Quotes from Willie Nelson

I was influenced a lot by those around me - there was a lot of singing that went on in the cotton fields.

I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?

I would like to see more airplay for all artists, no matter what age. I think there's a lot of money being spent toward the young guys, but a lot of the older guys are the ones who blazed the trail for those young guys.

I used to work in the cotton fields a lot when I was young. There were a lot of African Americans working out there. A lot of Mexicans - the blacks and the whites and the Mexicans, all out there singing, and it was like an opera in the cotton fields, and I can still hear it in the music that I write and play today.

I started out really young, when I was four, five, six, writing poems, before I could play an instrument. I was writing about things when I was eight or 10 years old that I hadn't lived long enough to experience. That's why I also believe in reincarnation, that we were put here with ideas to pass around.

I'm a romantic slob!

Inside every cowboy there's a lady who'd love to slip out.

As long as there's a few farmers out there, we'll keep fighting for them.

Don't try to change anybody. And they should let you be yourself, 'You loved me when you met me, so let's keep going!'

A lot of country music is sad. I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times. It applies to music. Three chords and the truth - that's what a country song is. There is a lot of heartache in the world.

All I do is play music and golf - which one do you want me to give up?

If you go to a magic show, you don't want to see logic.

As far as advice goes, an ex-father in law of mine once gave me the best advice I ever heard. He said, "Take my advice and do what you want to." So with that, go on.

But if you think of all the people who don't like me, just think of all the millions who've never heard of me!

There are more serious problems in life than financial ones, and I've had a lot of those. I've been broke before, and will be again. Heartbroke? That's serious. Lose a few bucks? That's not.

The biggest killer on the planet is stress and I still think the best medicine is and always has been cannabis.

I started out writing poems before I figured to put melodies to them and play the guitar. Somewhere, there's a book out there on all those early songs and poems. I hope no one ever finds it. I don't think it's my finest work.

When you hear me, you know it's me, regardless of the song.

Well the country songs themselves are three-chord stories, ballads which are mostly sad. If you are already feeling sorry for yourself when you listen to them they will take you to an even sadder place.

I think most people realize that our problems are our government, not me and you individually, except that we can - must have some sort of responsibility, because they're in there and they were elected, so we have to defend ourselves on those lines.

You could make any song sound creepy if you wanted. It's all about the inflection.

You could try to live monogamously. Good luck.

Anybody can be unhappy. We can all be hurt. You don't have to be poor to need something or somebody. Rednecks, hippies, misfits - we're all the same. Gay or straight? So what? It doesn't matter to me. We have to be concerned about other people, regardless.

What has changed is that nothing has changed... that's what has made me more unhappy than everything else.