I guess, from the time I was little, if something bother's me, it bothers me for a long time until I find a way to work it out. Music came along and provided me with a means of working things out. Prior to that I would sometimes sit and write little stories, when I would feel like I was going nuts. So I guess the reason I write is something that has always been with me since I was a little kid. I think that to some degree or another, everybody has that feeling and gets to the brink sometimes.
Some people just do it more than others.
People from many different backgrounds are profoundly moved by your songs. Yeah, I'm always surprised. But at the same time, when I stop and think about it I realize that I probably shouldn't be surprised, because the things that I am talking about in my songs are just everyday human things. The things that I experience, that I'm thinking about, aren't very different from what anybody else is experiencing. It doesn't have very much to do with where I grew up or where you grew up, or how many kids are in my family versus how many kids are in yours, or how rich or poor we were.