I'm supposed to make people cry, but not by manipulating.

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.

Despite what your science fiction writers dream, we simply don't have the technology

The downtrodden who are the great creators of slang hurl pithiness and colour at poverty and oppression.

I'm as voyeuristic and intrigued as the next person as to how celebrities live.

the thing I would wish for anybody I loved would be the possibility of never coming to the end of discovery. I think it is what makes life worth living.

The man of science dissects the statement, verifies the facts, and demonstrates connection even where he cannot its purpose.

I don't have a normal job, so I really appreciate having friends who are writers and artists. It's fun to have a group of people you can call in the middle of the day to go for a hike.

Knowledge is immensely powerful and immensely useful.

You don't need a new plan for next year. You need a commitment.

There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.

Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty, and dies with chaos.