I usually start with a title or maybe a little rhyme or phrase.

As long as you have the chairman (title) and you're the CEO, you're still in charge of the organization, ... I'll do that for the next year and a half and then when I go to emeritus (status), John gets the president title.

That was our key phrase. They don't remember how you start, but how you finish.

I take a whole life story and compress it into three minutes.

Country music is three chords and the truth.

A lot of songs you write are just for exercise - just pencil sharpeners.