"My identity was a big issue when I was a teenager, and I had a lot of questions, like: 'Who am I?' 'Who do I belong to?' But when I was still quite young, I decided that belonging is a tough process in life, and I'd better say I belonged to myself and the world rather than belonging to one nationality or another."

"Laughter is a way of really letting out all this pressure that you could face in your daily life in the suffering of your people, and comedy is almost like a medicine to your soul in a way."

"I don't think any artist, before they go on writing or painting or creating a music piece or whatever, think, 'Oh people would like it, people would not like it.' Of course it is in the back of your mind because you respect your audience and you want them to connect with what you're doing. Liking or not liking, it's just too superficial, you know?"

"Simple things don't interest me."

"I'm from Iowa, we don't know what cool is!"

"I think I had kind of an advantage. When I was growing up, my dad had just got out of jail and he had a great record collection. He had - it was all - these were the songs. So I heard a lot of these songs, like, my whole life, so for me it was easy. I already knew what I was going to sing."

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."

"Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and numbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy."