Waylon Jennings Quotes

I feel quite sad for the young musicians coming up because they may never get to pay their rent properly. It doesn't matter what the genre; nowadays, it's so much harder than it ever was.

A lot of musicians aren't proud; they'll do other work, just to be able to play music. I guess that's the way it's always going to be - musicians will have to suffer to a certain degree in order to obtain their outlet.

For years the Trio did nothing but play for musicians and other hip people. We practically starved to death.

We didn't sell a lot of records, but somehow we left an impression.

I think it's just an awkward time right now to be a musician.

I cling to the idea that Herman Melville had to work at the end of his career watching ships in a dock, as a shipping agent in New York. Any writer who thinks they should be given patronage because of their gift... you don't have to look too far in history to see that's just not the case.

That's like one of the things - you know, being a writer, it's not just like they're constantly like giving you jobs and shows. There was some lean years, man, and - well, a lean year and a half. 'Woe is me.' Right?

Who could be more desperate than filmmakers?

The music business can be very cold. And it doesn't honor its elders.

At my second record label, they told me and other female artists that some of us were going on the chopping block. I was 19... and it was devastating.

For a young artist to really make it and make money is a lot more difficult these days.

I just couldn't get anyone to sing my songs, so I had to sing my own tunes.

I talk to all the creative directors today, and they take me aside, and they say, 'You know, it must have been great back in those days when you could do anything you wanted.' I say, 'Huh? Excuse me?' I mean, we fought. In the '60s and '70s, you fought wars with clients, and you have to continue fighting wars to do great work.

A lot of my friends are struggling musicians. Being a struggling actor, it's just frustrating because you're not allowed to do what you want to do.

A lot of poets too live on the margins of social acceptance, they certainly aren't in it for the money. William Blake - only his first book was legitimately published.

Why does Israel always have to suffer for others to feel bad for it?

There was a long time where I was an 'artist' in quotes, who had no money. But I guess back then I also never had a girlfriend.

I talk to people who are musicians, and they go, Oh this is hell. And I go, Are you kidding me? You never put tar paper on a roof, did ya?

I am very, very clear on how difficult it is for a young kid out there to go into the arts without taking a lot of heat from his peers.

In any case, Ives encouraged me to go into music even though he himself had such a hard time being a composer.

I think that when you decide to dedicate yourself to creative endeavors and surround yourself with people who are creative, you very quickly learn how hard it is to survive doing those kinds of things, not to mention make a living at them.

I chose to deal with the underdogs on '1 Train.' I could've got the biggest superstars in the rap game, but why do that when you can let the young boys shine?

I hear so many of the young people today sing and I think they have a good voice, yet I wonder if they'll ever know that they sound alike.

People don't realize who this band is always been because we're so young, and it's hard to get over that stigma.

The art world can be very intimidating because it's just so vast. You talk to people who are really clued in to all the young artists and coming into it you're never going to be able to catch up immediately, even though there's pressure to.