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.
Bad Blood
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone's gonna break.
See things change,
I've been changing everything.
It's peaceful,
The pitch black,
When the last light on goes out.
So I think about the bad luck,
The bad blood,
That may have come between two good souls.
That's one hell of an offering,
So take these gifts that have been given.
And ended up with an alphabet but some words are too wrong to define.
Now the whole world is waking up.
A ribbon cut for the opening.
We all do that day we're arrived.
Up all night,
All upset,
Outside's growing light.
No breakfast,
Just not much of an appetite.
So be cool and believe in the things you haven't learned
Because you lost and its gone but it will return.
Now it's all laid out in front of you and that's half murdered the mystery.
Are you still too shy to describe?
Now the whole world is waking up,
A ribbon cut for the opening.
Yes, finally the day has arrived.
So seek and rejoice,
Fill your hands with something tangible and fly your love like a flag.
It's joy,
The desire for that which is impossible,
And accept what you get with a smile.
In the song "Bad Blood" by Bright Eyes, the singer speaks about the changes he has made in his life but also acknowledges that sometimes change can lead to bad outcomes. He mentions the idea of bad luck and the negative impact it can have on even the best of people. In spite of this, he continues to believe in the good things that life has to offer, and encourages others to do the same.
The song seems to be about the complexities of life and relationships, and how sometimes things can go wrong no matter how hard you try. However, there's also a sense of hopefulness and optimism that shines through, particularly in the final lines of the song where the singer encourages listeners to seek out joy and accept what life gives them.
Overall, "Bad Blood" is a song that speaks to the ups and downs of life, and how even in the darkest moments, there's still a glimmer of hope to be found.
Line by Line Meaning
No news that's good news,
There haven't been any updates but that's okay because no news is usually good news.
Someone's gonna break.
Someone is bound to have a breakdown.
See things change,
Notice how things transform over time.
I've been changing everything.
I have been altering everything about myself and my life.
It's peaceful,
It is calm and serene.
The pitch black,
The complete and total darkness.
When the last light on goes out.
When the final light turns off.
I'm stranded in my bed,
I am stuck in my bed.
So I think about the bad luck,
Therefore, I ponder my misfortune.
The bad blood,
The negative feelings between two people.
That may have come between two good souls.
The ill feelings may have damaged the relationship between two good people.
That's one hell of an offering,
That is an impressive or remarkable gift.
So take these gifts that have been given.
Therefore, accept and appreciate the presents that have been bestowed upon you.
And ended up with an alphabet but some words are too wrong to define.
However, ended up with a meaningless jumble of letters because some words are too negative or confusing to define.
Now the whole world is waking up.
Currently, the entire world is becoming more aware and alert.
A ribbon cut for the opening.
The ribbon is being cut to signify the opening of something new.
We all do that day we're arrived.
We all have that day when we arrive or reach our destination.
Up all night,
Staying awake throughout the entire night.
All upset,
Emotionally distressed.
Outside's growing light.
The light outside is gradually growing brighter as the sun rises.
No breakfast,
Skipping the morning meal.
Just not much of an appetite.
Not feeling very hungry.
So be cool and believe in the things you haven't learned
Be calm and have faith in the things you do not yet know or understand.
Because you lost and its gone but it will return.
Since you have lost something important, but it will eventually come back to you.
Now it's all laid out in front of you and that's half murdered the mystery.
Now everything is apparent and that has removed part of the mystery.
Are you still too shy to describe?
Are you still too timid to articulate your feelings and emotions?
So seek and rejoice,
Therefore, look for and celebrate the positive things in life.
Fill your hands with something tangible and fly your love like a flag.
Take hold of something concrete and symbolic, and demonstrate your affection with enthusiasm.
It's joy,
It is elation or cheerfulness.
The desire for that which is impossible,
The longing for something that cannot be achieved.
And accept what you get with a smile.
And accept what you receive with a positive attitude.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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