For me, how I feel about what I wrote down turns into a song.

I'm tryin' to right my wrongs But it's funny, them same wrongs helped me write this song.

We write songs about wrong cause its hard to see right

What I have to say is all in the music. If I want to say anything, I write a song.

I had these ideas, which propelled some of the songwriting, that I was moving to a different place with. I thought it would be more change. I thought, “Maybe I’ll call him,” or whatever, which I haven’t done. But it was really important to me. These were the songs that were going to exist in this time. I wanted to be performing songs that meant something emotionally to me, and it would be this vulnerability that is liberating and also necessary.

I've got to know that I'm singing something with truth to it. My songs are different than anybody else's songs. Other artists can get by on their voices and their style, but my songs speak volumes, and all I have to to is lay them down correctly, lyrically, and they'll do what they need to do.

Songs are funny things. They can slip across borders. Proliferate in prisons. Penetrate hard shells. I always believed that the right song at the right moment could change history.

I used to think that myself and my songs were the same thing. But I don't believe that any more. There's myself and there's my song, which I hope is everybody's song.

Sometimes I'm right, and I can be wrong. My own beliefs are in my song. A butcher, a banker, a drummer, and then Makes no difference what group I'm in. I am everyday people! (yeah yeah)

..And songs, to me, were more important than just light entertainment. They were my preceptor and guide into some altered consciousness of reality, some different republic, some liberated republic.

Out of my own great woe
I make my little songs.

Like I said, I grew up with punk, and the lyrics of the songs I liked were about reality, and young people were expressing themselves by playing music. It's always been more about attitude, for me. Expressing yourself within society.

I think because I felt so sad I had to bring out my feelings, and try to create music that would make me and all my friends feel better.