Quotes from Lucinda Williams

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.

I just broke up with my boyfriend, and I've been spending more time alone than I'd like.

I'm just like everyone. I like to feel togetherness with someone.

The way I look at life, whatever I'm doing at that time in my life is going to be reflected in my songs, for the most part.

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.

I would worry if I wasn't coming up with ideas, if I wasn't inspired.

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.

I have to try different things to see what works best. Other people get impatient with that.

Theres so many other things to write about than unrequited love.

My approach to recording and all that is pretty organic. It just has to do with all the songs I wrote; go in and record them.

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

I love Emmylou Harris's version of my song, 'Sweet Old World.' Her intonation is great.

It's really about living in your head... just looking out at the world, then going back into your head and tossing around a lot of ideas and coming out with something interesting to say.

Some of their best songs don't have bridges and choruses. So that made me think I should trust my instincts. My songs were okay, I figured. I didn't need to change anything.

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

I think in the world of rock music or whatever it's called - anything outside of Nashville - there's a lot more freedom within that industry to do whatever you want to do.

There's this whole idea that you've got the blues and you're going to write. Bullshit. When I feel really bad, all I want to do is sit in front of the TV with the remote control and check out.

I usually have an idea of how I want a song to sound, but I don't always know how to get there.

I'm going to have my moody times.

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

The perfect man? A poet on a motorcycle.

I'd rather play a few nights at the Fillmore than play one night at an arena.

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

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