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.

Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.

America's criminal justice system isn't known for rehabilitation. I'm not sure that, as a society, we are even interested in that concept anymore.

I don't believe that songwriting has to be profound, but I truly believe that it's a crime for you to go outta your way for it not to be.

I have a low tolerance for mediocrity in music and life. I'm into pain and joy and the in-between doesn't interest me.

Actually, in its purest form, Islam is incredibly tolerant. That makes what's going on in the world really bizarre.

All we do as songwriters is rewrite the songs that have impressed us till we find our own voice. It's part of learning the craft.

You see things differently at 40 than you do at 31. Especially if you got to 40 the way I did.

Every day on Earth is another chance to get it right.

I don't really think in terms of obstacles. My biggest obstacle is always myself.

To me, religion is an agreement between a group of people about what God is. Spirituality is a one-on-one relationship.

I grew up cursing a lot.

If I had only one hour to save the world, I would spend fifty-five minutes defining the problem, and only five minutes finding the solution.

I think that Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, all those states actually look pretty good for Hillary Clinton.

True faith goes into operation when there are no answers.

I'm a sentimental guy.

I'm constantly jumping off cliffs and developing my wings on the way down. ... It's a gamble, a ... spiritual gamble. You are who you choose to be.

I don’t know any redneck that’s not into fun. That’s their middle name: Red-Fun-Neck.

I want to make music that I know that ten years from now, you can put it on and say "This is a great record".