When you get a song placed with two of the top stars in the world, like Rihanna and Eminem, especially as a new writer, they're gonna take a huge chunk of your publishing. That's just the way the business is. I'm not complaining.
Songwriters, you have to work - you have to wait for residuals. You have to pray that the song's going to be a hit. And then a year later, you might get a check.
After a song comes out, it doesn't remain yours.
I'm delighted about the track's success in the sports world, but the frustrating thing is, I don't think I got rich on it. The labels and publishers did very cheap deals on our songs.
The comedians all finished their acts with a song. They would get a certain amount of money from the song publishers and would use that money to pay the writers. None of them paid very much for their comedy material, but it all added up.
I would make far more money if every song were my own, but I don't write to fill up the album with my songs.
I don't want to have to talk to a lawyer if I want to jam with someone or if I want to sing on someone's album.
There's not one Tin Pan Alley song on my record.
I rarely have any contact with the artists who cover my songs.
I'm singing the music publisher's theme song - it ain't a commercial.
Our first manager really pushed that we not sell our publishing rights, which is one of the earliest things an artist will do: They'll sell in order to get a cash advance.
With Joe Walsh, that was kind of random. I'd written 'Hi-Roller Baby' for myself while I was at Island/Def Jam; literally, four years later, it got cut. Songs can be around for a long time.
I have a 200-song catalogue in the streets and I never got any money off that.
