Speaking of great lyrics, what makes a great country lyric?
To me it’s an idea that hasn’t been said before. Saying something in a way that hasn’t really been said before. I really like concrete imagery in songs. I like metaphors that are original and poetic, and not clich. I’ve heard about ten-thousand songs in the last month that start off with the line: “Well, I woke up this morning…” That’s so typical. People think they’re being original sometimes, but from my side of the fence, you realize they don’t know that they’re not really being original. Maybe somebody ought to start one with: “I woke up this evening…” Yeah. (laughter) That’s right.
