I wasn't raised to not write about issues, and I'm just living in really politically charged times. You know, I'd rather write songs about girls, but it's just hard to do right now.

I don't spend a lot of time feeling sorry for myself, trying to compare how many records I've sold or how much money I've made.

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

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

San Antonio is like a military town. It's like literally - when I was growing up there, there were five Air Force bases, plus Fort Sam Houston. I was always sort of near the military.

I'm constantly warning people that are involved in my life that I can go busk and make a living. I can make my rent in New York City in the subway, I promise, if I'm forced to.

I don't care what's happening in the mainstream of country music. I haven't in a long time.