I was mainly influenced by the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, and others like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash.

- Iris Dement

I don't know what other people are like, I haven't been able to crawl inside anybody else.

- Iris Dement

For a long time I was interested in being a social worker. In a lot of ways I feel that that's all my music is, trying to help people.

- Iris Dement

I honestly don't listen to a lot of music - I spend so much time working at my own music.

- Iris Dement

I've always been aware of having feelings that were pretty intense at times. I imagine most people have had that, or they wouldn't be human.

- Iris Dement

And I've been walking 'round with memories way too long.

- Iris Dement

We got CEOs making 200 times the worker's pay, but they'll fight like hell against raising the minimum wage.

- Iris Dement

I've always written about things that cause me to feel something.

- Iris Dement

This is how it has been since time began: If you want to make something really worthwhile and true, then you have to suffer for it.

- Iris Dement