I have had hundreds of people work for me over the years, and I don't think I ever fired anybody.

I think the nature of songwriters is that they are philosophers, and philosophers have a bent towards poetry and songwriting, so I think that the two run around together. The nature of a songwriter could be philosophical. Looking for universal ideas, a way to say things, get the story across as a means of entertaining, provoking thought.

A monkey was the President, though maybe not the first. And there was peace and harmony throughout the universe.

Nobody knows a hit before it's a hit.

Sinclair Lewis was asked one time to give a talk to class of students about writing. When he got there he asked the class, Do you people want to be writers?and they all said yes. Then Lewis said, Why the hell aren't you at home writing?

After I retired and came off the road, I gathered up all my musical instruments and suddenly, I wanted them all to be perfect.

Is this really Butte, Montana, or just existential blues?