Shoes, circa 1979

But I guess it’ s what we all have to go through eventually.

IE: How’ s your own health? And are you married? Have any kids? GK: No, I’ m not married, and my health is pretty decent, I guess, for my age. And no kids. So things could always be better, but hey— that’ s life.

GK: I live on the other side of the border— I live in Wisconsin, but I’ m only 20 minutes away. And that’ s where I’ m from, all of us, but we all live across the border, but we’ re nearby.

IE: What are you singing about on this album? You used to focus on unrequited love, but now it feels more like self-recrimination, like,“ Hey— maybe I was the one to blame!” GK: Yeah. The people who are doing the publicity

for me were trying to get me to verbalize more with some thoughts on the song, which I never felt that comfortable about. I thought,‘ Well, the words should just speak for themselves, I guess.” And when I started writing about songs, it was a different perspective on‘ em, so I would say that lyrically, it used to be much easier to write songs. I think I’ ve improved, and there are times when I might’ ve gone too far with being a little too complicated, much more than necessary, until I’ m kind of losing the focus of what I’ m singing about. But for this one, though, I was really happy with the lyrics in general. This is what I wanted to do,

and it took a long time because that’ s the hardest part for me.

IE:“ Won’ t Quit on You” sounds like it’ s about a current relationship …. GK: You know, it’ s not. And every girlfriend I’ ve had has always asked me,“ Did you write about me?” And“ Is this song about me, or some other girl?” And I always say that I very seldom have written a song that’ s about one specific woman, or a relationship with anybody. It’ s a combination of things, and even one verse might come from a relationship, something specifically that happened. And it’ s not to say that girlfriends