Three chords and the truth – that’s what a country song is.

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.

It doesn’t hurt to feel sad from time to time.

All I do is play music and golf – which one do you want me to give up?

The whole house came up and I came up with it… I was just praying to the Lord to take care of me.

When I’m driving the highway by myself is when I write best.

If a song was ever good, it’s still good.

Fortunately, we are not in control.

I didn’t come here and I ain’t leavin’.

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...

I’m from Texas, and one of the reasons I like Texas is because there’s no one in control.

America, to me, is freedom.

There are only so many notes so there must be only so many melodies.

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.

The first time I got onstage was when I was about 5 years old. It was at a church social, and I had a poem to recite.

Freedom is control in your own life.

I started out writing poems before I figured to put melodies to them and play the guitar. Somewhere, there’s a book out there on all those early songs and poems. I hope no one ever...

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...

As long as there’s a few farmers out there, we’ll keep fighting for them.

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.

I been a long time leaving but I’m going to be a long time gone.

There’s a great enthusiasm for good country music all over the world.

I got along without you before I met you and I’ll get along without you a long time after you’re gone.

I think most people realize that our problems are our government, not me and you individually, except that we can – must have some sort of responsibility, because they’re in there and they were elected,...

I am not a pig farmer. The pigs had a great time, but I didn’t make any money.

I text and email my friends and family a lot, but that’s about the extent of my high-tech-etude.

I think Ray Charles did as much as anybody when he did his country music album. Ray Charles broke down borders and showed the similarities between country music and R&B.

If you really want to get along with somebody, let them be themselves.

I don’t like to think too far ahead.

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!’

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 started out really young, when I was four, five, six, writing poems, before I could play an instrument. I was writing about things when I was eight or 10 years old that I hadn’t...

Sometimes there is a 36-piece orchestra going off in my stomach.

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.

I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times.

I’m not prejudiced in any way that I can think of. That’s just not the guy I am.

What has changed is that nothing has changed… that’s what has made me more unhappy than everything else.

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...

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...

When you hear me, you know it’s me, regardless of the song.

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.

You don’t have to be poor to need something or somebody.

We’ve already been reincarnated about a million times, maybe. It doesn’t make sense any other way.

I don’t remember Moses writing, ‘Thou shalt not kill.. unless you think you have a good reason.

If you got the money honey I got the time and when you run out of money honey I run out of time.

We’re still here trying to get the word out that 330 farmers are quitting every week.

A lot of country music is sad. I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times. It applies to music. Three chords and the truth – that’s what a country song is. There...

Great songs stand out wherever they’re from.

When I see someone I think is cool, he’s a pretty well-adjusted individual. He’s not too affected one way or the other by what’s happening, no matter what’s going through his mind.

When you’re singing, you’re using extra muscles, and it requires a lot of exercise and breathing. You can’t do that if you’re a sissy. If I have any fitness advice for people, I’d tell them...