“If there’s not love present, it’s much, much harder to function. When there’s love present, it’s easier to deal with life.”

I meditate and I also think about meditation. Which is funny. I think about Maharishi, about just the idea of meditating. It gives me something.

I’m not a genius. I’m just a hard-working guy.

I’m doing good. I’ve had a slight nervous breakdown in the ’60s. I got through that. And I got through the ’70s. And I was in a doctor’s program during the ’80s and then I met Melinda and we’ve been together ever since. I’ve got a happy life.

You don’t really know what to believe until the Government denies it.

Gershwin inspired me very much. The concept of ‘That Lucky Old Sun’ was inspired by ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ – not influenced, but inspired.

I’m just a shy and retreating kind of person. Sometimes I get in a real talkative mood – but not very often.

If you’re going to write a song, try to get together with a collaborator because it’s better to write with collaborators.

Any article’s good. Long as it’s publicity, I think that’s all that matters. I think it’s advancement for my career.

I play piano all the time. I’m always at my piano, playing music.

So it’s 1976 and we’re still riding on our past success. I mean I’ve gone on like that for I don’t know how long.

I sit and I write automatically. I don’t really try to write. My subconscious mind takes over and writes the songs for me. Songs come very easily for me. When I’m inspired, it takes me 20 minutes to write a song.

I think about God, yes, and I wonder if there is a God. And if there is a God, will God please help me through my hard trips.

The idea of taking a song, envisioning the overall sound in my head and then bringing the arrangement to life in the studio…well, that gives me satisfaction like nothing else.

I have an instinct for music, or a feeling about it, and I’ll have my feelings guide my hands.

I’ve never written one note or word of music simply because I think it will make money.

I think cursing is a bunch of malarkey.

A lot of brands, you can’t touch them. When you’re dealing with Snoop Dogg, he brings you closer to the brand and it feels like it’s a part of you.

Adult life is dealing with an enormous amount of questions that don’t have answers.

When you’re dealing with people in an industry that’s all about making money, they push you farther than you really wanna go.

He who has a why can deal with any what or how.

It’s important to be honest with and respectful of each other and deal with issues as they arrive, as opposed to letting them simmer.

Believe in yourself in all you can do and for you, the deals will start to work in your favor. You need to be open to such deals, and they will come, I assure you.

To pardon the oppressor is to deal harshly with the oppressed.

I used to write stories. Handwriting stories in school were a big deal for me. That’s kind of what I did.