When I write something simple I'm always really proud of it. When you write something that simple with that much air in it and the whole premise behind it is something pretty obvious - that everybody wants to be happy and free - the song is sort of an exercise in not forgetting that's what you really want and what you really need. We can get caught up in a lot of other stuff.

I've never known of Wal-Mart to be a good neighbor in any town it's ever moved into.

I don't usually read reviews.

People can try to make me into anything they want, but I think they're really throwing around language but saying the same thing.

Bob Dylan is one of the very few people in the history of popular music who you can unquestionably apply that word [genius] to.

Politics has always been in my music. Anybody who doesn't understand how political "Copperhead Road" is isn't listening very well.

The creative core of New York has never been native New Yorkers; it's people from all over the world.