Ani DiFranco
Why do you think I write these feminist songs, to try and teach myself to respect myself. You know, it's not because I'm a hero.
Before Katrina, you didn't see criticism of the Bush administration in the media. Here they are, stealing elections, enacting illegal wars, huge crimes against humanity and democracy, and you didn't even see criticism. It wasn't until Katrina that people started to come down on them.
I've been collecting some more high-end guitars. I have an old Martin D28 from the '60s, a beautiful, classic Martin that I know I played on 'Mariachi.'
These days, my main guitar amps have been Magnatone. They're beautiful. Magnatones have actual tremolo, which I recently learned about guitar amps. Often what guitar amps call vibrato is really just a volume Up and Down. But Magnatone has a true vibrato, which is pitch bending. And so, it's just a lush sound.
I've been saying the Occupy Movement has got the ball rolling, and now we need to take the fight to the great indoors!
I don't know if there are artists out there who love their own records. I haven't met any, and I'm kind of extreme in the other direction, but therein lies the impetus to keep working and keep making new songs and new records.
My parents split up when I was young, and I was living with my mom for a little while, then I was kind of just on my own really young. It wasn't some kind of global tragedy, it was just never really a very close-knit family. So there was support in the sense that they didn't stand in my way.
I'm not one of those people who has an act.
I think I'm a very solitary person. To actually not be anonymous is a bit claustrophobic for me.
The stronger I am in my personal life, the more energy I have to look outward, to address my society.
For me, the stronger ground I have in my personal life, then the more will I have to fight the good fight.
When all you can think of is your own personal problems, you have nothing to give to your society. If you're trying to figure out where your next meal is coming from, you can't go march on Washington.
Playing show after show is like my bread and butter.
My political mission is as acute as ever. For me, in addition to kind of looking at the world and trying to engage in my society politically, having the kid around sort of makes me check in with myself. I think you're all busy trying to fix the world, but what about yourself?
I think the gay community should get smart and drop the word 'marriage.' Do you really need to change every right-wing Christian to make sure you get your equal rights? Eyes on the prize, we should be sticking to getting equal rights.
Feminism is not only for women It's something everyone can participate in, and evolve together, as the first step in the right direction. I see feminism as a tool to achieve that balance and peace.
I had a little bit of resistance to the idea of taking energy away from my work, and the baby comes along and, lo and behold, that's exactly what happens.
I did a lot of work with myself over the course of being pregnant and the first few months of being pregnant. It's nice, the pace of being pregnant; it gives you a long time to not just germinate a baby but germinate the mother that you're gonna be.
Music has as many roles as people make it.
I do believe that music has an intense power to connect us together, to inspire us to become ourselves.
It can be very frustrating and very deflating to be constantly defined and described by other people, so I've stopped reading anything written about me, and I find it much healthier. I just sort of concentrate on what I do and don't worry too much about that.
I don't hate being compared with female musicians. I don't mind that at all. I have no problem with seeing connections between women's work.
One of my rules is: Never TRY to do anything. Just do it.Collection: Motivational
Emptiness has its solace in that there's nothing left to take.Collection: Sadness
But in the garden of simple, where all of us are nameless, you were never anything but beautiful to me.Collection: Romantic
Those who call the shots are never in the line of fire.Collection: Fire
If you don't ask the right question, every answer seems wrong -Collection: Inspiring
We are taught to view pain as an enemy, not a teacher. But pain is the right hand of growth and transformation. Pain is in the history of all human wisdom.Collection: Teacher
What doesn't bend, breaks.Collection: Insanity
I will not be afraid to let my talent shine.Collection: Shining
The world owes us nothing; we owe each other the world.Collection: World
The windows of my soul are made of one-way glass, don't bother looking into my eyes if there's something you want to know, just askCollection: Eye
I walk like I'm on a mission 'cause that's the way I groove. I got more and more to do and less and less to prove.Collection: Way
I am not a pretty girl. I don't want to be a pretty girl. No, I want to be more than a pretty girl.Collection: Girl
There's a paradox in every paradigm.Collection: Paradox
If you want to challenge the system, don't go to bed with it.Collection: Guitar
Self-Preservation is a full-time occupation.Collection: Self
I envy your ignorance, I hear that it's bliss.Collection: Education
Privilege is a headache, that you don't know that you don't have.Collection: Privilege
We are wise, wise women. We are giggling girls.Collection: Girl
We barely have time to react in this world, let alone rehearse.Collection: Time
We're led by denial like lambs to slaughter, serving empires of style and carbonated sugar water.Collection: Art
The way I play guitar is very, very hard and I bloody myself incredibly without the tape. And the nails are my picks.Collection: Bloody
How come I can pick my ears but not my nose?Collection: Noses
We have to really be intentional right now about holding the media accountable, and taking back the discourse and terms of discussion. It's been hijacked.Collection: Media
Then I show up steady ready and proud and I find I've forgotten how to talk out loud. Isn't it just like you to bring me to my knees?Collection: Fall
People talk about my image like I come in two dimensions, like lipstick is a sign of my declining mind, like what I happen to be wearing the day that someone takes my picture is my new statement for all womankind.Collection: Two
My life may not be something special But it's never been lived before.Collection: Special