Justin Townes Earle Quotes

What I'm doing is basically the same as Bob Dylan did with folk songs and Woody Guthrie songs, the same as folk music's always done. I'm not going to sing about ploughing, but I'll write a song that sounds like it should be about ploughing.

As a southern man, there's two things I'm definitely not scared of: bow ties and white pants.

Nashville's like any other hometown - after a while, it's stifling.

I didn't get into music to become a blues musician, or a country musician. I'm a singer-songwriter. In my book that means I get to do whatever I want.

I didn't do anything differently than what my father was doing. It's a really hard family to rebel in. I could have become an accountant. Or I could have become a Republican.

I discovered the same thing Gram Parsons did, that soul music and country music are practically identical. Based off of the same chord structures, and the songs are of heartache and loss. The main connection is they both came up in church.

There's a certain urgency that comes from the records of the early 60s before overdubbing and multitracking came into play.

I don't think I have any right to say I belong to that [Woody Guthrie/Bob Dylan tradition]. I think that's something that eventually maybe you get inducted into. I'm just experimenting.

You have to live what you write, or you have to know it. There are exceptions, like story songs, where you just have to have your facts straight. But I think you don't have to live a hard life to be a good or interesting songwriter.

I think the best thing an artist can do is not hang out with other artists. I really dislike hanging out with musicians, for the most part, except for a few select friends, because I don't like to talk about music all the time.

There's no such thing as a teenager that listens to a single word their father says.

I always watched movies and rooted for the bad guys, you know? I've always been that kind of guy. I still hold some respect for criminals that are good at their jobs.

On the road, I weigh 168. At home, ten more.

My parents split up when I was about 2. I realize more and more how much I'm like my father. My gentleness comes from my mother.

I think that it's the job of the artist to be in transition and constantly learn more.

I think a lot of men are afraid of pretty things, and I'm not, I like pretty songs.

All my records have been written to be records, rather than writing a group of songs and seeing if they fit together.

I've never been good at rock'n'roll songs, anyway; either I'm blessed or I'm cursed, but whatever I write comes out sounding old.