I wanted to be a rock 'n' roll star. It defines life for me. It's all I've ever imagined for myself.

You can't roll a joint on an iPod, buy vinyl.

I think a lot of people think that my parents' deaths is why I write such sad songs, but that's not true. Those songs may just be the woman I am.

Be exceptional. Make tremendous efforts to be extraordinary. What a privilege to be here on the planet to contribute your unique donation to humankind. Just make sure you do so.

I feel like I've kind of gotten to a peaceful place in my heart.

So it's the greatest compliment in the world when people want to hear you sing. That means it feels good to them, so I keep doing it.

I am very picky about my people and my beer.

I've pretty much run the circle of labels and dealing with that whole kind of battle, because you're the one creating the music, but you're not the final say. That's always been hard.

I like rules that are broken.

I like to make great albums.

I didn't go to college.

You were designed to survive in your own world

Weak or strong - she didn’t know what they meant anymore. Maybe they didn’t mean the same thing for everyone.

Sally Jenkins of the 'Washington Post' is the best sports columnist in the country. Second best is Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN.com, and third is Dan Wetzel on Yahoo!

I start by using Chinese and many of the sounds of other languages are similar.

The best aid to give is intellectual aid, a gift of useful knowledge. A gift of knowledge is infinitely preferable to a gift of material things.

I believe in angels, so it's simple.

War that hasn't affected us here, in the way that you would imagine a five-year war would affect a country.

Ah, what a sweetner of toil is love—love to a dear earthly parent, and still more love to Christ. There is no drudgery in the most menial employment where that is the motive power.

When I was 15 years old, I used to actually dream I was pitching in Yankee Stadium. Bill Dickey was my catcher.