--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Oh but I'd pay anything to keep my…" description: "\"Oh but I'd pay anything to keep my conscience clean.I'm keeping my eyes on the the exit sign. Steady now.\" — St. Vincent" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/st-vincent-10256_clean_oh-but-i-d-pay-anything-to-keep-my-consc_2434092.jpg" --- # Oh but I'd pay anything to keep my conscience clean.I'm… ![“Oh but I'd pay anything to keep my conscience clean.I'm keeping my eyes on the the exit sign. Steady now.” quote by St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/st-vincent-10256_clean_oh-but-i-d-pay-anything-to-keep-my-consc_2434092.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/st-vincent-10256_clean_oh-but-i-d-pay-anything-to-keep-my-consc_2434092.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/st-vincent-10256_clean_oh-but-i-d-pay-anything-to-keep-my-consc_2434092.jpg) > “Oh but I'd pay anything to keep my conscience clean.I'm keeping my eyes on the the exit sign. Steady now.” [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator is willing to sacrifice anything to stay morally upright, staying focused on the exit from turmoil. **In simple terms:** Willing to give up for a clear conscience. Key Takeaway Prioritize moral clarity over comfort. Themes ethics personal struggle focus Mood determined hopeful Type lyational philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - personal relationships - stress management - creative projects Key Concepts Moral philosophy self‑discipline Questions to Reflect On - What would you sacrifice for integrity? - How do you stay focused amid chaos? A Different Perspective May ignore practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) ## Related quotes > [The difference between keeping things clean and keeping kids clean was that things just sat still and waited for the dirt to collect. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/the-difference-between-keeping-things-clean-and-keeping-kids-clean/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [I know how people are, with their habits of mind. 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Hey, at least somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/pentagon-records-show-that-at-least-8-000-members-of-the-all/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) ## More by St. Vincent > [My dad used to love Steely Dan, the Stones, Jethro Tull and all that. There was always Steely Dan going in my dad's car,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/my-dad-used-to-love-steely-dan-the-stones-jethro-tull-and-all-that/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [I'm supportive of women, absolutely, and it's so gratifying to have girls come up and say, 'I'm really inspired by your guitar playing.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-m-supportive-of-women-absolutely-and-it-s-so-gratifying-to-have/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [It is absolutely necessary, both for our advancement and the salvation of others, to follow always and in all things the beautiful light of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/it-is-absolutely-necessary-both-for-our-advancement-and-the-salvation/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [We ought to deal kindly with all, and to manifest those qualities which spring naturally from a heart tender and full of Christian charity;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/we-ought-to-deal-kindly-with-all-and-to-manifest-those-qualities/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [I just love playing guitar, so that's what I'm going to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-just-love-playing-guitar-so-that-s-what-i-m-going-to-do/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [A song has a life of its own. It's an autonomous thing, separate from your own experience, almost. And the mere repetition of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/a-song-has-a-life-of-its-own-it-s-an-autonomous-thing-separate-from/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [Let us love God my brothers, let us love God. But let it be with the strength of our arms and the sweat of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/let-us-love-god-my-brothers-let-us-love-god-but-let-it-be-with-the/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [To be honest, because there's loud music in my ears probably three hours a day, between sound check and the show, I listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/to-be-honest-because-there-s-loud-music-in-my-ears-probably-three/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [It's not enough to do good. It must be done well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/it-s-not-enough-to-do-good-it-must-be-done-well/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [The first step to be taken by one who wishes to follow Christ is, according to Our Lord’s own words, that of renouncing himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/the-first-step-to-be-taken-by-one-who-wishes-to-follow-christ-is/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [Musically, I have more things in common with tons of bands that have no female members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/musically-i-have-more-things-in-common-with-tons-of-bands-that-have/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [I think human beings have a really broad spectrum of traits, and I almost feel implicated when we say, 'Men are like this, women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-think-human-beings-have-a-really-broad-spectrum-of-traits-and-i/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [I love Robert Fripp. You know what I really appreciate about Robert Fripp? He always dresses appropriately for the occasion. When he's on stage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-love-robert-fripp-you-know-what-i-really-appreciate-about-robert/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [Guitar is just something I can do. So much of it now is muscle memory, just instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/guitar-is-just-something-i-can-do-so-much-of-it-now-is-muscle-memory/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [I only listen to my own music when I'm playing an hour-and-half set each night. I don't put it on recreationally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-only-listen-to-my-own-music-when-i-m-playing-an-hour-and-half-set/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) [Explore all 67 St. Vincent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) ## More Clean quotes > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Whenever we touch nature we get clean. People who have got dirty through too much civilization take a walk in the woods, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/whenever-we-touch-nature-we-get-clean-people-who-have-got-dirty/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-cannot-go-back-in-time-and-change-the-past-but-we-can-repent-the/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [ I walked all around it \[the Guggenheim Bilbao\] and couldn't find one clear, clean shot. To make things worse, the weather was lousy. Nothing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-polidori/i-walked-all-around-it-the-guggenheim-bilbao-and-couldn-t-find-one/) [Robert Polidori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-polidori/) > [There's nothing harder than making a mellow, clean record. It's really scary. I can see why people would never want to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-segall/there-s-nothing-harder-than-making-a-mellow-clean-record-it-s-really/) [Ty Segall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-segall/) > [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [There is one, and only one solution, and we have almost no time to try it. We must turn all our resources to repairing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/there-is-one-and-only-one-solution-and-we-have-almost-no-time-to-try/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > [The sugar maple is remarkable for its clean ankle. The groves of these trees looked like vast forest sheds, their branches stoppingshort at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-sugar-maple-is-remarkable-for-its-clean-ankle-the-groves-of-these/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-green-and-clean-solutions-and/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [At 62, I remain clean and sober and my ponytail remains erect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/at-62-i-remain-clean-and-sober-and-my-ponytail-remains-erect/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [Water is a cure-all. Water is everything. You can't get better without drinking lots of water, and you can't drink water unless it's clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/water-is-a-cure-all-water-is-everything-you-can-t-get-better-without/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) > [The worthiness of any cause is not measured by its clean record, but by its readiness to see the blots when they are pointed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldo-leopold/the-worthiness-of-any-cause-is-not-measured-by-its-clean-record-but/) [Aldo Leopold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldo-leopold/) > [I like to always wash the slate clean, and reinvigorate my spirit to be connected to the characters that I am doing. 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