At fourteen years of age, Oberst became singer and guitarist of Commander Venus, an indie rock band. The former members of Commander Venus, Tim Kasher of Cursive, Robb Nansel (who now runs Saddle Creek), and Todd Fink of The Faint, would later go on to feature in many Saddle Creek recording groups. Conor was also a member of the band Park Ave, which he joined after terminating the difficult relationship he had with Megan Saienni, due to an affair with Maria Pantin.
Oberst was also guitarist and singer for the band Desaparecidos. The music and lyrics of Desaparecidos differ greatly from Bright Eyes, having more in common with punk rock than folk. The lyrics are generally social and political commentary on the state of affairs in America, the pitfalls of the suburban lifestyle, and America's love of capitalism as opposed to the more introspective lyrics of Bright Eyes.
Oberst is one of the founding members of the independent record label Saddle Creek Records, which hosts and has hosted bands including Cursive, Desaparecidos, The Faint, Rilo Kiley (who left to start their own label Brute/Beaute Records), Bright Eyes, Son Ambulance, Azure Ray, The Good Life, and Sorry About Dresden, among others.
Oberst is currently involved in a boycott of Clear Channel Communications. His broadcast television performances include a spot on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in March 2005, which sparked controversy with his performance of the incendiary "When the President Talks to God", The Late Show with David Letterman, on which he performed "The Trees Get Wheeled Away", and his guitar-smashing performance of "Road to Joy" on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Oberst was a member of the Vote for Change tour in 2004 with Bruce Springsteen and REM. He has recently started his own label, Team Love, which is currently hosting bands such as Tilly and the Wall, M. Ward, Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins, A Weather, Capgun Coup, and David Dondero.
Bands:
Commander Venus from 1995-97
The Magnetas in 1996
Park Ave. from 1996-98
Desaparecidos from 2001-2
Bright Eyes since 1995
Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band since New Year's Weekend 2007
Monsters of Folk since 2009
Better Oblivion Community Center since 2019
Sausalito
Conor Oberst Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time hanging from a clothes pin
There's no sorrow that the sun's not gonna help
Smell the leather of your new car
Drive through the desert after night fall
Sleep on the shoulder keep the stars all to ourselves
The kinda love that makes my back hurt
Wearing nothing but a t-shirt
She's turning over on a mattress made of air
I close my eyes I see a stair case
Leading upwards into blank space
All of creation makes a sound too soft to hear
So I remain between her legs
Sheltered from all my fears
While bikers glide by highway shrines
Where pilgrims disappear
I know that trouble's been your good friend
Keep you company on the weekends
Keep you company even once your mind was made
Said it's over and it's finished
Now a headache is all you're left with
We're no different I got debts I'd like to pay
We should move to Sausalito
Living's easy on a house boat
Let the ocean rock us back and forth to sleep
In the morning with the sunrise
Look in the water see the blue sky
As if heaven has been laid there at our feet
So we remain between these waves
Sheltered for all our years
While bikers glide by highway shrines
Where pilgrims disappear
Where time takes icebergs
Where fields burn westward
Where pilgrims disappear
Conor Oberst's "Sausalito" is a melancholic song that describes a peaceful escape from the troubles of life, set in the backdrop of a road trip through the desert with a loved one. The opening verse sets the scene with evocative images of hair blowing in the hot wind and time hanging from a clothes pin, which encapsulate the sensation of feeling lost in time and space. The lyrics go on to describe the experience of driving through the desert at night, feeling the leather of a new car and sleeping on the shoulder with the stars overhead, creating a sense of freedom and detachment.
The central theme of the song is the longing for a kind of love that is all-consuming and transformative, that can provide shelter from the fears and troubles of life. The lines "The kinda love that makes my back hurt / Wearing nothing but a t-shirt" convey the intensity of the emotion, while "All of creation makes a sound too soft to hear" speaks to the mystery and transcendence of the experience. The chorus plays on this theme of shelter, proposing the idea of moving to Sausalito and living on a houseboat, rocked gently by the ocean, as a way of finding peace and escape.
The final verse reflects on the transience of life, on how we are all journeys that eventually lead to disappearing. It creates a sense of both melancholy and acceptance, that even as we seek shelter and escape, time and the wider world is constantly moving on, taking us with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Hair blowing in the hot wind
The air is hot and windy, causing the person's hair to blow around.
Time hanging from a clothes pin
Time seems to be passing slowly and is not really moving at all.
There's no sorrow that the sun's not gonna help
The sun can help heal the feeling of sadness.
Smell the leather of your new car
The smell of the new car's leather is noticeable and pleasant.
Drive through the desert after night fall
Driving through the desert during the night is peaceful/quiet and calming.
Sleep on the shoulder keep the stars all to ourselves
They will sleep together with the intention of stargazing.
The kinda love that makes my back hurt
The love that they share is strong and passionate.
Wearing nothing but a t-shirt
They are wearing only a t-shirt and nothing else.
She's turning over on a mattress made of air
She is changing positions in bed, which is made entirely of air.
I close my eyes I see a stair case
When he closes his eyes he sees a staircase leading to the unknown.
Leading upwards into blank space
The staircase is leading into a space that is empty or unknown.
All of creation makes a sound too soft to hear
There are many sounds around us that are too quiet to hear them.
So I remain between her legs
He remains between her legs as a form of comfort.
Sheltered from all my fears
He feels safe and secure when he is with his partner.
While bikers glide by highway shrines
Motorcyclists are passing by religious or holy monuments on the highway.
Where pilgrims disappear
The pilgrims vanish or become obscure in that particular area.
I know that trouble's been your good friend
The person he's with has had a difficult life.
Keep you company on the weekends
Doing criminal or illegal activities have kept her company on weekends.
Keep you company even once your mind was made
Doing illegal activities has comforted her even though she has already decided what to do.
Said it's over and it's finished
They're done with whatever they were doing before.
Now a headache is all you're left with
They have moved on and are now only left with a headache caused by what they did in the past.
We're no different I got debts I'd like to pay
The story of their lives is similar, he has outstanding payments that he wants to settle.
We should move to Sausalito
They should move to Sausalito to get away from their past life.
Living's easy on a house boat
Living on a houseboat is a simple life.
Let the ocean rock us back and forth to sleep
Imagine falling asleep as the ocean rocks them back and forth.
In the morning with the sunrise
They'll wake up together in the morning and watch the sunrise.
Look in the water see the blue sky
They'll look into the water and see the reflection of the blue sky.
As if heaven has been laid there at our feet
The beauty of the surroundings can be compared to heaven's beauty.
So we remain between these waves
They will stay together in the middle of the waves on the boat.
Sheltered for all our years
They feel protected and secure, thinking that they will live there for years.
While bikers glide by highway shrines
Motorcyclists are still passing by religious/holy monuments that they don't care about.
Where pilgrims disappear
The pilgrims still vanish or become insignificant in that particular region.
Where time takes icebergs
Time plays a role in the movement of icebergs.
Where fields burn westward
The fields burn in the west or the fields are burning because of the setting sun.
Where pilgrims disappear
The pilgrims still vanish or become insignificant in that particular region.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CONOR OBERST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind