Most songs that aren't jump-rope songs, or lullabies, are cautionary tales or goodbye songs and road songs.

Children make up the best songs, anyway. Better than grown-ups. Kids are always working on songs and throwing them away, like little origami things or paper airplanes. They don't care if they lose it; they'll just make another one.

Writing songs is like capturing birds without killing them. Sometimes you end up with nothing but a mouthful of feathers.

Most songs have meager beginnings. You wake up in the morning, you throw on your suspenders, and you subvocalize and just think. They seem to form like calcium. I can't think of a story right off the bat that was that interesting. I write things on the back of my hand, usually, and sing into a tape recorder.

I think all songs should have weather in them. Names of towns and streets, and they should have a couple of sailors. I think those are just song prerequisites.

Most people don't care if you're telling them the truth or if you're telling them a lie, as long as they're entertained by it.