“Don’t make music for some vast, unseen audience or market or ratings share or even for something as tangible as money.”

My daughter sent me on a mission to get as many autographs as possible.

I had a melody and a rhythm and chords, but nothing to talk about.

Why don’t the Beatles get back together? Why don’t nobody sing of romance?

If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time.

As I now often tell my daughter Lila, no matter what stage of life you’re in, when you want something – no matter how impossible it seems – you need to fight for it. When you believe in something, fight for it. And when you see injustice, fight harder than you’ve ever fought before.

Normally, if someone goes bankrupt, you wipe out the debt and get a fresh start. But that’s not permitted with student loans. So the effect is to impoverish many graduates with very high debts.

I remember reading about how the decline of the steel industry had been affecting the Lehigh Valley, and I decided that’s what I was going to write the song about.

People pay a lot of money to go see shows now, they don’t wanna know about your technical problems, or if you’re not feeling good, they don’t wanna know we have a glitch. It’s their night, you better do something to earn that money.

Where have you been hanging out lately honey? You can’t dress trashy ’til you spend a lot of money.

When I look at great works of art or listen to inspired music, I sense intimate portraits of the specific times in which they were created.

my belonging to relief society has renewed, strengthened, and committed me to be a better wife and mother and daughter of God. my heart has been enlarged with gospel understanding and with love of the Savior and what He’s done for me. so to you, dear sisters.

In every heart there is a room, A sanctuary safe and strong, To heal the wounds from lovers past, Until a new one comes along

Yes, they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness But it’s better than drinkin’ alone.

Discipline is knowing what to do. Knowing when to do it. Doing it to the best of your abilities. Doing it that way every single time.

Shut up before I drop yo ass off at Koreatown. Now hold on, America, don’t start writing no letters. I’m just kidding. But am I lying?

Faith and fear both demand you believe in something you cannot see. You choose.

I’ve been lucky enough that I can gather all sorts of experiences and find inspiration by traveling around and by spending time with people I admire.

When you get a poem [in a public place], it happens to you so suddenly that you don’t have time to deploy your anti-poetry deflector shields that were installed in high school.

My daughter, I can’t give up because she’s watching and she’s here and she’s waiting for me to be an example. So, between her, myself, and my will, and me pushing myself, that’s my inspiration.

My manager said the next best inspiration to heartbreak is travel, and it’s true.

It is in the ordinances of the temple that we are placed under covenant to Him….[If] we will enter into our covenants without reservation or apology, the Lord will protect us. We will receive inspiration sufficient for the challenges of life.

The people at the record company had asked me if I could write a song about my life, my relationship with God, and where I’m from.

Well, I can’t write a song on purpose, my songs come in a moment of inspiration or desperation.

Inspiration comes from displacement. Get out of your comfort zone, the rewards are legion.