on meaning
“the world don’t need anymore songs. there’s enough songs. unless someone’s gonna come along with a pure heart and has something to say. that’s a different story.”
on perspective
“that’s another way of writing a song, of course. just talking to somebody that ain’t there. that’s the best way. that’s the truest way.”
on a place to write
“the environment to write the song is extremely important. it has to bring something out in me that wants to be brought out. it’s a contemplative, reflective thing.”
on getting out of the way
“creativity is not like a freight train going down the tracks. it’s something that has to be caressed and treated with a great deal of respect… you’ve got to program your brain not to think too much.”
on time of day
“a lot of the songs were written after the sun went down. and i like storms, i like to stay up during a storm.”
on structure
“once the architecture is in place, a song can be done in an endless amount of ways.”
on listening
“sometimes i’ll go out & say, ‘whatever else i do today, i’m going to write down all the lines that seem interesting to me.’ either that i think of or that i overhear.”
on being an artist
“they say, ‘dylan never talks’. what the hell is there to say? that’s not the reason an artist is in front of people.”
on writing
“writing any kind of book is a lonely thing. you cut yourself off from friends & family to find that necessarily quiet place in your mind.”
on what comes out
“this is how i feel? why do i feel like that? and who’s the me that feels this way? i couldn’t tell you that either.”
on artistic risk
“it becomes risky. i mean, you risk you life to play music, if you’re doing it the right way.”
on intention
“let’s face it, you’re either serious about what you’re doing or you’re not serious about what you’re doing. and you can’t mix the two. and life is short.”
on learning from others
“if you like someone’s work, the important thing is to be exposed to everything that person has been exposed to.”
on inspiration
“it’s like a ghost is writing a song like that. it gives you the song and it goes away. you don’t know what it means. except the ghost picked me to write the song.”
on performing
“some songs are better written in peace and quiet & delivered in turmoil. others are best written in turmoil & delivered in a peaceful, quiet way.”
a commonplace book of no interest 