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Songwriters tell the truth.

It's true when they say songwriting is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. In truth, what happens is... songs comes through you.

Songs are about just being totally honest and putting those words to music.

One of the greatest tools you have as a songwriter is anonymity. If someone knows too much about the songwriter, they don't get to insert their own characters. I don't want the audience thinking about the gay guy who wrote the song.

If you're writing anything decent, it's in you, it's your spirit coming out. If it's not an expression of how a person genuinely feels, then it's not a good song done with any conviction.

Nothing can stop a great song, so just keep songwriting.

It always seemed much better to be a writer - a Real Writer - than a successful hack.

I've never written a song in my life. It's all a big hoax.

Songs are not better just because they're emotionally honest. To write a song well, you have to put some work into it and grind it out.

The best songwriting comes from being as creative as you can and editing it down to the good bits, essentially.