“In the beginning, I wrote OK songs, but they didn’t have a unique perspective.”

If I’m not writing about myself, then I sit down with people I really dig writing with and throw ’em out and see if something sticks. Their brain plus mine hopefully will make something interesting and cool and it will just snowball and we’ll have a unique song by the end of it.

Don’t wreck my reputation, Let me wreck my own.

Follow your arrow, Wherever it points.

It’s hard to remember a time when I wasn’t writing.

I know what I want and it gets in my way. I know I’m not easy.

Im all about small towns. I think its a great place to grow up.

A great song will be great forever – it’s timeless and classic in that way.

I know not every song has to be a powerful message.

Legs longer than my marriage.

I used to write poems more when I was younger, but I haven’t in a long time. I just write ideas and paragraphs and go from there.

Guess I’m hangin’ by myself but I don’t mind.

Forced idleness evolves into beauty.

Fame freaks me out. Do you just wake up different? I don’t know how to scale it back if it gets too crazy.

I’d rather be more of the hippie country chick – as in, instead of pointing a finger, just maybe saying, ‘We’re all screw-ups. We’re all in this kind of together. We’re all just figuring this out.’

A lot of what gets on the radio isn’t saying anything other than somebody wants to be famous and will do whatever they’re told to get it.

Anyone singing about trucks, in any form, in any song, anywhere, literally just stop – nobody cares!

All endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.

One always goes on as one begins.

Promise yourself success at the beginning of each day, and you’ll be surprised how often things will turn out that way.

Early diagnosis is so important because the earlier a mental illness can be detected, diagnosed and treatment can begin, the better off that person can be for the rest of his or her life.

It could be the end of a story. It could be the beginning.

I’m gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we’re not being controlled, we’ll just do what we want.

Tell me a love story that begins with when you met yourself.

Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.