I was influenced a lot by those around me - there was a lot of singing that went on in the cotton fields.
And as far as guitars go, I loved Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West's stuff.
When I'm driving the highway by myself is when I write best.
You could make any song sound creepy if you wanted. It's all about the inflection.
Great songs stand out wherever they're from.
I was born in Abbott, Texas, a little small town in central Texas, and I was raised by my grandparents. And my parents divorced when I was six months old, and my grandparents raised me.
As long as there's a few farmers out there, we'll keep fighting for them.
All my kids were raised on computers: They were home-schooled on the Internet, so they're pretty good at that stuff. And I'm proud of them, but I don't really keep up with it.
I think I'm basically the same guy I always was. Maybe I've learned, through experience, to rein in some of the anger and temper they say redheads normally have.
Everything about Sinatra was good. He had the ability to pick great songs, and once Sinatra had sung them, that pretty much was it. He pretty much put his stamp on everything.
A lot of country music is sad.
Waylon Jennings and I had a lot of fun recording together.
I never gave up on country music because I knew what I was doing was not that bad.
We're still here trying to get the word out that 330 farmers are quitting every week.
I been a long time leaving but I'm going to be a long time gone.
I grew up across the street from, you know, the Villarias, which was a great Mexican family there. In fact, there was three houses right across the street from me. So, day and night, I listened to Mexican music, and I'm sure, you know, my guitar playing, singing, writing, whatever, has a lot of Mexican flavor there, but it comes natural.
I don't like to think too far ahead.
You know why divorces are so expensive? They're worth it.
It doesn't hurt to feel sad from time to time.
I didn't come here and I ain't leavin'.
I just enjoy both working and not working.
I am not a pig farmer. The pigs had a great time, but I didn't make any money.
All I do is play music and golf - which one do you want me to give up?
I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times.
I would like to see more airplay for all artists, no matter what age. I think there's a lot of money being spent toward the young guys, but a lot of the older guys are the ones who blazed the trail for those young guys.
I like myself better when I'm writing regularly.
I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?
If you got the money honey I got the time and when you run out of money honey I run out of time.
I believe that all roads lead to the same place - and that is wherever all roads lead to.
There's a great enthusiasm for good country music all over the world.
Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.
Don't try to change anybody. And they should let you be yourself, 'You loved me when you met me, so let's keep going!'
Most of the stuff I've read about me has been true.
Anybody can be unhappy. We can all be hurt. You don't have to be poor to need something or somebody. Rednecks, hippies, misfits - we're all the same. Gay or straight? So what? It doesn't matter to me. We have to be concerned about other people, regardless.
There are only so many notes so there must be only so many melodies.
Three chords and the truth - that's what a country song is.
Freedom is control in your own life. I have more control now than in the past, and I'm learning the value of saying no. That's very important.
You want to be a good parent and you want to be a friend, and it's hard to be both. You have to balance it as well as you can.
But if you think of all the people who don't like me, just think of all the millions who've never heard of me!
Well the country songs themselves are three-chord stories, ballads which are mostly sad. If you are already feeling sorry for yourself when you listen to them they will take you to an even sadder place.
If a song was ever good, it's still good.
When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.
When I was about 12, I had my first paying gig - 8 dollars to play rhythm guitar in a polka band. Pretty soon, I ended up playing in all the bars within driving distance of Abbott, Texas.
Writing books is fun because after I do a show for a couple hours, I'm in a bus for 22 hours. It's not hard for me to look out the window and tell a joke here and there.
I guess if you can't sing, you better have a style!
I like to play small clubs.
When you hear me, you know it's me, regardless of the song.
Since I was a kid, music was what I wanted to do. I thought I could make it by my own talents. That's what I wanted to prove.
