Like Shakespeare, I too am often occupied with the pursuit of my creative endeavors and dealing with all aspects of life's mundane matters. "Who are the best musicians for these songs?" "Am I recording in the right studio?" "Is this song in the right key?" Some things never change, even in 400 years. Not once have I ever had the time to ask myself, "Are my songs literature?" So, I do thank the Swedish Academy, both for taking the time to consider that very question, and, ultimately, for providing such a wonderful answer.

What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculties! In form and moving, how express and admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world! The paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?

Wherever you go, man-made things are man-made, but you've got to get out and see God's beauty of the world.

It is hard to sneak a look at God's cards. But that he would choose to play dice with the world ... is something I cannot believe for a single moment.

In literature the ambition of the novice is to acquire the literary language; the struggle of the adept is to get rid of it.

Believe in yourself and don't let nobody stopping you from doing what you gotta do, you gotta have faith. If you can't find faith in the world, find faith in God, find faith in yourself but you gotta have faith.