I like myself better when I'm writing regularly.

When I left Nashville I went to Texas because that's where I came from, and because I was playing in Texas a lot in different places. And I saw hippies and rednecks drinking beer together and smoking dope together and having a good time together and I knew it was possible to get all groups of people together - long hair, short hair, no hair - and music would bring them together.

One thing I learned is that the mind, rather than being the master, should be the servant of the heart.

I like myself better when I'm writing regularly. ... I was influenced a lot by those around me-there was a lot of singing that went on in the cotton fields. ... I'm a country songwriter and we write cry-in-your-beer songs. That's what we do. Something that you can slow dance to...I never gave up on country music because I knew what I was doing was not that bad. ... Most of the stuff I've read about me has been true.

I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times.

I got along without you before I met you and I'll get along without you a long time after you're gone.

Gay or straight? So what? It doesn't matter to me. We have to be concerned about other people regardless.