It takes more talent to write music, but it takes more courage to write lyrics.

Fools rush in, where wise men never go, But wise men never fall in love, so how are they to know?

Day in, day out. That same old voodoo follows me about.

That old black magic has me in its spell, That old black magic that you weave so well; Icy fingers up and down my spine, The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine.

Once upon a time the world was sweeter than we knew. Everything was ours; how happy we were then, but then once upon a time never comes again.

You got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positiveE-lim-i-nate the negativeAnd latch on to the affirmative.Don't mess with mister inbetween.

Skylark Have you anything to say to me? Won't you tell me where my love can be?

You must write for the waste basket.

Things never are as bad as they seem.

The days of wine and roses laugh and run away like a child at playThrough the meadow land toward a closing doorA door marked "nevermore" that wasn't there before

When the sweet talkin's done, a man is a two face, a worrisome thing who'll leave you to sing the blues in the night.

When life takes away, something of greater value is always given in return.

Words. Borne on the ever swelling current of hatred, like flowers opening in the current, petals peeling back, then falling apart.

I'm an African-American writer, I'm a lazy writer, I'm a writer who likes to watch The Wire, I'm a writer who likes to eat a lot of steak.

I have been as sincere a worshipper of Aurora as the Greeks.

Reading is a stouthearted activity, disporting courage, keenness, stick-to-it-ness.

I don't do nothing I don't want to do.

All improvement happens project by project and in no other way.

For many phenomena, 80% of consequences stem from 20% of the causes.

I was kind of a bully, even though I'm tiny, 5' 2". As a child, I'd boss other kids around and dress my little brother up, just putting on shows, singing and dressing up.

Surely it's time for climate-change deniers to have their opinions forcibly tattooed on their bodies.