One of my favorite modern American authors is Denis Johnson. I'm deeply inspired by all of his work - I rip him off constantly. Conor Oberst More Quotes by Conor Oberst More Quotes From Conor Oberst Now I believe that lovers should be draped in flowers and laid entwined together on a bed of clover and left there to sleep, left there to dream of their happiness. Conor Oberst flower dream believe 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. Conor Oberst wall fear thinking I don't see any harm in letting whatever comes out come out of you, even if it's sort of weird, or dark, or painful, or too embarrassing, or whatever. I feel like you might as well get it down for yourself. It can't do anything but help you get to where you want to be by recognizing the thoughts that you're having. Conor Oberst dark want might You should never be embarrassed by your trouble with living, because it's the ones with the sorest throats who have done the most singing. Conor Oberst singing done trouble I like to feel the burn of the audience's eyes when I'm whispering all my darkest secrets into the microphone. Conor Oberst whispering eye secret Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of my all-time favorite writers. I feel spiritual when reading his words, even though they're translated. I wish desperately that I could read it in its original language. I already feel like I'm going to church when I read him; imagine if I could read it in the original. Conor Oberst reading spiritual wish I want to be enriched by the music I listen to. That's the reason it never really exists in the mainstream. Because that's not what most people are after. Conor Oberst reason want people So when your new eyes meet mine they won't see no lies, just love. Conor Oberst deceit eye lying The first music I ever got into was the '80s alternative bands that my brother listened to, like The Cure and The Smiths and R.E.M. and Fugazi. I can remember specifically saying The Cure was my favorite band back in second grade. Conor Oberst alternatives band brother 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. Conor Oberst confusion writing thinking I know a girl who cries when she practices violin because each note sounds so pure it just cuts into her, and then the melody comes pouring out her eyes. Now, to me, everything else just sounds like a lie. Conor Oberst girl eye lying When you look at what people consider success in the music industry, it's just terrible music. Conor Oberst terrible people looks Everything that happens is supposed to be And it's all pre-determined, can't change your destiny Guess I'll just keep moving, someday maybe I'll get to where I'm going Conor Oberst determined destiny moving If I could act like This was my real life, And not some cage where I've been placed, Well then, I could tell you The truth like I used to And not be afraid of sounding fake. Conor Oberst cages fake real 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. Conor Oberst ideas interesting thinking With science and reason throughout history, what people believed turned out to be false. So I like to keep an open mind to all perspectives and learn and become more fully realised as a person. I just feel we're never going to know what the full picture is. Conor Oberst perspective mind people Love's an excuse to get hurt. Conor Oberst hurt-feelings excuse hurt I have on many occasions spoken my mind from stage. I have offered organizations table space by the merch booth. I have donated a dollar-a-ticket, or the entire guarantee, to different causes. I have registered voters. I have played on behalf of political candidates. Conor Oberst political space organization All those experiences were a chance to learn more about music. Playing with the Valley band is like such a "live" band. I mean, really, in many ways Bright Eyes is really a studio project. We form bands to tour, but it really is - you know, we take the songs and we figure out how to decorate them and it's all in the studio, we build the songs that way. Whereas Mystic Valley Band was the exact opposite, where everybody knows what they are gonna be playing on the song and there's sort of a general stylistic approach, and then it's just plug in and play. Conor Oberst eye song mean 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. Conor Oberst grandmother mean thinking
