--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With singing, the name of the game is to…" description: "\"With singing, the name of the game is to make yourself believable. When somebody hears you sing a song, and they say, 'Oh, that must have happened to h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee2/ray-charles-6406_actor_with-singing-the-name-of-the-game-is-to_2295894.jpg" --- # With singing, the name of the game is to make yourself… ![“With singing, the name of the game is to make yourself believable. When somebody hears you sing a song, and they say, 'Oh, that must have happened to him,' that's when you know you're transmitting. It's like being a good actor. You make people feel things, emotions and what not.” quote by Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee2/ray-charles-6406_actor_with-singing-the-name-of-the-game-is-to_2295894.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee2/ray-charles-6406_actor_with-singing-the-name-of-the-game-is-to_2295894.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee2/ray-charles-6406_actor_with-singing-the-name-of-the-game-is-to_2295894.jpg) > “With singing, the name of the game is to make yourself believable. When somebody hears you sing a song, and they say, 'Oh, that must have happened to him,' that's when you know you're transmitting. It's like being a good actor. You make people feel things, emotions and what not.” [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authenticity in singing comes from fully embodying the story, making listeners feel the experience as real. **In simple terms:** Sing with genuine feeling to be believable. Key Takeaway Prioritize emotional truth over technical perfection. Themes music authenticity performance emotion storytelling Mood inspirational hopeful Type musical inspirational When to use this quote - live concerts - studio recording - vocal coaching - songwriting Key Concepts expressive delivery emotional resonance Questions to Reflect On - How does personal experience shape vocal performance? - What makes a performance feel “real”? A Different Perspective Technical skill alone cannot convey true feeling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [It's weird that you have to work really, really hard just to be real or normal. Everybody's got their different techniques, but what makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scoot-mcnairy/it-s-weird-that-you-have-to-work-really-really-hard-just-to-be-real/) [Scoot McNairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scoot-mcnairy/) > [I don't sing a song unless I feel it. The song don't tug at my heart, I pass on it. I have to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-don-t-sing-a-song-unless-i-feel-it-the-song-don-t-tug-at-my-heart-i/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [I'd like to think that when I sing a song, I can let you know all about the heartbreak, struggle, lies and kicks in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-d-like-to-think-that-when-i-sing-a-song-i-can-let-you-know-all/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [An empty belly hears nobody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/an-empty-belly-hears-nobody/) Proverb > [“If one hears the call of the open places, why shall he not answer it as fully as he may while eyes will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradford-angier/if-one-hears-the-call-of-the-open-places-why-shall-he-not-answer-it/) Bradford Angier > [“lET HIM MARCH TO THE MUSIC HE HEARS”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/let-him-march-to-the-music-he-hears/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Everybody hears, but few listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-knight/everybody-hears-but-few-listen/) [Bobby Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-knight/) > [He who hears not me but the logos will say: All is one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heraclitus/he-who-hears-not-me-but-the-logos-will-say-all-is-one/) [Heraclitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heraclitus/) > [We are the party that hears the stories of people, the struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagmeet-singh/we-are-the-party-that-hears-the-stories-of-people-the-struggles/) [Jagmeet Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jagmeet-singh/) > [No one looks at a television, and no one hears it. It's a poison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-purdy/no-one-looks-at-a-television-and-no-one-hears-it-it-s-a-poison/) [James Purdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-purdy/) > [In recitals, you are naked before the audience - well, naked with your jacket and tails. The audience sees and hears the real person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-carreras/in-recitals-you-are-naked-before-the-audience-well-naked-with-your/) [Jose Carreras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-carreras/) > [In the finest critics one hears the full cry of the human. They tell one why it matters to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/in-the-finest-critics-one-hears-the-full-cry-of-the-human-they-tell/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [A grand jury hears only one side - that of the prosecutor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donella-meadows/a-grand-jury-hears-only-one-side-that-of-the-prosecutor/) [Donella Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donella-meadows/) > [Everyone only hears what he understands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/everyone-only-hears-what-he-understands/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The more you pray, the more God hears..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-more-you-pray-the-more-god-hears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Ray Charles > [Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/learning-to-read-music-in-braille-and-play-by-ear-helped-me-develop-a/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [The important thing is to feel your music, really feel it and believe it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/the-important-thing-is-to-feel-your-music-really-feel-it-and-believe/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [I suppose I've always done my share of crying, especially when there's no other way to contain my feelings. I know that men ain't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-suppose-i-ve-always-done-my-share-of-crying-especially-when-there-s/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [You never can overwhelm an instrument. You will never get out all that's in an instrument. An instrument will bring you to your limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/you-never-can-overwhelm-an-instrument-you-will-never-get-out-all-that/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [I'd like to think that when I sing a song, I can let you know all about the heartbreak, struggle, lies and kicks in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-d-like-to-think-that-when-i-sing-a-song-i-can-let-you-know-all/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-never-wanted-to-be-famous-i-only-wanted-to-be-great/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't been able to hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-don-t-know-what-would-have-happened-to-me-if-i-hadn-t-been-able-to/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [Any artist, when he goes in to record, should have the feeling that any song he records can be a hit. This may sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/any-artist-when-he-goes-in-to-record-should-have-the-feeling-that-any/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [The words to country songs are very earthy like the blues. They're not as dressed up and the people are very honest and say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/the-words-to-country-songs-are-very-earthy-like-the-blues-they-re-not/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [If you can play the blues, you can do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/if-you-can-play-the-blues-you-can-do-anything/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [Dreams, if they're any good, are always a little bit crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/dreams-if-they-re-any-good-are-always-a-little-bit-crazy/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [Music to me is just like breathing. I have to have it. It's part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/music-to-me-is-just-like-breathing-i-have-to-have-it-it-s-part-of-me/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [I set my own rhythm, and I do believe it was usually a little faster than most other people's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-set-my-own-rhythm-and-i-do-believe-it-was-usually-a-little-faster/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [I was born with music inside me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-was-born-with-music-inside-me/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [I had to pawn my clothes just to pay my rent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-had-to-pawn-my-clothes-just-to-pay-my-rent/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) [Explore all 98 Ray Charles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "With singing, the name of the game is to make yourself believable. When somebody hears you sing a song, and they say, 'Oh, that must have happened to him,' that's when you know you're transmitting. It's like being a good actor. You make people feel things, emotions and what not.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ray Charles" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/with-singing-the-name-of-the-game-is-to-make-yourself-believable-when/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/with-singing-the-name-of-the-game-is-to-make-yourself-believable-when/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee2/ray-charles-6406_actor_with-singing-the-name-of-the-game-is-to_2295894.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee2/ray-charles-6406_actor_with-singing-the-name-of-the-game-is-to_2295894.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee2/ray-charles-6406_actor_with-singing-the-name-of-the-game-is-to_2295894.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“With singing, the name of the game is to make yourself believable. When somebody hears you sing a song, and…” — Ray Charles", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ray Charles", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "With singing, the name of the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/with-singing-the-name-of-the-game-is-to-make-yourself-believable-when/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/with-singing-the-name-of-the-game-is-to-make-yourself-believable-when/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```