is craft, not inspiration.

They wanted me to be a concert pianist, because I had a very good right hand, but my left hand's terrible and I hated performing.