Quotes

How well I have learned that there is no fence to sit on between heaven and hell. There is a deep, wide gulf, a chasm, and in that chasm is no place for any man.

I am not a Christian artist, I am an artist who is a Christian.

I did not vote for Mr. Bush [President George W. Bush]. Let's leave it at that.

[in acknowledgment of his similarity to today's "gangsta" rappers] I wouldn't let anybody influence me into thinking I was doing the wrong thing by singing about death, hell and drugs. Beause I've always done that, and I always will.

I learn from my mistakes. It's a very painful way to learn, but without pain, the old saying is, there's no gain.

[in 2002, on his beloved brother Jack, who died in 1943 when Johnny was 11] There's never been two months gone by that I haven't dreamed about him. He's tried to help turn me to the way of life.

You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.

You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way.

After about three lessons the voice teacher said, "Don't take voice lessons. Do it your way".

You've got a song you're singing from your gut, you want that audience to feel it in their gut. And you've got to make them think that you're one of them sitting out there with them too. They've got to be able to relate to what you're doing.

Success is having to worry about every damn thing in the world, except money.

Ain't nothin' too weird for me. People call me wild. Not really though, I'm not.I guess I've never been normal, not what you call Establishment. I'm country.

[on performing at Folsom Prison] A prison audience is the most exciting in the world. The men are with you, feeding you every second, Maybe because they need you so bad...I gave them a stiff shot of realism, singing about the things they talk about, the outside, shooting, escaping, girl friends, and coming to the end. They knew it was for them. Just them and me.

I kept thinking I could have been down there listening with the prisoners. Only been in jail twice, and just overnight, but you don't need much to see what it's like. Both times it was for pills, dexedrine. Second time I woke up in a Georgia jail not knowing how I got there. Could've ended up on a chain gang, but the jailer was a fan of mine and he let me go.

Sooner or later God'll cut you down.