Billy Ray Cyrus Quotes

It reset and mended my freshly damaged and distorted view of life, and made me recognize that this thing we call music, this primal expression that we reshape and refine and define ourselves with, is the gift I was given. The ability to communicate what others feel but cannot fully express, the passing down and around of songs and stories, from Pete Townshend to Joey Ramone to me, to the audiences who take the time and effort to support our work and give us a way to support ourselves -- I'm thinking this is what I am supposed to be doing.

When I started making music, I was like, 'This is something I can believe I was meant to do.'

Music gives us new energy and a stronger sense of purpose.

Music isn't what I do. It's who I am.

I don't just write hits for myself, or for other artists, or to just be writing it. I write it because I was born to do this. I was given this gift, and I'm making the most of my opportunity.

It may sound corny and cliche, but there was a time - and there are still times even today - when I feel lost or confused, and I question if I'm doing the right things. Then I look at my fans, and I listen to music, and I'm reminded that this is my destiny.

I can honestly say my music is always going to be greater than my business side. Because I'm naturally a musician. And I don't have to get paid, I don't even have to have businesses. Business is business. And music is life.

I can't speak for everybody, I think, for me, I will not be defined by the lyrics of my song. I am a man who does music. It's like clothes don't make the man, the man makes the clothes. It's, it's like that song don't make me, I make the song.

I don't necessarily do anything just for the money. I do it for the passion and I do it for the love, because I'm still hungry. So if I want to do music, it's not necessarily motivated because of monetary value. It's more about the passion and the love, and I think that's where music should come from, the heart, not necessarily just to cash a check.

All I know is when I start getting serious about songwriting... it's like a playground. All responsibilities slip away and you're with your essence. There can be delight there and self-discovery. You can dance there... I think of it as my serious playground.

When I'm writing, I know I'm doing the thing I was born to do.

I called record Prism because I actually finally let the light in and then I was able to create all these songs that were inspired by letting the Light in and doing some self-reflection and just kind of working on myself.

Yeah, you know, I performed occasionally. I was in such despair because I just - if I didn't have my music to connect with, I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to be doing. There was never a 'B' plan here; it was just this. So it took me a long time to find my way.

Music has always been my back door to life. It is important for people to find something that excites them. I like the concept that if you do what excites you, you will be rewarded generously, whatever form reward takes, which is not necessarily money.

I write songs, and I sing them. I never formulated a plan; I can't tell anyone else how to do this. But it feels right, so I just kind of enjoy it and get on with it.

If I walk away from music, I walk away from myself.

What I do and what I dream include thee, as the wine must taste of its own grapes.

Music, even if I ended up doing something different or do end up doing something different in the long run, it's just something that is life blood. If I'm not participating in some way, I feel like I'm wasting my time.

Motivation is just this potion to create stuff, a compulsion to express the truth of my own experiences in this life.

I went through a struggle, and I really needed to get myself together and connect with my purpose, which is music.

I think creating of any sort, whatever line you're in, is paramount - you can be an architect, you can be a banker, you can be anything - I think that when you create, you're closest to God and yourself.

Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.

I love to go to the studio and stay there 10 or 12 hours a day. I love it. What is it? I don't know. It's life.

To write, you need to find what you love.

I didn't have nothin' going for me... school, home... until I found something I loved, which was music, and that changed everything.