"I've written good songs, bad songs, mediocre songs, great songs. I suppose Ralph Gleason (music critic) was the first one to tell me I'm a great songwriter. ... The song's got to be there in the first place. A great song can be either enhanced or destroyed by the production. The juxtaposition of a fine poem with a good arrangement and good musicianship with a good mood--a good paradoxical mood, like a blues to a very happy track. That makes a good record. ... I sit down and start playing the guitar. If nothing comes I put it down. If something comes I pursue it until I get bored. I know better than to force it. ... Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. Albert Camus said any author who will not rewrite is not doing his job. Talent without discipline is worthless. ... A lot of people write very insipid songs that turn out to be enormous hits. ... The feel is first. My phraseology comes naturally and I don't mess with it. Sometimes I'll do something clever, but I try not to be clever just to be clever--that would be contrived. ... Sometimes a guitar lick will set up a song; a line will set up a song; a chorus will set up a song; an idea will set up a song. I'm not a formula writer. I'll find myself doing an ABAB just for the symmetry of it. ... If I've got too many verses, I'll cut out two verses and then take the meaning of the song and condense it. ... I damn well try to make my collaborator happy. I'm wide open for whatever I get hit with from him, but in case of a tie, the final analysis is mine."

Stephen Stills