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Conor Oberst

Conor Oberst Quotes

Singer-songwriter

Conor Oberst, born on February 15, 1980, in Omaha, Nebraska, is a talented singer-songwriter known for his unique musical style and profound lyrics. He is a prominent figure in the independent music scene and has gained recognition for his contributions to the industry.

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All Thinking People Ifs Song Ideas Knows Kind Feels World I Can Mean Writing Trying Want Way Wells Eye Band Believe Giving

Famous Conor Oberst Quotes

“People resist change; if they like something, then they want you to keep doing it over and over - but I think if you like what a particular band or artist does, then you should want to see what they're going to do next.”

People Ifs Thinking Want Should Doe Artist Next Particular Band Like Something

Author:Conor Oberst

“And me I'm in my bedroom drawing in my notebook Because my hand thinks I'm an artist But my heart knows I'm a poet It's just words they mean so little to me.”

Thinking Knows Heart Mean Littles Hands Artist Poet My Heart Drawing Bedroom Notebook

Author:Conor Oberst

“I think it is more like a ghost that has been following us both. Something vague that we're not seeing, something more like a feeling.”

Thinking Has Beens Feelings Seeing Following Ghost Vague

Author:Conor Oberst

“I'd rather be working for a paycheck, than waiting to win the lottery. Besides, maybe this time it's different, I mean, I really think you like me.”

Thinking Mean Different Winning Waiting Like Me Lottery Paychecks

Author:Conor Oberst

“And I never thought this life was possible,You're the yellow bird that I've been waiting for. In polaroids you were dressed in women's clothes Were you made ashamed, why'd you lock them in a drawer? Well, I don't think that I ever loved you more Well let the poets cry themselves to sleep And all their tearful words will turn back into steam The sound of loneliness makes me happier.”

Thinking Wells Made Turns Waiting Sound Sleep Loneliness Cry Poet Clothes Bird This Life Ashamed Yellow Locks Steam Drawers Polaroids

Author:Conor Oberst

“Since the songs were written over a five-year period, I think these are little snapshots. Some people call it political or topical, but I think each song is self-contained. I think it fits together as a picture of the last half-decade of time.”

People Thinking Years Littles Self Together Lasts Political Song Half Five Written Periods Fit Decades Five Years Snapshots Self Contained

Author:Conor Oberst

“Maybe there's a different story when it comes to hip-hop or different genres, but as far as rock music goes, I think there is a sort of fear of saying things people might be apt to criticize. Our band is the opposite of that.”

People Thinking Different Stories Might Rocks Band Opposites Hip Hop Hips Genre Hops Criticize Rock Music Different Genres

Author:Conor Oberst

“Hip-hop music has done a very good job of maintaining the political context, where they stand and not giving a sh-t what people think.”

People Thinking Giving Done Jobs Political Very Good Hip Hop Hips Hops Good Job Maintaining Hip Hop Music

Author:Conor Oberst

“My feeling is that I think writers in general tend to be self-conscious and it takes a bit of a leap of faith or just not giving a sh-t to write something you know people are going to criticize.”

People Thinking Knows Giving Writing Self Feelings Bits Conscious Criticize Leap Self Conscious Leap Of Faith

Author:Conor Oberst

“I think that hip-hop is more of an individual effort. That means you're an artist from the streets, they expect you to rap about the streets, because that's what happens there.”

Thinking Mean Happens Artist Individual Effort Streets Hip Hop Rap Hips Hops Individual Effort

Author:Conor Oberst

“I think there's a weird self-affirmation thing that happens in popular music in general. It seems like every song I hear on the radio is like, "Listen to me roar!" or "This is my fight song!"”

Thinking Self Seems Happens Song Fighting Radio Affirmation Listen To Me Popular Music Self Affirmation

Author:Conor Oberst

“I think our music is more about seeing ourselves in each other and trying to find a more humanistic viewpoint for the world.”

Thinking World Trying Seeing Music Is Viewpoints Humanistic

Author:Conor Oberst

“I try not to think about the idea of reaching more and more people, because once you get in that mindset, I think you lose the point of why you're doing it in the first place. Still, the best feeling I ever get is when I finish a song, and it exists, and it didn't exist before, and now it's there, and it makes me feel a certain way.”

People Thinking Way Feels Trying Firsts Stills Ideas Feelings Certain Song Loses Mindset Reaching Before And Now

Author:Conor Oberst

“In a way, to have whatever people talk about as "crossover success," I think it means you start making bad music. I mean, when I'm flipping through the channels and see the VMAs or something, I don't really see any music there.”

People Thinking Way Mean Crossover Bad Music

Author:Conor Oberst

“I've given up trying to understand what people think about me.”

People Thinking Trying Given Given Up

Author:Conor Oberst

“I do think that music has a special ability to get behind enemy lines and win hearts and minds.”

Thinking Mind Heart Winning Lines Ability Behinds Enemy Special Heart And Mind

Author:Conor Oberst

“Rastafarianism and reggae music have always kind of resonated with me. Those ideas of redemption, liberation and overcoming oppression through music, weed and community. Fighting evil through love and music, I think it's just a really powerful idea.”

Thinking Kind Ideas Fighting Evil Community Powerful Overcoming Oppression Redemption Liberation Weed Reggae Really Powerful Reggae Music Music And Love Fighting Evil

Author:Conor Oberst

“I think different musical collaborators bring out different qualities in my songs and I like that.”

Thinking Different Song Quality Musical Collaborators Think Different

Author:Conor Oberst

“The idea of forever is kind of ridiculous, which is unfortunate because its kind of a nice thing to say, you know. I think it softens the blow of mortality and having to say goodbye to everything you know and everyone you love and all that kind of thing.”

Thinking Knows Kind Ideas Forever Nice Blow Ridiculous Goodbye Mortality Unfortunate Saying Goodbye Nice Things One You Love

Author:Conor Oberst

“I think in a lot of ways unconditional love is a myth. My mom's the only reason I know it's a real thing.”

Thinking Knows Way Real Reason Love Is Mom My Mom Myth Unconditional Love Unconditional Real Things

Author:Conor Oberst

“I think that obviously the quest for purpose, or meaning, or understanding to existence is something that I always think about, always deal with. I guess everybody does - that existential crisis of human condition. It's nothing new. But I'd love to come across something that really made me believe in something.”

Thinking Believe Humans Doe Made Purpose Understanding Deals Existence Conditions Crisis Human Condition Quests Existential Nothing New Existential Crisis

Author:Conor Oberst

“I liked the idea of having a record that's reggae-influenced but not musically, just lyrically. I think there's so much about Rasta culture that's interesting. Just the idea of preaching one-ness, that we're all in this together. Which I suppose is at the root of most any religion. You're gonna find it, if taken in the right context.”

Thinking Together Culture Interesting Taken Preaching

Author:Conor Oberst

“I definitely think religion is responsible for a lot of the evils of the world. I mean that's not really in debate. But at the same time, I think whatever gets you through the day, whatever helps you make sense of life I'm not gonna begrudge my grandmother with her rosary beads. It works for them. And at the end of the day, I don't claim to know the answer to anything.”

Thinking World Mean Helping Evil Responsible Debate Make Sense Grandmother My Grandmother

Author:Conor Oberst

“I don't hold anything against Barack Obama. I just think the system is so corrupt, it doesn't matter how well-intentioned someone is, as I believe he was and is. At the end of the day, I think it just comes down to money. This is all about class warfare. All of our political problems.”

Thinking Believe Problem Political I Believe Barack Class Warfare

Author:Conor Oberst

“I've cried, and you'd think I'd be better for it, but the sadness just sleeps, and it stays in my spine the rest of my life.”

Thinking Sleep Sadness Cried Spine Sad Life Sadness Of Life

Author:Conor Oberst

“Considering our history, I can think of nothing more American than an immigrant.”

Thinking I Can Immigrants Considering

Author:Conor Oberst

“I think there's a danger, for me at least, in retreating and going inward and depression. I have to stay diligent against that tendency.”

Thinking Danger Tendencies Inward Diligent

Author:Conor Oberst

“I think there's so much about Rasta culture that's interesting. Just the idea of preaching one-ness, that we're all in this together.”

Thinking Ideas Together Culture Interesting Preaching Rasta

Author:Conor Oberst

“If the world could remain within a frame like a painting on the wall, I think we'd see the beauty then and stand staring in awe.”

Ifs Thinking World Fear Painting Wall Staring Awe

Author:Conor Oberst

“Life is always surprising to me. When you think it's going to get dull, it never really does.”

Thinking Doe Life Is Dull Surprising

Author:Conor Oberst

“Once you realize that everyone is in the same boat, that everyone is just as insecure and childlike as everyone else, that all these jokers in D.C. ruining our world are just greedy kids grabbing for marbles - I think that realization means you're an adult.”

Thinking World Mean Kids Realizing Adults Boat Realization Our World Insecure Greedy Marble Childlike Grabbing

Author:Conor Oberst

“I like science fiction. Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick and Vonnegut, and I really like Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale. And you know, so much of science fiction has to do with predicting what’s to come, so I think that’s really interesting.”

Thinking Knows Interesting Fiction Science Fiction Tales Really Interesting Arthur Philip Predicting Handmaids

Author:Conor Oberst

“On good days, I can see the inherent goodness in people, and that human beings have a high capacity to learn and adapt. But things like the environment, nuclear weapons and ideas like peak oil - if you think about them too much, they can really freak you out.”

People Ifs Thinking Humans I Can Ideas Human Beings Environment Too Much Goodness Weapons Capacity Oil Nuclear Freak Nuclear Weapons Inherent Good Day Peak Oil

Author:Conor Oberst

“The one recurring theme in my writing, and in my life in general, is confusion. The fact that anytime you think you really know something, you're going to find out you're wrong - that is the rule. The moments where you think you have something figured out, those are the exceptions.”

Thinking Knows Writing Moments Facts Confusion Theme Exception Recurring Recurring Themes

Author:Conor Oberst

“When I was younger, I was somewhat of an idealist. I guess I'm a little bit more of a realist now. I think there's a lot that can be done to make the world a better place, but it's more about choosing your battles.”

Thinking World Littles Done Bits Battle Little Bit Better Place Realist Idealist

Author:Conor Oberst

“When you're 16 or 17, I think like most people that age, the first time you experience certain things in life, whether it's heartbreak or death or love, obviously it's going to seem like a much bigger deal.”

People Thinking Firsts Seems Age Certain Deals First Time Bigger Things In Life

Author:Conor Oberst

“I've thought about the idea of, 'Can happiness and creativity co-exist?' So much of what I've done, I think, has been based on being dissatisfied or incomplete or lonely. The answer is, 'There isn't an answer, necessarily.”

Thinking Has Beens Ideas Done Answers Creativity Creative Lonely Incomplete Dissatisfied

Author:Conor Oberst

“I came upon a doctor who appeared in quite poor health. I said, 'There's nothing that I can do for you that you can't do for yourself.' He said, 'Oh yes you can. Just hold my hand. I think that that would help.' So I sat with him a while then I asked him how he felt. He said, 'I think I'm cured.'”

Thinking Said I Can Helping Hands Felt Can Do Poor Kindness Doctors Sat Doctor Who Kindness And Compassion Yes You Can Poor Health

Author:Conor Oberst

About the Author

Born: February 15, 1980
Known for: Singer-songwriter
Quotes: 179

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