By the time I wrote those first three songs for his new CD ... I wanted to push the poetics as hard as I could push them, and not decide the songs were finished until I committed them to whatever the recording format was. I went through drafts right up until I recorded every single one of them.

Critics are notoriously liberal with their use of the term 'genius'.

I'm one of the few people that I know that sings better than they did 20 years ago.

I wish I was as sure about things as Bill Monroe was sure about things.

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

I still write more songs about girls than anything else.

You know I ain't never prayed before 'Cause it always seemed to me That prayin's the same as beggin' Lord, I don't take no charity.