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.
Away In a Manger
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head
The stars in the sky look down where he lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes
I love the Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle, till morning is night
The opening verse of Bright Eyes's "Away in a Manger" is a vivid portrayal of the humble circumstances in which Jesus was born. His mother, Mary, gave birth to him in a stable, with no crib or bed to lay him in. The infant Jesus sleeps on a bed of hay, with only the stars above as witnesses to his miraculous arrival. The image of the Christ child asleep on a bed of hay is a powerful reminder of the spiritual significance of Jesus's birth, and the fact that he came into the world not as a powerful king, but as a vulnerable baby.
The second verse of the song touches on the idea that Jesus was born into the world to save humanity from sin. The cattle in the stable are lowing, and the baby awakes, but Jesus does not cry - he is the "little Lord Jesus" who has come to bring peace and salvation to the world. The final verse is a prayer asking Jesus to watch over the singer as they sleep. It speaks to the idea that Jesus is not just a historical figure, but a living presence who can bring comfort and protection to believers even today.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
The baby Jesus was born in a humble place, without the luxury of a proper bed
The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head
The baby Jesus slept peacefully, while the world around him was in chaos
The stars in the sky look down where he lay
The heavens themselves seemed to acknowledge the birth of Jesus, as the stars shone brighter than ever before
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
The baby Jesus was sleeping on a bed of hay, a reminder of the simplicity of his birth
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes
The sounds of the animals waking up disturbed the baby Jesus from his sleep
But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes
Despite being woken up by the sounds of the animals, the baby Jesus did not cry or become upset
I love the Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
The singer of the song expresses their love and admiration for Jesus, and asks for his attention
And stay by my cradle, till morning is night
The artist asks for Jesus to watch over them as they sleep, and to never leave their side
Contributed by Layla O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.