“Here’s the thing with me and the religious thing. This is the flat-out truth: I find the religiosity and philosophy in the music. I don’t find it anywhere else.”

People are crazy and times are strange. I used to care but things have changed

Sometimes it’s not enough to know what things mean, sometimes you have to know what things don’t mean.

What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.

Now, each of us has his own special gift And you know this was meant to be true. And if you don’t underestimate me I won’t underestimate you.

No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.

There’s beauty in the silver singing river There’s beauty in the sunrise in the sky But none of these and nothing else can match the beauty That I remember in my true love’s eyes

I believe that instinct is what makes a genius a genius.

He not busy being born is busy dying.

You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

The purpose of art is to stop time.

Let me ask you one question Is your money that good Will it buy you forgiveness Do you think that it could I think you will find When your death takes its toll All the money you made Will never buy back your soul

There are things I could say. But I don’t.

When you feel in your gut what you are and then dynamically pursue it – don’t back down and don’t give up – then you’re going to mystify a lot of folks.

May you grow up to be righteous, may you grow up to be true. May you always know the truth and see the lights surrounding you. May you always be courageous, stand upright and be strong. May you stay forever young.

People have a hard time accepting anything that overwhelms them.

There is nothing so stable as change.

If it weren’t for the Beatles, I would not be a musician.

The human element of making music is what’s most important.

I like being at home with my music and my books. I’ve done all the partying, I’ve done enough partying for four or five people as a young fella. But now I like the quiet life.

The whole point of music is being able to share your story.

From a very young age I had an ambition to be a musician, and to do that professionally. That’s what I pursued until I was about 20, playing in bands that were taken pretty seriously at that stage.

I’m not trying to stay away from being a celebrity, I’m not saying, ‘I’m sooo not famous,’ I’m trying to continue being a musician in a time when everyone is very celebrity-led.

I really started writing music to challenge myself, to see what I could write.

Music is the only thing that will give and give and give and not take.