My life has run from misery to happiness. 
When all those city folks try to fix up my talking, all they do is mess me up. 
Why leave the nut you got for one you don't know? 
When I'd tell people I like country music they'd get this look on their faces. People were kind of ashamed of country. 
I refuse to be pushed around anymore. 
Sometimes I think our problems are made worse by the kind of business we're in. Playing these road shows is a weird experience. 
I think Charley Pride has been one of the best things to happen to country music, to prove it belongs to everybody. 
I loved being outside. We'd hold lightning bugs in our fingers and pretend they were diamond rings. 
You can't be halfway in this business. If you don't meet the fans, you lose all you've got. 
You're the reason our kids are ugly. 
You get used to sadness, growing up in the mountains, I guess. 
I'm not a big fan of Women's Liberation, but maybe it will help women stand up for the respect they're due. 
I'm proud of being part Cherokee, and I think it's time all us Indians felt the same way. 
I never rode in an automobile until I was 12. 
I'm trying to lead a good Christian life, so there ain't too much spicy to tell about me. 
You either have to be first, best, or different. 
Do the best you can with yourself and hope for the best. 
I've always been full of nervous energy, but I'm not really as happy as I seem. 
Write about the truth. If you write about the truth, somebody's living that. Not just somebody, there's a lot of people. 
You have to be the first, best or different. 
I believe in education and wish I had a better one. 
We used to go around tipping outhouses over, or turning over corn shocks on Halloween. Anything to be mean. 
I avoid going through places where there's too much poverty. 
I've seen things, and that's almost the same as doing them. 
Well, shoot, I don't believe in double standards, where men can get away with things that women can't. In God's eyes, there's no double standard. 
Being on stage is the best part of my career. I just say whatever comes into my head. It's the only time I feel grown-up and in control of things. 
I never knew any Jews until I got into show business. I've found them to be real smart and good workers. 
Because Olivia Newton-John wasn't from Nashville, they didn't like her winning our awards. I've got no complaints. 
When I first came to Nashville, people hardly gave country music any respect. We lived in old cars and dirty hotels, and we ate when we could. 
I wouldn't have dared ask God for all that He's given me. I couldn't have done it on my own. I thank God every day for what I have. 
I'd love to work more with the American Indians, my people. 
I won all the blue ribbons for canning at the state fair. 
In the long run, you make your own luck - good, bad, or indifferent. 
Really, I don't know what I'd do with myself if I retire. Wash dishes? 
I've been around a long time, and life still has a whole lot of surprises for me. 
Nobody's perfect. The only one that ever was, was crucified. 
I try to visit people in hospitals when I can, smiling and joking while I'm there. But when I leave, I just start crying. 
I'd love to travel to the Holy Land. 
I think I reach people because I'm with them, not apart from them. 
Growing up in eastern Kentucky like I did, I'm used to having a few guns around to protect me. 
How do you measure your value? 
I've been married to the same man for all this time. The way we fight sometimes, you can tell. 
I don't go to church regular. But I pray for answers to my problems. 
Daddy was real gentle with kids. That's why I expected so much out of marriage, figuring that all men should be steady and pleasant. 
Mommy smoked but she didn't want us to. She saw smoke coming out of the barn one time, so we got whipped. 