Quotes By Lucinda Williams

I can speak for most songwriters - those breakup love songs are so easy to write, as far as the inspiration and all that.

I'm fascinated by the whole concept of snake handling. When you read about the Pentecostal snake handlers, what strikes you the most is their commitment.

I'm not just a doormat. I'm not just being stepped on all over the place. If you look at the bulk of my material, it's about trying to find some strength through that.

I feel a lot more comfortable being me these days. I'm constantly told that my work is good. A lot of fans and a lot of other artists say my songs and albums mean a lot to them. Isn't that what's important?

Of course, I'm older now. I'm in a different place in my life than when I wrote the songs for 'Car Wheels' or 'Essence' or whatever. Different things were going on.

I started writing more with my voice in mind.

The old jazz singers or old blues singers, you always just saw them kind of sitting down and singing. They weren't worried as much about their voice sounding perfect. They would make the song kind of fit their voice.

You can't really praise somebody's work and then criticize the process.

I have such a great band. We had played all this material on the road. I just wanted to let it fly.

So few people are truly themselves when they're in the spotlight.

You should put time into learning your craft. It seems like people want success so quickly, way before they're ready.

I'm dealing with things as they come along, and I'm talking about it.

I have a folder of scraps and pieces of paper with stuff, ideas for songs from the last 25 years; just little things, maybe early songs that I finished, but didn't think they were good enough.

Sade's stuff is real deceptive. She's got stuff about prostitutes, poverty and people on the streets.

I write the songs, go in and record them, then I listen to everything and decide how it all fits together.

I mean, whose songs don't focus on tragedy and loss?

I certainly had my God-can-you-just-take-me-now-I've-just-had-it-I'm-checking-out-let-me-off-the-train-I'm-done kind of thing. But, you know, I would never actually do it. I just can't imagine what it would take to do that.

The more I separate myself from my upbringing, the more I appreciate what it's done for me.

Just because I'm talking about something that might have been a sad or painful situation doesn't mean that I'm sad or tortured 24 hours a day any more than anybody else is.

People let their own hang-ups become the obstacles between them and personal happiness.

First thing, I throw on some jeans, a T-shirt and my Keds sneakers and make coffee. That is actually my favorite time of day. That is when I do my songwriting, when I am in writing mode.