Saddle Creek also released Letting Off the Happiness in November 1998, a ten-track record that boasted a much more focused and clear sound than the previous album. According to the Saddle Creek press release, it features members of Lullaby for the Working Class, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Of Montreal. It was predominantly recorded in the Oberst family basement in Omaha on an analog eight track reel to reel; with some work also done at keyboardist Andy Lemaster's Athens, GA studio. Although almost all of the tracks feature a full band, June on the West Coast is performed with only acoustic guitar and vocals. Padraic My Prince gives a dramatic fictional account of the death of Oberst's imagined baby brother.
In 2000 Bright Eyes released Fevers and Mirrors, a demonstration of the immense improvement in production quality and musical vision of the band. New instruments such as flute, piano, and accordion were introduced into the song arrangements. After An Attempt to Tip the Scales, a mock radio interview takes place. The mock radio interview features Todd Fink of The Faint doing an impression of Conor Oberst while reading a script that Oberst wrote. The man interviewing is Matt Silcock, a former member of Lullaby for the Working Class. In this interview, the fake Oberst intentionally presents a strange, contradictory explanation of his attitude towards his music. The interview acknowledges criticisms of his lyrics as overblown and insincere, which had begun to appear as the popularity of the band increased, but responds by stating that the lyrics are meant for personal interpretation. In a 'real' interview with KittyMagik.com, Oberst stated about the mock one: "It was a way to make fun of ourselves because the record is such a downer. I mean, that's one part of who I am, but I also like laughing and fucking around."
2002 saw the release of Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, and since then Oberst has released an almost constant stream of new material on collaborative EPs, split singles, tribute albums, and charity records. He ventured into the studio with Nebraska folk-pop outfit Tilly And The Wall, co-producing their debut album Wild Like Children and released it on his newly established record label, Team Love.
January 2005 saw the release of two albums: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, which is a country-tinged mélange of Conor’s finest acoustic songs, featuring guest vocal appearances from Emmylou Harris and Jim James of My Morning Jacket; and Digital Ash In A Digital Urn, which is a more produced, electronic album featuring cameo appearances by Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
One single from each album, Take It Easy (Love Nothing) from Digital Ash and Lua from I'm Wide Awake took the top two slots on Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart, the first time for any artist since 1997.
As had become expected of Bright Eyes recordings, the albums feature an array of talented comrades including members of Rilo Kiley, Tilly And The Wall, Cursive, Now Its Overhead, The Good Life, Azure Ray, The Faint, The Bruces, Neva Dinova, The Postal Service and Audrye Sessions.
In October 2006, Bright Eyes released a compilation of rare tracks called Noise Floor: Rarities 1998-2005.
Bright Eyes released their sixth studio album called Cassadaga on April 9, 2007, preceded by an EP entitled Four Winds on March 6, 2007.
A further 25-30 tracks have been recorded in Portland, Oregon and New York City, with another session planned in Omaha, Nebraska. Some of these tracks had already been performed at live shows.
On February 15, 2011, the band released their seventh studio album, The People's Key.
On June 22, 2020, they released Down In The Weeds Where The World Once Was, their first album on Dead Oceans after a long history with Saddle Creek.
08-A Calender Hung Itself
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And does he sing to you incessantly from the space between your bed and wall?
Does he walk around all day at school with his feet inside your shoes?
Looking down every few steps to pretend he walks with you
Oh, does he know that place below your neck that is your favorite to be touched?
And does he cry through broken sentences like I love you far too much?
Does he lay awake listening to your breath?
Worried that you smoke too many cigarettes
For every speck of tile there's a thousand more
That you won't ever see but most hold inside yourself eternally.
Well, I drug your ghost across the country and we plotted out my death
In every city, memories would whisper, "Here is where you rest"
I was determined in Chicago but I dug my teeth into my knees
And I settled for a telephone and sang into your machine
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
And I kissed a girl with a broken jaw that her father gave to her
She had eyes bright enough to burn me, they reminded me of yours
And in a story told she was a little girl in a red-rouge sun-bruised field
And there were rows of ripe tomatoes where a secret was concealed
And it rose like thunder, clapped under our hands
And it stretched for centuries to a diary entry's end where I wrote
"You make me happy" (whoa) oh, when the skies are gray
"You make me happy" (whoa) The skies are gray and gray and gray
Well the clock's heart it hangs inside its open chest with its hands
Stretched towards the calendar hanging itself
But I will not weep for those dying days
For all the ones who have left there are a few that stayed
And they found me here and pulled me from the grass where I was laid
The song "A Calendar Hung Itself" by Bright Eyes is a melancholic and emotional track that delves into themes of love, loss, and despair. The lyrics are filled with vivid and emotional imagery that paint a portrait of a past love, and the pain and regret that come with it.
The first verse of the song focuses on the things that the singer imagines his former lover's current partner doing for her - kissing her eyelids in the morning, singing to her, walking in her shoes - and compares these actions to his own memories of the relationship. The second verse shifts to a darker tone, as the singer speaks of "dragging [her] ghost across the country" and contemplating suicide. He tries to find solace in a memory of a girl with bright eyes like hers, but even this is tinged with pain and sadness.
The chorus of the song is a repeated refrain of "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine," a classic children's song that takes on a more poignant meaning in this context. The final verse ends on a note of hope, as the singer speaks of those who have stayed with him and pulled him from the darkness where he lay.
Overall, "A Calendar Hung Itself" is a powerful and emotional track that explores the many facets of love, from its joys to its pains, and the memories that linger long after a relationship has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Does he kiss your eyelids in the morning when you start to raise your head?
Is he the one who wakes you up with a kiss?
And does he sing to you incessantly from the space between your bed and wall?
Does he sing to you even when you're not listening?
Does he walk around all day at school with his feet inside your shoes?
Does he try to feel close to you in every way possible?
Looking down every few steps to pretend he walks with you
Does he try to feel like he's walking with you even when he's not?
Oh, does he know that place below your neck that is your favorite to be touched?
Does he know your body and your likes and dislikes?
And does he cry through broken sentences like I love you far too much?
Does he struggle with expressing his emotions for you?
Does he lay awake listening to your breath?
Does he stay awake just to listen to you breathe?
Worried that you smoke too many cigarettes
Is he concerned about your health?
Is he coughing now on a bathroom floor?
Is he sick or suffering right now?
For every speck of tile there's a thousand more
There are many things that we don't see or even know about each other.
That you won't ever see but most hold inside yourself eternally.
People keep quiet about many things, even if they are deeply personal or concerning.
Well, I drug your ghost across the country and we plotted out my death
I was haunted by your memory every step of the way, and contemplated ending my life.
In every city, memories would whisper, "Here is where you rest"
Every place reminded me of you and the fact that we couldn't be together.
I was determined in Chicago but I dug my teeth into my knees
I was determined to do something, but ultimately failed, and fell to my knees in frustration.
And I settled for a telephone and sang into your machine
I couldn't be with you in person, so I settled for leaving a message on your answering machine.
"You make me happy" (whoa) oh, when the skies are gray
You bring joy to my life, especially during tough times.
"You make me happy" (whoa) The skies are gray and gray and gray
I am reminded of your happiness and love, even on the darkest of days.
Well the clock's heart it hangs inside its open chest with its hands
The clock represents the passing of time and the heart of it is exposed and vulnerable.
Stretched towards the calendar hanging itself
Time is moving forward, represented by the calendar that seems to be hanging itself.
But I will not weep for those dying days
I refuse to be upset about the passage of time and the things that have come and gone.
For all the ones who have left there are a few that stayed
Even though people come and go, there are still some who remain in my life.
And they found me here and pulled me from the grass where I was laid
Those who remained in my life helped me out of a difficult situation and brought me back to reality.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Conor Oberst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Horxata
01:50
This man is one of the most unique broken-hearted lyricists "out there"
“I kissed a girl with a broken jaw her father gave to her...”
Anyone who can relate, re-late.
The beauty of love kissing brokenness, no better description.
F13RY0N5L4UGHT
The absolute rawness of his performances especially in this era is still shocking to hear.
Sion Marc Anthony
I miss how genre bending and raw Conor used to be when making music. I know everyone grows up, and changing style is a good thing generally. But musically, Conor's settled into making fairly prosaic country/folk/Americana now. Lyrics are still top knotch but I wish he still experimented more with the music.
All Things Serve the Beam
I agree. Nostalgia for 2003 era Bright Eyes is strong.
Horxata
01:50
This man is one of the most unique broken-hearted lyricists "out there"
“I kissed a girl with a broken jaw her father gave to her...”
Anyone who can relate, re-late.
The beauty of love kissing brokenness, no better description.
ieatrain
His brother died too
ieatrain
@Dillon V" haunted by the ghost of those bright eyes" from jetsabel removes the undesirables - and i think more too
Dillon V
are there any other references to someone having 'bright eyes' besides this line and the one at the end of june on the west coast? hm
nbinns999
This was the song that made me listen to Bright Eyes - I ws working overtime in an office on a Saturday morning sometime around 2000 and this was played on Radio 1. I was hooked immediately and it took me the best part of a year to get hold of the album here in the UK. I've been hooked ever since :)
Alex Molochko
holy fuck I haven't thought of this song in 10 years at least. I can't believe he was still playing it in 2011. This performance is insane.
Rachel A
We need more bright eyes love songs 👀