If there is one sin—or rather one waste—it is not doing what you have the inclination or gift for.

~ Oliver

Oliver Dreams Gift Gifts Pursuit Of Dreams Pursuit Of Goals Sin Talent Talents Talents And Gifts Waste Wasted Life

I like working alone. I feel freer, less constrained. I know what I have to do and I try to do it. There are no superficial hangups.

~ Oliver

Oliver Alone Alone But Not Lonely Alone Quotes Aloneness Being Alone Constrained Freedom

When I write I like to give equal justice to lyrics, too. I want the song to have meaning for me so I can make it have meaning for the audience.

~ Oliver

Oliver Audience Lyrics Meaning Music Musician Song Song Lyrics Song Writer Song Writers Song Writing Songs Writer Writers Writing

I try to make the music give people a chance to become engrossed with what they hear enough to possibly experience things they've probably experienced on their own but don't normally let themselves go so as to feel them fully.

~ Oliver

Oliver Engrossed Experience Experiences Feel Feeling Feelings And Emotions Music Musician Singing Song Songs

A song should stand on its own and on what a singer does with it. It shouldn't need a lot of extra help to be good.

~ Oliver

Oliver Good Help Music Musicians Singer Singing Song Songs

My job is to entertain people by playing my music well. You shouldn't really be upset because people like you, should you?

~ Oliver

Oliver Being Liked Entertain Entertainer Job Music Musician Playing Music Singer Singing Upset

I wouldn't say I'm happy, but I look at things in a soft way. I try to convey more personal interaction, rather than huge injustices.

~ Oliver

Oliver Happy Injustices Interaction Personal Soft

I like performing because it's direct contact with live people. I write a good deal of the time but that's introspective creation rather than interaction.

~ Oliver

Oliver Creation Interacting Interaction Introspective Performer Performers Performing Writer Writing

I think of myself first as a singer, meaning an interpreter. Then I think of myself as a writer. It is an outlet I have to have. I get very hard to live with without something happening to write about.

~ Oliver

Oliver Outlet Singer Singing Writer Writing

I gladly sacrifice pear-shaped tones in favor of down-to-earth emotion.

~ Oliver

Oliver Emotion Sacrifice Singer Singing

I don't think any responsible performer would go on stage high. If he convinced himself he is better that way, he is deluding himself.

~ Oliver

Oliver Anti Drug Deluding Oneself Delusion Drug Drug Use Drugs Marijuana Performer Performers Responsible Stage

I think some entertainers have been very irresponsible in their part in making drug use a fad among young people. They say, look at so-and-so, he's a pot head and look what it has done for him. The truth is, he was talented to start with. I mean, if you have vacuity and expand it, you still have vacuity.

~ Oliver

Oliver Anti Drug Drug Use Drugs Entertainers Talent Vacuity