“I was one of those guys, you know, playing and singing, and there was no reason for me to write a song, because there were so many beautiful songs out. And Bob Dylan was always the ultimate songwriter, and nobody could ever write a song as good as him, and nobody ever has written a song as good as him.”

American singer-songwriter

John Mellencamp is an American singer-songwriter, born in 1951. Earlier in his career, he performed under the names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp. He is known for heartland rock, a style built around traditional instrumentation and straightforward songwriting. His career was later recognized with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.