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.
Classic Cars
Bright Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said the best country singers die in the back of classic cars
So if I ever got too hungry for a suitcase or guitar
To think of them all alone in the dark
So I laid some nights beside her in a bed made for a queen
She said I kissed her different, that all the men her age were mean
Gave me anything I wanted, oh, the generosity
I took all that I could, it was free
It?s a room I?m renovating, it?s a name I got to change
If I get out of California I?m going back to my home state
To tell them all that I made a mistake
And I keep looking for that blindfold faith
Lighting candles to a cynical saint
Who wants the last laugh at the fly trapped in the windowsill tape
You can go right out of your mind trying to escape
From the panicked paradox of day to day
If you can?t understand something then it?s best to be afraid
The whole world, it loves you if you are a chic chameleon
Intersecting circles she could hang with anyone
But when conducting business she would lie about where she?s from
Saying, "Life is how it is, not how it was"
I learned to listen, felt like I was back at school
She?d talk forever about the phases of the moon
Saying, "Everything is a cycle, you?ve got to let it come to you
And when it does, you will know what to do"
Without even knowing I guess I took her advice
Painted her front door, it seemed a suitable goodbye
It?s not that often but I think of her sometimes
Just something quaint, a couple ships in the night
And they keep moving at a glacial pace
Turning circles in a memory maze
I made a new cast of the death mask that is going to cover my face
I had to change the combination to the safe
Hide it all behind a wall, let people wait
And never trust a heart that is so bent it can?t break
The song "Classic Cars" by Bright Eyes is a reflection on a relationship with a woman who seemed to have it all figured out. The woman in question was a patron of the arts and considered herself to have a unique understanding of the world. She believed that the best country singers died in the back of classic cars, and this sentiment seemed to shape her worldview. The singer of the song spends time with her, enjoying her generosity but also feeling a sense of unease. He recognizes that he's not entirely sure who this woman is, and he struggles to reconcile her worldview with his own.
There are a few themes in the song. One is the idea of cycles and how everything is connected. The woman talks about how everything is a cycle and how you have to let things come to you. She is also very forward-thinking, encouraging the singer to see beyond himself and his immediate surroundings. There's a sense of caution in the song, too. The singer recognizes that he doesn't understand the world as well as the woman does, and he's afraid of what might happen if he tries to escape it.
Another theme in the song is the idea of memory and how it shapes our lives. The woman the singer is reflecting on is almost like a memory in and of herself, and he's not entirely sure what to make of her. There's a sense that he's trying to reconcile what he remembers about her with the person she really was. He paints her front door as a goodbye gesture, recognizing that she's not a part of his life anymore but still thinking of her fondly.
Overall, "Classic Cars" is a song about the complexities of relationships and how we remember people who have impacted our lives. It's a reflection on the way we see the world and how that shapes who we are.
Line by Line Meaning
She was a real royal lady, true patron of the arts
The woman in the song was a sophisticated, cultured and substantial woman who heavily supported artists and their work.
She said the best country singers die in the back of classic cars
This line is used metaphorically to illustrate how even the greatest people can have unfortunate and unexpected endings to their lives.
So if I ever got too hungry for a suitcase or guitar
The singer is saying if he ever got too caught up in his own desires for material things or fame, he should remember the value of other things in life.
To think of them all alone in the dark
This line could be interpreted to mean that the artist should not forget about those who are struggling or alone in life, despite their fame or success.
So I laid some nights beside her in a bed made for a queen
The artist is spending the night with the woman mentioned earlier, in a bed with luxurious accommodations.
She said I kissed her different, that all the men her age were mean
In comparison to other men, the singer was different in a good way according to the woman, even though he is much younger than her.
Gave me anything I wanted, oh, the generosity
The woman gave the singer anything he wanted and was generous with her possessions or resources.
I took all that I could, it was free
The artist took advantage of this and received everything from the woman, everything being free.
Now the sky is a torn up denim and the clouds are just splattered paint
This line is a metaphor describing the sky as it's changed.
It?s a room I?m renovating, it?s a name I got to change
The artist's life is changing, so much so that they feel the need for change their room and name.
If I get out of California I?m going back to my home state
The singer implies that they no longer want to be in California and want to escape back to their home state.
To tell them all that I made a mistake
The artist believes they have made a mistake by their current actions, and wants to tell others from their home state that they're sorry.
And I keep looking for that blindfold faith
The singer is still searching for something to believe in, without any evidence of it being true.
Lighting candles to a cynical saint
The singer is still trying to discover something to believe in, despite their skepticism.
Who wants the last laugh at the fly trapped in the windowsill tape
The cynical saint mentioned in the previous lines is mocking those who are weak or insignificant, implying that they have no power to escape a sticky trap.
You can go right out of your mind trying to escape
Some situations are impossible to escape from, and trying to do so will only hurt you in the end.
From the panicked paradox of day to day
It's easy to become overwhelmed with the conflicting, stressful and busy experiences of life.
If you can?t understand something then it?s best to be afraid
When you don't understand something, it's better to proceed with caution and be wary.
The whole world, it loves you if you are a chic chameleon
It's more socially acceptable to change or pretend to be someone else in order to fit in or retain society's favor.
Intersecting circles she could hang with anyone
The woman could get along with anyone, no matter their differences.
But when conducting business she would lie about where she?s from
She would alter the truth to suit her needs or wants when dealing with professional relationships.
Saying, "Life is how it is, not how it was"
The woman would justify her actions by arguing that life can't be changed, so it's important to live in the present to make the best of it.
I learned to listen, felt like I was back at school
The singer learned an important lesson from this woman, and felt like they were back in school because of how much they learned.
She?d talk forever about the phases of the moon
The woman had a lot to say and discussed the many phases of the moon.
Saying, "Everything is a cycle, you?ve got to let it come to you
The woman believes that everything in life happens in cycles, and that to make the most of it, you must let things come to you.
And when it does, you will know what to do"
The woman believes that if everything happens in cycles as she suggests, you will know what to do when the time comes.
Without even knowing I guess I took her advice
The singer took the woman's advice without even realizing it, and incorporated it into their life.
Painted her front door, it seemed a suitable goodbye
The artist painted the woman's front door a different color, symbolizing the end of their time together.
It?s not that often but I think of her sometimes
The artist thinks of the woman occasionally.
Just something quaint, a couple ships in the night
The singer views their time together as quaint and fleeting, with their paths separating like ships in the night.
And they keep moving at a glacial pace
Life seems to move slowly, like a glacier.
Turning circles in a memory maze
Memories have a tendency to come up over and over again, like a maze that we are trapped in.
I made a new cast of the death mask that is going to cover my face
The artist created a new identity for themself, effectively ending their old self.
I had to change the combination to the safe
The artist is changing important passwords and information, likely due to the creation of their new identity.
Hide it all behind a wall, let people wait
The singer is keeping everything secret from others and making them wait for answers and information.
And never trust a heart that is so bent it can?t break
The artist suggests not to trust someone who's heart is so broken and twisted that it can't be mended, making the person untrustworthy.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CONOR OBERST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind