This is the collaborative effort from the DWOP thread on the top questions we'd love to have answers to from David. The point is to ask nothing personal or repetitive and definitely not to draw attention to ourselves. Its all about the music and what we'd love to learn more about.

1. You mention about having a hand in the art direction on the record, which parts of it did you design?

2. We know you keep a lyric journal, and you've mentioned having a melody-line in your head--what is your song-writing process like? Do you feel like you are writing the songs, or are they coming to you from the ether? Are you the creator or the conduit?

3. You started college as a theater major and switched to graphic design, why?

5. Come Back to Me is the only other song on the album you don't have writing credit for, how did you come to that song and how did it end up on the record?

7. Can you explain if there is any significance to the order of the songs on the record?

8. If you could play a show anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

9. Your own musical favorites seem to lean alternative. How do you feel this influences your music and how are you able to develop your own sound independent of the music you tend to listen to?

11. How do you decide which songs you'll play guitar on and which you don't? Are the decisions based more on musical or visual reasons?

12. OK, there's this current kind of snotty trend with music critics dissing "flyover state" rock. Granted those folks are douchebags. But in fact a lot of great rock these days comes out of bands from the MidWest. Are there reasons why a band might be better off in a small city vs LA and NYC? Why do you think that Kansas City and Tulsa nurture good music?

14. On Idol, did you ever sit around thinking of songs it would be totally awesome to do, even though it would truly get you kicked off Idol? How tempted were you?

15. Who would you secretly like to duet with even though it might be a disaster of epic proportions?

16. In interviews you seem very genial, but in your songwriting (Lie and Kiss on the Neck from this album, Makeover or Searchlights from Analog Heart) and in the songs you picked on the show, you often seem to tackle the darker, difficult side of relationships: jealousy, depression, loss of self, anger--discuss.

17. Vampires vs. zombies, who would win?

18. Which song on the record was the most difficult to write and/or record why?

19. Given the emotionality, and the almost sacred nature of the song Permanent, were you worried that it will lose its impact when you sing it live?

20. If Ben & Jerry's were to name a new flavor after you, what would it be called?

21. Do you have an affinity for bacon and more importantly do you have any idea why I'm asking?

22. In David Cook the movie, who would play you?

23. In the collaborative writing process -- how does it work? Are you open to having your lyrics edited? Do you both work on melody and verse?

24. When you said you have to bare your soul to your producer is that because you have to explain why a song works for you to defend your point of view on the recording or is there another reason?

25. When you co-write, describe how it works. Do you only do the lyrics, with the other person doing the tune? Or do you help with the tune? If they write the tune, do you then work out details of instrumentals, harmonies, etc.? Or do they provide all of that?

26. You were rumored to be doing The Guess Who's American Woman on AI at one point, but did not. Why not?

28. Is there a songwriter that you haven’t yet worked with whose brain you’d like to pick about the songwriting process or that you’d like to write a song with?

29. Have you been approached about writing songs for a movie, or including one of your previously released songs in a soundtrack?

30. Any plans to get Andrew a recording contract or, in his words, “Ashley Simpson” him into the mainstream consciousness?

31. How much of your performance is acting and how much is just singin'. Do some songs require more of a theatrical approach, BJ vs oh, LOTM comes to mind, since I can't even watch it, it's so good. Or do all of them require a certain level of acting?

32. How do you feel about the extensive use of AutoTune in recordings now, and was it used on DCTR?

33. In addition to all the other dramatic changes in your life, you're also suddenly a boss and the hub of a big business enterprise. What's that been like for you?

34. Is there any significance to the 4:20 reading on the clock in the Come Back to Me video?

35. Do you feel like you have had to split your personality in two...one public face and another private face? Or do you think you project the same persona in both public and private moments? Put another way, is there a DAVID COOK entity that you have to put on for public appearances and can take off when you're not in public anymore? If so, does it make you feel kinda schizophrenic? Or do you feel like you're the same guy all the time?

36. What do you sing to yourself tooling around his house going about daily life. Does you sing your own, or someone else's?

37. What are the plans to do with the other songs that were written for DCTR but didn't make the cut. Are you planning to use any of them on the next record?

38. Do you know how many total downloads you sold while on Idol? Any chance you'd divulge that figure?

39. You've mentioned your favorite team in just about every sport but one. Do you have a favorite hockey team?

40. Is there a possibility that you would write with Jeff Shrout again?

41. Would you consider performing any Axium songs in concert?

42. Regarding the LO video, you said that Isham had you doing stuff you didn't know you could do. Like what?

43. What is one question that you are surprised that nobody has asked you? What is one question that you have been wanting somebody to ask you?

44.What do you consider to be the most personally rewarding aspect of your new record?

45. You've mentioned the concept of progression many times in the past few months...what, most directly, is your new record a progression from? Analog Heart, your unreleased second album, The Time of My Life?

46. Compared to pretty much everything out there right now, your lyrics strike me as very intelligent and insightful. Is there any special approach to songwriting that you take that allows you to be so articulate while still managing to write a catchy lyric?

47. What did Andy and Neal say when they found out you were going to be on American Idol?

48. Do you play fantasy sports? Any success stories?

49. How has A Daily Anthem progressed from its first version on your unreleased record to the version on your current record?

50. What do you think about while performing?

Edited on 5.17.09 to add new questions and remove answered ones. Yes, I know there are numbers missing.