I don't care how good a song is - if it holds back the storyline, stalls the plot, your audience will reject it.

A song must move the story ahead. A song must take the place of dialogue. If a song halts the show, pushes it back, stalls it, the audience won't buy it; they'll be unhappy.

If you don't have a story that will hold the audience, you won't have a successful show.

A rhyme doesn't make a song.

I began to be impressed by what made a good book-how you needed to have a sensible story, a plot that developed, with a beginning, a middle, and an end that would tie everything together.

A song just doesn't come on. I've always had to tease it out, squeeze it out.