John Mellencamp Quotes

It's my responsibility as a singer-songwriter to report the news.

A lot of Woody Guthrie's songs were taken from other songs. He would rework the melody and lyrics, and all of a sudden it was a Woody Guthrie song.

What is there to be afraid of? The worst thing that can happen is you fail. So what? I failed at a lot of things. My first record was horrible.

Grandma's on the front porch with a Bible in her hand, sometimes I hear her singing take me to the promised land.

It's what you do and not what you say. If you're not part of the future, then get out of the way!

Unemployment is sky-rocketing; deflation is in our future for the first time since the Great Depression. I don't care whose fault it is, it's the truth.

Growing up leads to growing old and then to dying And dying to me don't sound like all that much fun

There is nothing more sad or glorious than generations changing hands.

Ain't that America, home of the free? Little pink houses for you and me.

Natalie from the Dixie Chicks could have said what she said before 9-11 and no one would have cared.

An honest man's pillow is his peace of mind.

When you live in hysteria, people start thinking emotionally.

Most people in life, give up too early.

I have a bunch of information in my head that I'm not afraid to put in song or onto a canvas. Into any conversation.

My voice has gotten better from smoking.

I do things my way and I pay a high price.

Be careful of those who kill in Jesus' name; he don't believe in killing at all.

What we do to each other are the worst things that we do.

I enjoy the pleasure of my own company.

Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness will help a man walk tall. Walk tall!

I'm trying to write for people my age. And my inspiration over the years has changed dramatically.

Now I do have a choice, and I'm not going to do anything I don't want to do.

Music actually meant something when I started doing it. Too bad I wasn't mature enough to write anything that meant anything.

Some people say I'm obnoxious and lazy, that I'm uneducated, that my opinion means nothing, but I know I'm a real good dancer.

I don't want to be a politician. I don't like politics. It's petty; it fights dirty.

they say life goes on long after the thrill of living

I'm your average Joe guy. I don't really care for politicians.

I know there's a balance, I see it when I swing past.

When politicians use fear, they are playing into the enemy's hand.

Don't ever lose that innocent laughter, don't let time take that away

People in Indiana have known me for 25 years. They've known George Bush four.

Sometimes love don't feel like it should, you make it hurt so good.

I don't have to worry about any pop sensibility. I can write adult songs, and I don't have to worry about choruses and hook lines.

I'm the guy who wrote The Authority Song. Did they think I was kidding? Did they think it was only a song to entertain?

If fans are going to turn on me because of this, they weren't my fans anyway. I couldn't betray a whole 25 years of record making and not do this. I had to.

We could walk 3 minutes and be on the beach. I think the music kind of suffered because of it. It kind of smelled like Jimmy Buffett, which is a bad thing.

I couldn't have recorded this record 15 years ago. My voice didn't have the depth to pull these songs off.

A lot of record company people, even though they're our age, want to be perceived as young hip guys, and they're hurting the business.

I'm wide open and will entertain anything anybody has to say, but if it's MTV and radio, well, they're great things, but can't be the only thing. I don't know that it would work even for the Beatles.

I think the Internet is the most dangerous thing invented since the atomic bomb.

I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is.

This is not a rock opera. This is not Tommy. I can write songs that emote, and that's it.

Bob Dylan's first couple of records in the 60's weren't considered cover records, but he only wrote one or two original songs on each album.

Do I think it's OK to fight authority as long as you're only talking about the high school teacher? No.

The simple man, baby, pays for the thrills, the bills, and the pills that kill.

When people are afraid, they make emotional decisions.

To say that we're doomed is just an obvious remark.

I think it's ridiculous to try to sell records to teenagers, because teenagers don't buy my records. And there ain't that many teenagers out there in the marketplace.

I would never say John Kerry would be a great president. I will say that George Bush has divided us; he has filled this country with hatred.

I need a lover that won't drive me crazy, someone that knows the meaning of hey, hit the highway.