Jason Isbell Quotes

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Jason Isbell

Profession : Musician

Birth : February 1, 1979

At the end of the day, I'm just trying to write a song that I like, that I'm not afraid to turn loose on the world. I do read a lot. I know a lot of people who read more, but I do try to keep a book in my hand most of the time, and I think that informs any kind of output that I'm going to have.

Jason Isbell

I like those kinds of songs that have details that you remember and that have stories that mean something and that open up into different levels philosophically. I like those kinds of movies, and I like those kinds of books.

Jason Isbell

When I stopped drinking... there were so many things I had to face that I didn't even realize were part of my makeup before. When you do that and have any changes that severe, you lose a lot of things, both good and bad.

Jason Isbell

An incredible number of people have raised children who aren't too screwed up. Surely, I won't be the worst at it.

Jason Isbell

I think I'm a common man for the most part, but I don't work as hard as most people that I know.

Jason Isbell

The idea of growing up in the South and being a man is an interesting thing; there's a lot masculinity involved, with hunting, fishing, and playing sports that rural people take pride in, but at the same time, I grew up really not wanting to hate anybody.

Jason Isbell

Sometimes a song becomes rhetoric, but you have to really empathise. You also have to leave room for both sides of the argument: even if you're not telling the other side, you have to put that part in parentheses and make sure it's understood.

Jason Isbell

I spend a lot of time wondering how to best support the people that I love, because I think sometimes that means getting out of the way. When should I leave them alone to have their own life?

Jason Isbell

I've dealt with a lot of physical pain, with a lot of emotional pain; anybody's who's ever been an alcoholic has handled both of those in extreme.

Jason Isbell

I like a cliche if it's sort of turned on its head.

Jason Isbell

As you get up in your thirties, the van touring is not a possibility anymore. We can't all be Mike Watt.

Jason Isbell

I don't believe all music is good. I believe some music is bad for people to listen to. I think it makes their taste worse, I think it makes their lives worse, I think it makes them worse people.

Jason Isbell

When I joined the Truckers, I was 21 and riding in the van with guys who were a generation older than me.

Jason Isbell

I go to the movies a lot on off days. I exercise. I have routines that I go by.

Jason Isbell

When somebody asks me what a song or a line is about, I feel like I'm not done writing it yet.

Jason Isbell

You don't have any kind of control ultimately. Things are just going to happen as they will. And I think your best option sometimes is just to react rather than try to plan everything out in advance.

Jason Isbell

The good thing about songwriting is you don't have to delineate between what's true and what's fiction; records aren't put on the shelf that way. Books are, movies are, but records aren't.

Jason Isbell

Good sounds, they just make you feel good.

Jason Isbell

I don't remember a lot of the good times from my days with the Truckers.

Jason Isbell

My dad, as much as I love him, has one of those signs - 'The Isbell's' - on his front door, and he's got the damn apostrophe in there. I haven't strangled him yet.

Jason Isbell