I get a different kind of lyric from someone else that might make me go in a different musical direction.

One other thing, if it's possible, as songwriters, you should also develop yourself as record producers.

You've got to really be able to accept the rejection.

Cynthia's lyrics always expressed the feelings people felt but they couldn't express themselves.

The great fights with your strongest rivals are always the biggest motivation. When you win easily it's not the same taste.

My great inspiration has always been Studs Terkel, who is a wonderful American oral historian. He was a radio DJ at first, interviewed a lot of jazz musicians, and at some point started to interview Americans about work.

In the 1980s, I was quite well known for my knitwear, and a lot of inspiration came from carpets, where I found ways to use structures and colors and depth of colors.

The 'sent' folder of my email program is really my biggest inspiration and my biggest source of lyrics. That's where I go to pick up a lot of the lyrics that I'm writing.