Nashville's like any other hometown - after a while, it's stifling.

I think a lot of men are afraid of pretty things, and I'm not, I like pretty songs.

As a southern man, there's two things I'm definitely not scared of: bow ties and white pants.

My parents split up when I was about 2. I realize more and more how much I'm like my father. My gentleness comes from my mother.

I didn't do anything differently than what my father was doing. It's a really hard family to rebel in. I could have become an accountant. Or I could have become a Republican.

All my records have been written to be records, rather than writing a group of songs and seeing if they fit together.

I didn't get into music to become a blues musician, or a country musician. I'm a singer-songwrit er. In my book that means I get to do whatever I want.

I've never been good at rock'n'roll songs, anyway; either I'm blessed or I'm cursed, but whatever I write comes out sounding old.

I heard Nirvana, and discovered that songs could be like poetry, but a little bit more refined: you didn't have to have 20 verses to get your point across.

I always watched movies and rooted for the bad guys, you know? I've always been that kind of guy. I still hold some respect for criminals that are good at their jobs.

I love Motown, but I've obviously always been more of a Memphis soul fan. If it's Stax or Motown, I go Stax.

Like the number nineeternity is forever mine

A week is a long time in the life of a child.

How curious it was, how ironic, he decided, that the human brain seemed capable of understanding almost everything but itself.

I was brought up with psychics and tarot cards. My mum was always told I was going to be in a boy band and be famous as a singer.

'Good English' is whatever educated people talk so that what is good in one place or time would not be so in another.

The whole point of courage, to overcome your fear. That's the interesting thing, when courage bleeds through the fear.

Simplicity is a key to avoiding complication. Part of the definition of simplicity is 'not complex or complicated; sincere.'

I want to successfully make the transition from a life in professional sports to another life, without running into major upheavals.

Great men, great nations, have not been boasters and buffoons, but perceivers of the terror of life, and have manned themselves to face it.

Sculpture will last a lot longer than painting.